My Winter Wellness Bucket List

Despite what Instagram might have you believe, September and October were not all good times and husbands bearing Tiffany earrings. I hit a few snags with my mental and physical health and there were days here and there where I didn't feel like myself at all. As we close out 2018, I'm trying to focus on my well-being by following the self-imposed rules in this list. The holiday/winter season can be stressful, busy, overindulgent or all of the above, so why not have a simple list of rules to ensure you're taking care of yourself despite all that? Pretty ingenious idea if I do say so myself. What would your list look like?

1. Minimize the mindless scrolling/screen time on my iPhone or iPad in the evenings. Try to put these devices away by 10pm, and definitely don't use them in bed or leave them on the nightstand.
2. Be in bed by 11pm every night, even if I'm not feeling tired and I'm just curled up reading a book for an hour or so until I am.
3. Ramp up the intensity and frequency of my Bar Method workouts. I was in such a good place after finishing the Fitness Challenge earlier this year and since then I feel like I've let myself backslide a bit. In the last 2 weeks I went to barre class 4 times each week, and I've already noticed an uptick in my mood.
4. Make all the medical appointments! Dentist, doctor, optometrist, massage, counseling...I call it my annual Lisa tune-up.
5. Similarly, make all the grooming appointments: Haircut, facial, maybe a holiday mani.
6. Cook more at home. Make meals that nourish the body and feed the soul. More vegetables and plants, warming soups and stews.
7. Get outside while it's still light out. Daylight Savings and sitting indoors under artificial lights really dampen my mood at this time of year. Fresh air and a walk do wonders.
8. Savour the ritual of my nighttime skincare routine. Instead of rushing through the steps, relish the feeling of cherry-picking products depending on what my skin needs that day. Go over my face a few extra times with the rose quartz facial roller. Do more sheet masks.