The summer of self care has been an epic journey of realization, relaxation, and ultimately real growth. We made it a mission to practice what we preach and did just what our Dazey tees say. We dove into downtime, made mental health a daily matter, and prioritized happy any chance we got. We went offline a ton and made the conscious decision to TAKE ACTION and improve our daily lives because stress does not equal success. To take our self care practices to the next level, we met with three wonderful gals from different backgrounds to learn new techniques that we can carry out beyond summer and into our daily routines. Read through this incredible women round up to gain insight on diverse self care practices that can guide you to self growth throughout your self care journey.

Katie Dalebout, Author and Podcast Host of Let It Out

If you'd like to dive deep into self transformation, self discovery, the power of conversation, and a full spectrum of wellness, Katie Dalebout has got you covered. In both her book, Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling, and podcast, Let It Out, Katie creates conversation on a wide range of topics like body image, mental health, relationship to food, love, and mindfulness with the type of vulnerability and empathy that will bring your guard down and guide you to self growth. In her podcasting work, Katie interviews people who have positively impacted their industry and/or communities and unpacks the weight of their individual stories. We appreciate the long form conversations her work brings because it emphasizes the fact that everyone's story matters. With her book, you can also unpack the weight of your own story and get vulnerable through journaling exercises. 

So the big question is, Why journaling? 

The quick answer is, journaling is accessible to pretty much anyone and can be done at any time. What we love about it is that it can be done to process almost anything. Heartbreak? Journal. Creative blocks? Journal. Self doubts? Journal. Communication barriers with others? Journal. In all aspects, journaling is a way to process the world.

As Katie says in her piece with the Good Life Project, "Journaling can be so therapeutic if you let it. Sometimes with a therapist or a friend, you may alter or keep things to yourself because of fear of judgement. When writing for yourself, you have the freedom to express whatever you've been hiding in your mind." The only two rules to keep in mind while journaling are: One, Be authentic and Two, Write for no one else but yourself.

The Dazey team is all for this and believes that #selfcaremeans creating conversation with yourself and adopting positive mental health practices. If you want to start journaling or are an avid writer already, here's a prompt to guide your next entry: On a scale of 1 - 10 what does my self care look like? What can I do to take it one or two points up? Optimally, how will my day look like once I get to the highest level of self care, a 10? Feel free to tag #selfcaremeans to share your journaling practice with the Dazey team! 

Bianca Gabrielle, Emotional Freedom Coach

Okay, yes. We had an AMAZING self care summer and lived it to the fullest through fun travels, new projects, and during meet ups, coffee dates, and photoshoots. BUT that doesn't mean all of our negativity went away forever and good times + self care cured it all. Nope, not at all. Let's be REAL. The overwhelm, anxiety, discouragement, exhaustion, and lack of self confidence were still there and even peaked as the social political climate got heavy. So what do you do when all this negative energy just gets to you and all you can think is, Why is this happening to me? 

Addressing these emotions head on is tricky. Doing the work to move through them, not past them, is tricky. That's why we are so grateful to have Bianca by our side at Biz Babez to remind us that yes the work is hard, but it's doable and its important. 

And guess what, Bianca has made it so easy for beginners to tap into weekly emotional relief. Every Wednesday on Instagram live, she hosts guided tapping sessions and addresses the hard emotions, such as anxiety, heartbreak, and grief, to help guide you to self awareness and emotional freedom. We love that this technique can be done anywhere and at any time. So tune into Bianca's page to learn more and gain a new technique that can get you through those tough times. 

Jennifer Yen, Founder of Purlisse

If you don't know already Jen is a former Power Ranger villainess who is now a modern day skincare hero through her amazing line Purlisse. SO COOL, right?! She is a badass and amazing woman all around, who has built a successful brand and business by leading with her story to create a product that is true to her identity as a Chinese American woman. We are thrilled to kick off our Highlight Real project with her (coming VERY SOON) and dig deep into what it was like to transition from acting to skincare, build a business when Instagram wasn't around, and what areas to consider when thinking about health. We learned a TON through this conversation and can't wait to share with you the video soon. But for now, here are the top three self care mantras from Jen we're taking with us past summer---- 

Health Is Your First Wealth

When you think of wealth, what do you imagine? Is it material objects, exclusive experiences, and the perfect Instagram photo of you on vacation drinking from a coconut on a private island? Yeah, us too. But this shouldn't be our first idea of what wealth is. During this conversation, Jen shared with us a saying her mother would tell her growing up, Health is your first wealth. Now think about it--- how do you get wealthy? You work, you hustle, you make moves towards your goals. Now think of doing that while also being sick. Doesn't sound too doable, right? The basis of progress, success, and "wealth" is all determined by your health. When make health your FIRST wealth, both mentally and physically, you are able to then put forward your best self and make moves towards other forms of wealth. 

JOMO

Joy of missing out. Yes, giving yourself permission to say NO to the things that truly don't bring you joy. For instance, if on a Friday night a face mask and solo movie night bring you more joy than that party at a friends house, then JOMO it up and be proud of it. It's these decisions that allow you to stay grounded and commit to what's best for YOU. Why do anything other than what brings you joy?

Financial Freedom For Ultimate Mental Health

Okay ladies, this is a BIG ONE! What is financial freedom and how do you get it?Financial freedom is it is the ability to say no to unnecessary purchases, to be conscious of your spending, and to invest in yourself long term. It is the ability to create a financial saving system and be your own safety net so that you are secure when worse comes to worse. Creating this financial boundaries for yourself is such a huge self care practice that pays off in the long run. While we're no experts on this topic, we want to open the conversation on finance because it's a real struggle for most. Our mantra for this is save frequently, spend consciously. Where you put your dollar matters.

 We hope you've enjoyed following along our self care summer journey and continue to join in on the #selfcaremeans conversation. Stay tuned for the full interview with Jennifer and our Highlight Real launch along with the launch of our Fall/Winter 18' collection!