The long awaited fresh start is before us, and the days are ours for the taking. Someone recently told us, quite bluntly, “No one is going to hand you this year. It will be what you make of it.” Direct but necessary as many of us are desperately seeking certainty in 2021.

The one thing we know for sure is that certainty and control can only be found in the choices we make in our individual daily lives. So let’s be gentle with ourselves as we embrace the months ahead, whatever they may hold. Instead of setting typical resolutions with audacious goals of lifestyle overhauls, let’s pace ourselves with small changes through manageable, sustainable habits.

It’s the small habits and little changes that are more likely to stick with us; the efforts that we’re less likely to berate ourselves over should we (gasp!) be human and fall short of our milestones.

We don’t claim to be wellness experts, of course, but we have established some small habits at the Farm that protect our family’s mental and physical health. They may seem insignificant, but when added together, these habits keep us healthy and sane! Perhaps they can inspire your routines.

Start and end your day with a skincare routine. We can’t underscore enough the importance of a good skincare regiment. For us, it’s about using natural skincare products that can be applied each morning and night. We recommend a good cleanse, rinse, and dry before spraying a refreshing hydrosol to balance the pH and even out skin tone. This sets a clean foundation for skin before applying moisturizers or other creams. And don’t forget to care for your lips!
The best thing you can put in your body is water. As farmers, it’s critical that our family stays hydrated to support our activities in the fields. But guzzling water doesn’t come easy for us. Consider keeping a beautiful glass of water by the kitchen sink, something you’ll take pleasure in holding, like the hand blown glasses from our Barn Market, and drink the full contents of that glass each time you walk by. Add flavor with your favorite hydrosol. Your body will thank you!
Skip the dreaded gym workouts, and place exercise weights around the house for quick, intermittent bursts. Sometimes it feels impossible to carve out 30 minutes to go on a solo run or tune in uninterrupted for a streaming class. At our house, we’ve got sets of various dumbbells and weights (think 5-10 pounds) placed in our common areas. Each time we walk by a set, we rep a few bicep curls or drop a few lunges. It gives us spikes of energy throughout the day, and by dinnertime, we’ve completed the equivalent of a full workout.
Use smoothies to eat produce. If you’re someone who struggles with how to prepare produce, keep it simple, and toss it in a smoothie. A breakfast smoothie can be loaded with fresh or frozen fruit, leafy greens, ginger, turmeric, and celery. Really, almost any fruit or vegetable can be added to a smoothie to boost your produce intake without the fuss of meal preparation and planning.
Get outside, get outside, get outside. Nothing boosts the spirit like fresh air. Think like a Norwegian - invest in warm clothing, and don’t limit yourself to the indoors. Even five minutes outside, wrapped in a blanket, will lift your mood, and the sun’s vitamin D is critical in the winter.
Give yourself an afternoon wakeup call with a hydrosol facial mist. When 3pm rolls around, we start to lag a little. Spritz your face with a rejuvenating hydrosol like our Refresh to give yourself a pick-me-up and hydrate the skin.
Replace afternoon coffee with herbal tea or water with hydrosol. We like to brew a cup of our Afternoon Sun tea to inject a little sunshine and buoy the rest of our day.
Grab a yoga mat and leave it rolled in a corner or laid out in an extra room to hit the floor for some stretches and planks or crunches.
Soak the day away in a relaxing bath. Perfume it with our Herbal Bath Tea, exfoliate with Lavender Mint Sugar Scrub and moisturize with our rich Lavender Mint Body Butter.
Get better rest. Spray a little Lavender Essential Oil Mist on your pillow or in the air, or keep a Lavender Chamomile Aromatherapy Inhaler by your bedside to help you ease into restful sleep.