Hello, Friends!
"Self-care" gets thrown around a lot these days, but there's a reason why it's become so prevalent. ❤️ The more ways we can support our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, the better we can show up for ourselves, in our relationships, and at work! But implementing self-care doesn't have to be a daunting overhaul of your current lifestyle. It starts with a few simple additions. Here at TDBM, there are a few things we do together as a staff regularly that keep our bodies healthy for long days sitting in a small space! When our bodies are feeling good, so do we!
#1 Meal Prep There's nothing more stressful than being hangry. Especially while sitting in a VW bus! With every week's order, we make sure to add fruits and veggies to prep staff salads and smoothies to keep on hand in our fridge. That way, if it's too busy to get out of the bus to eat, we can always blend up a healthy snack to keep us going! Okay sometimes a cinnamon roll sneaks in, but hey we have needs too!
#2 Hydration
Usually anytime fatigue or a headache comes on for us, lack of agua is the culprit. Plus, Stella has no AC so the heat can be tough until the UP snow starts flyin'.
We each keep our own water bottles nearby at all times and help hold each other accountable. We also literally added "drink a full glass of water" to each of our opening and closing checklists as another reminder. Hydrating is seriously the best thing you can do for yourself!
#3 Stretching
We hear it all the time: "Don't you get claustrophobic?" No, but our lower backs and hips make us feel like we're pushing 90. No matter what you do for work, stretching your body is essential. We have a hanging bar to stretch out our spines when we get breaks from the bus. Monkey bars or tree branches work too! We also have yoga poses that are favorites on bus days: Crescent Pose for the hip flexors, and Standing Backbend and Forward Fold or Hang for the lower back.
Pro tip: keep tennis balls around to roll out your feet or back while you work 😉
We hope these tips help you take good care of yourself! ☀️
Do you have any favorite self-care rituals? Feel free to share in the comments and let's grow together!