Don't forget to love yourself

If I've learned anything over the past year, it's to make time for yourself. Through the chaos of life, it's prudent that we find ways to step back, reset, and refresh. So, how do we do this? What can we do to clear our minds and give our souls some TLC?

I've been thinking a lot about this recently. I'm a high anxiety person that has a really difficult time shutting my brain off. So I set off to do some research. Just five minutes into Pinterest and I had a variety of self-care lists in front of me, covering everything from bubble baths to yoga and much more. While it was a great start, I wanted to dive deeper and figure out what worked best for me.

After some trial and error, I've come to a few conclusions:

If my body feels good, my soul feels good.

You're not a bad person if screen time helps you relax.

On some days, certain products will work better than others. It will likely switch again the next day, and that's okay.

I've said this before and I'll continue to repeat it - no program or checklist will fit everyone perfectly. You have to find what your own soul needs and craves. Here's just an overview of what my body and mind loves, and hopefully will serve as a good starting point for your self-love journey.

Here's what helps my soul relax and refresh.

• Soul Cycle: Exercise and motivational speaking all in one! The first ten minutes, I always feel like I need to throw up, but once I'm over the hump I feel incredible. A spin class in a hot, dark room with EDM/Hip-Hop/Pop music blasting is the best way to zone out and kick ass at your workout. To top it off, the instructor spends the 45-minute session pushing you and tell you how much of a bad ass you are.

• Blossom Bath & Body Products: If you're in need of a new moisturizer, cleanser, or body scrub, definitely check out Blossom. All products are homemade and the small, privately-owned business is in its early years. I highly recommend the eucalyptus mint body scrub! It will leave your skin feeling smooth, clean, and rejuvenated.

• LUSH Bath Bombs: Bath time is my absolute favorite time of the day. There is nothing that a glass of wine, a candle, and a bath bomb can't fix. LUSH is a great one-stop-shop for skin products, body bars, face masks, and more. All of their products are animal cruelty free, and made by hand. For bath bombs, my personal favorites include Intergalactic, Metamorphosis, and Sex Bomb (and they are all vegan!). You can visit their website to view the full product catalog.

• People Magazine: I've always had a guilty pleasure for celebrity rag mags, but People takes it a step further with true crime stories, recipes, and my all-time favorite crossword puzzle. Focusing on this content always helps my mind shut off and focus on things happening outside of my personal bubble.

• Netflix Indie Films: My movie selection varies heavily depending on my mood that day. When I'm alone and need something more stimulating than re-runs of my favorite shows, I can always rely on the indie film section on Netflix. My most recent discovery? "1 Mile to You" had me in tears it was so good. Side note: Huge shoutout to the Netflix social media team for constantly killin' it on Twitter.

• Face Masks: Happy skin, happy soul! There are so many good face mask choices out there that it's hard to pick my favorites. Use a coffee mask for a jolt of energy in the morning, or peppermint for a refreshing, deep clean. Cucumber is also a great choice!

• Writing To-Do Lists: When life is too hectic to fully shut off, accomplishing items on my to-do list feels amazing. It can be as simple as "wash my face" or "get the mail." The physical act of crossing something off the list can be therapeutic.

What helps you zone out and refresh? Send me a note with your own self-care list!