SOMETHING NEW
Sensory Self Care 101
Let’s all take a time out, before this bright new year gets crazy, to practice some sensory self care.
Some what?
Sensory self care is the practice of engaging and stimulating your senses to alter your mood, outlook, energy, and so much more.
Pick a sense below to get started, or better yet, try them all!
SPONSORED BY MONDAY.COM
The #1 All-In-One Platform You Didn’t Know You Needed
If you’re old school and keep a notebook and pen handy to write down your to-dos, or use a handful of apps to stay on top of projects, monday.com can either supplement your workflow or become your sole solution to get things done.
The really cool thing about it is that you can manage all your team’s work in one place (oh, and you can get it free if you’re strapped for cash).
No more endless e-mail threads or long meetings. With monday.com you can keep track of everything your team’s working on, communicate in context, and get started in minutes with a super easy set-up.
Signing up for free won’t just help you become more productive, you’ll also be supporting The Assist 😊.
Try it free
TOUCH
Touchy feely
- Pick an object, any object around your home that has a texture you find appealing or interesting. (Examples: A silky shirt, a smooth spoon, a carved wooden frame, or a leather-bound book.)
- Hold the object and close your eyes.
- Reflect on everything you feel as you move your fingers around the object.
- Deepen your reflection with these helpful prompts from Toward Wellbeling:
- Is it heavy? Light?
- Run a finger around the perimeter, think about the shape. Is it soft? Firm? Jagged? Smooth?
- Squeeze it tight in your hand and feel the sensation against your fingers and your palm – is it pointy? Smooth?
- Is the object warm or cool to touch?
HEAR
Listen up!
Aural wellness has been skyrocketing in popularity in recent years, and for good reason: a growing body of research suggests music-based therapeutic interventions produce tons of benefits. (They’re also fun and accessible for most people to enjoy.)
Ready to get your own music therapy on?
Download one of these popular sound therapy apps:
Or…
Follow these steps to do your own self-guided meditation:
- Pinpoint 5-10 keywords to describe your life and/or current emotional state.
- Select 5-10 songs or musical tracks that correspond with these keywords. (The “mood” features on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services will be super helpful here.) Don’t stress too much about this step. If you can’t find mood matches, simply choose whatever you like.
- Listen to your selected music while writing or drawing any images, thoughts, questions, memories, or feelings that arise.
- Meditate more deeply on what you wrote or drew, considering what everything means for you in this moment. (There’s really no wrong way to do this. Lean into it, and you may just surprise yourself.)
TOGETHER WITH SUNSAMA
Want to break bad habits in 2023? Start by building better ones.
We’re sure you’ve already set your goals for 2023 like the go-getter you are or at least started brainstorming them.
But many of the most impactful leaders know exactly what they need to accomplish before the day even starts. They set weekly goals to inch them towards their big annual goals.
And guess what?
They aren’t relying on their brain or scattered sticky notes to set those tasks. They have proper systems and tools.
Sunsama is the daily planner for busy professionals — helping you organize your tasks, meetings and emails all in one place.
Set weekly goals and plan a daily routine that allows you to become your ideal self this year.
Try it free today
SEE
Fractal Images and Chill?
Get cozy and treat yourself to a visual feast of natural fractal images, which have been shown, in some studies, to help reduce stress symptoms.
Natural Fractal Photo Resources:
SMELL
Your nose will thank us
- Lavender essential oil for anxiety
- Sweet orange or bergamot essential oil for energy and mood
- Rosemary essential oil for mental alertness
- Peppermint or ginger essential oil for nausea
- Find something in your house with a vivid scent. (The kitchen is a great place to look.)
- Hold the item to your nose and take three deep breaths.
- Meditate on the images you associate with the scent. These can be absolutely anything and everything you want.
- Repeat if desired.
TASTE
Mouth Meditation
Taste your way to feeling better with a 10-minute mindful eating meditation from Declutter The Mind: Watch here.
(Basically, you’ll eat while also tapping into all the big and small sensations, emotions, memories, and local and global connections that come along with the experience.)
DISCLAIMER
PARTNER PICKS
Our awesome partners help keep our content free 🥰
The Gist is a free must-subscribe newsletter that provides a refreshing female voice and perspective on sports.
The Daily Upside helps you rethink your financial news diet and gives you crisp, unbiased business insights each morning for free.
The Newsette is an email full of news you need to know, stuff you’ll become obsessed with, and inspiring women to follow.
Blinkist condenses non-fiction books into easily digestible chunks.
NEW & NOTEWORTHY
Latest Listings
⚕️Open enrollment ends on Jan 15 — if you’re self-employed or a contractor, check out this article on top health insurance options.
🏆 Learn how you can motivate employees through non-monetary incentives.
📜 Want to become a better storyteller? There are limited spots, so grab yours while you can for this masterclass! Use code ASSIST20 for 20% off.
🏪 The Assist Store: Check out our Planner Bundle and browse our Etsy Store.
🚨 Job Openings
SPILL THE TEA
Hooray, You Made It to the End of Our Newsletter!
Riddle me this: Which of the following is the largest? Triangle, circle, square, or rectangle?
⭐ Answer here.