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Selfcare has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been working 12 hour days for two weeks straight and to be honest I’m tired! Everyone has their own methods to finding north again and if you’re in a situation where you have to find north again you’ve been neglecting your emotions, mental health, and ignoring all the red flags of losing your peace! Sadly, we’ve all been there.

I’ve gotten better at recognizing when a break is needed. Do you remember the story of the two woodcutters? In short, there were two woodcutters in a competition to see who could cut down the most trees with a single ax. An hour into the competition, one of them notices that the other has stopped. To his excitement, he thinks the other woodcutter is tired and is taking a break so he uses this to his advantage and begins to start chopping away at double the speed. This happened twice throughout the competition. Much to his amazement, when it was time to count who had chopped the most wood his opponent had the most! So what were the breaks for? His opponent was sharpening his ax!

I heard this story for the first time as a teenager and the importance of sharpening your ax has always stuck with me. But what does sharpening your ax mean in our fast-paced moving, digital society? Does it mean to sleep? To do nothing? Not quite. If you’re physically tired by all means take a nap and rest. But to sharpen your ax has a very simple meaning today. It means doing something that helps you recharge. Here are 3 ways I sharpen my ax.

Aromatherapy

I’m very scent obsessed (as you may have guessed), I work with a variety of scents on a daily basis. Natural scents are my escape, pair that in a hot steamy shower and BINGO, you have a very inexpensive trip to a eucalyptus paradise.

The Sauna

No, I don’t have a personal sauna in my home, but my gym does! After my morning workouts, I always head straight for the sauna. It’s the perfect recipe to clear brain fog, plan for the day ahead, and be in a room with no noise, no phone, and a place to let your guard down and let your thoughts roam free.

Red Light Therapy

This is something I just started doing. Primarily used by athletes and meditation gurus, red light therapy has a plethora of benefits. But what intrigued me to this form of selfcare is its ability to reduce stress, fatigue, relax the muscles and release tension. The red light is not uncomfortable to stare at nor is it unusually bright, it’s calming. You can buy your own red light ($$$) or you can get a membership at a restorative facility.