by Sarah Swanberg, Doctor of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine/ Founder & Clinical Director, Indigo Wellness Group
Ah, the return to routine… sort of. The back to school season can be both an opportunity to get back into healthy habits and also leave us feeling transition-fried.
At Indigo Wellness Group, we specialize in supporting busy mamas through all aspects of their health and wellness, so we thought we’d share some of our favorite tips to support your new September routine:
- Wind it down early. Set a bedtime alarm for 30 mins to 1 hour earlier than you have been this summer. While most of us can’t sleep in later, we can turn off Netflix and scooch that bedtime earlier to get an optimal night of sleep.
- Make a loose weekly menu. Make a grocery list in the notes section of your phone so you don’t have to attempt to keep it in your head. Get quick and easy items for breakfasts on the run. Our RDs love Rebbl protein shakes, MUSH overnight oats, Siggi’s yogurt, and Vital Farms egg cups.
- Clean House! Clear out your closets, purge your pantry, clean your kitchen. Set a phone alarm for 20+ minutes, throw on your favorite music, and get busy. Fall is all about letting go, as the trees always show us. We actually prefer fall cleaning to spring cleaning as it’s an opportunity to get your space ready for the slower, more introverted pace of the winter.
- Fill your own cup. Now that the kids are back in a routine, ask yourself what self-care you need to refill the cup that you’ve been pouring from all summer. Maybe that looks like committing to a weekly coffee with a mom friend after drop off, finally getting back into your acupuncture routine (our favorite method of self-care!) or getting a much needed lymphatic drainage massage (our second fave) to help clear out the end of summer puffiness. We hate to break it to you, but holiday season will be here soon, so this is a great time to really focus on recharging your batteries.
- Remember to stretch. Ever notice that the colder evenings make you feel stiffer in the morning? Our muscles and joints can tighten up when it start to chill, so make sure to stretch before exercise and hop in the bath or warm shower before stretching if you’re feeling particularly stiff.
Need help coming up with a new fall wellness plan? At our wellness studios in Stamford and Westport, our services include Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine, Integrative Nutrition, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Psychotherapy, Massage Therapy and Holistic Skincare. We offer virtual options including our upcoming Week of Wellness (aka WOW week)- a 7 day clean eating community reset and are so excited to be hosting our third retreat this coming October in Vermont.
Photos by Julia D’Agostino Pierce