International Women’s Day – Celebrating & Empowering Women

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them” – Unknown.

March 8th is International Women’s Day. EVOHE is owned by women, run by women and our biggest customer base are women. We are women. We celebrate women. We support women.

Throughout March, EVOHE founder Meghan will be speaking at various events for International Women’s Day and we’ll keep you updated on the events on social media. We wanted to mark International Women’s Day 2022 by sharing quotes and self-care practices that support, nurture and empower women. 

QUOTES FOR WOMEN

• “I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard…We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back” – Malala Yousafzai
• “The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive” – Thich Nhat Hanh
• “Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are” – Brené Brown
• “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection” – Buddha
• “What’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? That since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that convinced her she did not” – Rupi Kaur

SELF-CARE RITUALS FOR WOMEN

Women often struggle with making self-care a priority. Many of us see it as indulgent, unimportant, undeserved or impossible to fit into our busy schedules. We’re here to say that none of these things are true. No matter who you are, what you do or what your schedule or circumstances look like, self-care is necessary, needed and achievable. 

When you practice self-care you:

• Take time to identify and meet your needs
• Reduce stress and the likelihood of burnout
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Improve your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
• Show yourself love, kindness and compassion

The EVOHE team have compiled some simple, inexpensive and quick self-care suggestions that you might like to try:

Sleep Self-Care

A good night’s sleep is an ultimate act of self-care. It boosts immunity, reduces stress, improves mood and makes your skin glow! Quality sleep is challenging for many people, but especially many women. Our unique challenges of menstrual cycles, pregnancy, breastfeeding, perimenopause and menopause can wreck havoc on our sleep cycles.

A few small tweaks to your sleep routine can make a big difference to your quality of sleep. 

• Make your bedroom a tech-free zone
• Let your bedroom be a sacred space for sleep, sex and snuggling up with a great book
• Try to have a regular sleep and waking schedule
• Keep your bedroom cool and dark and, if possible, have an open window
• Increase exercise and reduce alcohol and refined sugars to improve sleep quality and quantity
• Take quality Australian magnesium supplements and salt baths and oils.

Skincare Self-Care

Ok, the EVOHE team might be a little biased😉, but skincare is such a simple and convenient way for women to practice self-care and get a gorgeous glow. You can:

• Treat your feet to a DIY foot massage or foot spa
• Get a free online personalised skin consultation so that you can really know your skin and its needs
• Start or upgrade your anti-aging skincare routine. You might want to check out EVOHE’s super special offer on elluminate Anti-Aging Skincare 4 Step System Packs! 
• Give yourself a mini facial massage when applying your facial creams and serums. You can do this in the bathroom mirror, on the couch or even in bed. Whatever works for you.

Mental Health Self-Care

Caring for our mental health and wellness is important for everyone, especially women. As women, we are disproportionately represented in caring roles and conditioned to put others’ needs before their own which makes prioritising our own needs challenging. 

Here are a few simple ways that women can nurture their own mental wellness today:

• Buy yourself a beautiful journal or notebook and start journaling. Write down your feelings, fears, hopes, loves, dreams…
• Find a form of exercise that you love and make it a regular practice.
• Diffuse calming essential oils like Harmonie Oil or use a calming essential oil roller on your skin like Calm Sense Roll On.
• Incorporate simple breathwork exercises into your day. You can find lots of breathing exercises online, but here’s a really simple one: Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly. Inhale slowly and deeply and notice how your body feels. Exhale and feel the stress and anxiety dissipate. Repeat as many times as you like
• Practice simple mindfulness techniques. When you next have a piece of fruit, take your time and notice every bite, every flavour and every texture. This simple practice can really help to keep you present, mindful and centered
• Take part in free online mental health and wellness courses like the ‘Take 30 for Self-Care’ ones being run by Fast First Aid Training throughout March in honour of International Women’s Day!
• Practice saying ‘no’ to things that don’t feel good or necessary and ‘yes’ to things that you love and feel right. 

Divine Feminine Self-Care

The divine feminine is the spiritual concept that there exists a feminine counterpart to the patriarchal structures and that complementary (Yin and Yang) energies are present in us all. Our divine (or sacred) feminine connects us to qualities like intuition, feelings, nurturing and connection. 

We can connect with and nurture our divine feminine in many ways including:

• Understanding our menstrual cycles. WTF – A Man’s Guide is a wonderful resource for this. It will help you and/or your partner to understand the feminine cycles.
• Creating a small space that is just for us where we can retreat, meditate, worship or just find a minute’s peace. It might be in a corner of your room, garden or bathroom. Fill it with colours, objects, scents and textures that you love.
• Make your morning tea or coffee a ritual. Play music that you love. Prepare the elixir lovingly and in a beautiful cup or mug that is just for you. Take time to notice the taste and warmth and feeling inside your body as you sip.
  Connect with our bodies through sacred vulva (yoni) steaming, bodywork and resources like Intimate Ecology.

“A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and herself only” – Maya Angelou

International Women’s Day may only be one day in the year, but we need to celebrate, nurture and empower women 365. We women are pretty awesome!