Cozy Lifestyle Hacks to stay happy and healthy in the new year
We all hibernate a bit more in the winter and now is the perfect time to focus on healthier living activities and cozy lifestyle hacks to ensure you are keeping yourself healthy & happy! Here’s more with Fashion & Lifestyle Expert Natalie Sexton.
1.) Make a Zen space for yourself! You don’t have to break the bank to create a peaceful & functional space in your home this year – with many of us shifting to work at home, we need to take some time out of the day for ourselves away from that work space! I found a ton of affordable & super cool items to help me achieve my wellness goals this year! From yoga mats to meditation books to incense to candles you can really get creative in curating the perfect at-home self-care space!
2.) Update Your Loungewear & Workout Wear – As we’re all spending more and more time at home, loungewear has become the new normal. The fashion world is obsessed with loungewear on so many different levels; You’ve got the cozy sets to watch TV in, and then you’ve got the sets you save for ‘best’ and wear on the weekend! So we get the pajama feel with the cool girl vibe! Choose a few fun patterns – tie dye is still going strong – just in more muted tones than we saw in the Spring/Summer and try a few classic colors – chocolate brown is the new black this season! Light and medium weight fabrics will feel soft and comfy plus they won’t have you overheating.
3.) Nighttime Skincare Routine – The winter is undoubtedly the toughest season on skin. With this in mind, it’s a really good idea to make a few changes to your nightly regime, particularly before bed, when you can pile on the layers of hydration! Choose a nighttime product with Retinol, it’s a form of vitamin A that helps decrease visible wrinkles, bright spots and pore size. You can start using retinol as early as your 20s, but it becomes especially important as you age, in your 40s and 50s is definitely where retinol should come in if it if it hasn’t already. Retinol can cause sun sensitivity, but the major reason you should use vitamin A at night is because sunlight can deactivate it. I am loving Olay’s Retinol24 MAX formula now with 20% more of Olay’s Retinal24 Hydrating Complex vs their base product which leaves my skin feeling hydrated & replenished for 24 hours of hydration!
4.) Weighted Blanket – Weighted blankets are a type of at-home therapy that can provide similar benefits to deep pressure therapy. Because the pressure from weighted blankets prepares your body for rest by calming your heart rate and breathing, they help your body to calm down enough to get the sleep it needs so you can wake up feeling refreshed. They can help calm a restless body, reduce feelings of anxiety, and improve sleep troubles. This blanket feels like you’re receiving the most comforting hug without feeling constrained and hot! There is a weighted blanket for everyone – you can find weighted blankets that come in all different types of fabric, ranging from microfiber to cooling fabric for the sweaty sleeper!
For more tips, follow Natalie on Instagram at @natalie_sexton_