Post-Summer Self-Care with Scentiana

As the warm glow of summer sun dips below the horizon for another year and we head into the cooler days of September, it’s naturally a time to welcome more routine and regularity back into our lives and wellness regimes…

It's that time of the year again. The children return to school, and we get back to work and our routines. At the same time the temperature begins to drop, and the daylight hours shorten. The changes that September brings can trigger a switch in our thinking and our body clock. It is a natural time for a reset and a much gentler season for setting new intentions and goals. It’s actually a better time of year to settle into a new, softer self-care regime than in January when we are often thoroughly exhausted, and the weather is potentially at its worst. There is also something uplifting and against the tide about viewing September as the whole fresh start.

Whether you wish to invite more structure into your days, start a new self-care regime or break the bad habits you’ve accrued over the summer, here are a few ways you can start anew…

1. Adapt your mindset to reset

If you want to make some changes to your wellbeing this September, it’s important you don’t set yourself up for failure. Here are some techniques that psychologists and life coaches often use to create lasting change:

Set intentions not resolutions
Resolutions are often unachievable. A resolution implies you need to overhaul yourself, that it’s ‘all change’ and that failure is not an option. An intention, however, is about working towards a goal in a gentler fashion. When intention-setting, the way you speak to yourself is key to your success. Saying “I intend to get fitter this Autumn” is a much kinder way of speaking to yourself than “I am setting myself a fitness resolution.”

Microdose wellness
It’s very easy to slip into bad habits over the summer when our routines get disrupted. When it comes to getting back on track, don’t set yourself insurmountable goals. Big changes can take up a lot of time, energy and focus. Instead, health experts suggest starting with ‘micro-habits.’

The idea is that small habit changes can act like a springboard for bigger changes further down the line. For example, a study in the medical journal The Lancet showed that walking just 15 minutes a day can increase a person’s life expectancy by up to three years. A study at the University of Georgia showed that twenty minutes of low intensity exercise can increase a person’s perceived energy by 20% and decrease feelings of fatigue by 65%. The key? Start small. Cut back on a daily coffee, add more protein in at breakfast or go to bed half an hour earlier perhaps. Small is sustainable. For more reading on this check out James Clear’s bestselling book Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results, ‘a comprehensive guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day.’

2. The Magic of Mood Boards

Mood boards or vision boards have become popular recently along with the trend of manifesting. Far from being a woo-woo concept, mood boards are often used by life coaches to help their clients visualise their goals and dreams. There is research that shows that the more you can envisage your goal, the more likely you are to succeed in it.

Here’s how to create your vision board for Autumn:

- You will need an A3 piece of paper, scissors, glue, a marker pen and a stack of old magazines.
- Sit at a table or on the floor in a quiet room and flick through the magazines. Pull out the images that appeal to you, whether it’s for their colour, the story they represent, or just because they resonate in some way.
- Ask yourself “What do I want to bring into my life?”, “What are my hopes and dreams?”, ”What do I want to change?”
- Pull out words or phrases that appeal to you.
- Stick it all down on the paper as a collage. You can divide it into titles eg wellbeing, work, home, family or it can be one big mash-up of ideas. You do you.
- Add titles if you wish that resonate with your hopes and dreams and what you wish to focus on in the coming months.
- Put the board away or keep it on your wall to inspire you.
- Revisit it in a few months to check that you are on track.

3. The earth element

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, September is associated with the earth element which helps us to come back into balance after the excitements of the summer, steer away from extremes, and foster love and compassion. In nature it is the beginning of harvest time, and, for the earth side of our personalities, it is when we begin to slow down and assimilate, digest and process that which has come to pass. So, give yourself as much time as possible. Earth brings us, quite literally, down to earth. It’s about grounding, planning the school year, making small changes according to your needs and honouring your energy levels and emotional framework as they are now. It’s also an ideal time to refresh your house and make it cosy, comfortable and beautiful. Sort out your linens, buy a new candle, edit your beauty cupboard, fill your freezer with nourishment and reconnect with family and friends. The earth element is all about re-mothering yourself. Steady exercise, wholesome foods (vegetables, nuts, grains and beans provide the earth element), and a daily structure.

4. Sink into better sleep habits

If you struggle with your sleep, there is proof that a wind-down routine for a few hours pre-bed can help induce better Zz’s. Here are 5 things that will improve your chances of dropping off quickly and staying horizontal until morning.

Find your Scent for Sleep
Our olfactory system (sense of smell) is inextricably linked to our limbic system which controls our emotional responses. It therefore makes sense that the scent we smell pre bed can enhance our sleep routine. It’s not all about lavender drops on the pillow however, one way we suggest you layer scent into your bedtime routine is to have a warm bath and follow up with a skin and mind softening body product such as the Scentiana Replenishing Body Cream. With Damascus Rose, Indian Jasmine and sandalwood it is an exotic yet warm and deeply grounding scent that perfectly prepares you for sleep. You can finish with an application of our Glorious Lip Balm which provides an intensely nourishing overnight hydration treatment for lips, perfect for this time of year.

Be Phone Smart
The email to your boss at 11 pm can wait. As can scrolling through Instagram. According to recently launched podcast ‘Ways to Feel More Human’ by wellness editor Susannah Taylor, Circadian rhythm expert Russell Foster explains that it’s not actually the blue light from devices that keeps us awake, it’s the content. Put your phone away early in the evening. Perhaps set a time to do this that you intend to stick to and invest in an alarm clock so you don’t use your phone as a means to tell the time and then get tempted.

Go alcohol free
Alcohol can spike our glucose levels and cause dysregulation in our nervous system, causing us to wake in the night. If you struggle with disrupted sleep, limit alcohol as much as possible.

Take Magnesium
This powerful mineral not only supports bone health and influences our mood, it also increases muscle relaxation and regulates both hormones and melatonin, thus helping to promote better sleep. Find it in cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, lentils, chickpeas, avocados or chocolate. Or take a quality supplement half an hour before bed.

Create The Space
Make sure your bedroom is clean and tidy. Place a notepad on your bedside table so you can off load your to-do list and your mind can feel the same. Sleep with the window open, check your light sources and assist your journey into slumber with gentle Yin yoga or meditation and breathing exercises.

5. Reset your Skincare

Sun, sand and sea can leave skin parched and crying out for an overhaul. For skin to feel like new again, it makes sense that dead skin cells must be removed first. The Scentiana Smoothing Body Scrub is a power packed exfoliator containing Himalayan Pink Salts to gently slough away flaky patches as well as Rosehip Oil to deeply hydrate. Best used in the shower, apply in circular motion from the neck to the toes to dust off the last days of the beach, smooth out patchy self-tan and reveal glowing skin. Follow up with the vitamin rich Scentiana Rescuing Body Balm to cocoon skin, lock in moisture that leaves it divinely soft. Containing Retinol and Phytic Acid to smooth the skin, as well as Rosehip and Calendula oils to replenish moisture levels, the scent of Lemongrass, Bergamot, Sandalwood and Jasmine ensures both your body and mind will feel soothed and renewed, ready for all that Autumn brings.