4 Feel-Good Tips to Get Back on Track in 2021

Well, 2020 sure has been something. And let us be the first to say: good riddance. We’re looking at 2021 with open eyes, hearts, and minds—and for us, that means looking deeper into “self-care.”

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We know self-care is be an amorphous term that’s thrown around a lot. Ultimately, it means doing things for yourself to make yourself feel good—taking care of your own body and mind so that you can be the best version of you.

But we’ll need some help along the way. We tapped Nike Master Trainer, Rumble instructor, and self-care guru Ash Wilking to give a few starter tips to turn 2021 into our best year for ourselves yet. Don’t we deserve it?

Wake up with purpose.

It’s kind of intuitive, but should be reiterated: Wake up feeling good. For Wilking, that means starting her day with a meaningful routine.

“The first thing I do in the morning is take my miniature Australian shepherd, Mia, for a walk,” she says. “That’s both out of necessity for her, and out of necessity for myself.”

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Wilking leaves the phone at home and just clears her head with her pup in nature.

“It helps me get myself into the right headspace. I find that if I give myself a chance before it all starts, I feel a little more grounded when I jump into the chaos.”

“Self-care is that moment to take a break, whatever that looks like for you.”

Save time where you can

Always fretting about what’s in the cupboard, or what’s in the medicine cabinet? Save some time by getting everything you need—for self-care and otherwise—with Walgreens’ Pickup option. Wilking uses it all the time to save her headspace for stuff that matters.

“For me, convenience and accessibility are the biggest benefits,” she says. “Knowing that the products I’m looking for are in stock and ready for pick-up in as little as 30 minutes* takes one thing off of my to-do list and allows me to focus on other projects.”

From snacks to skincare, it’s all covered.

For example, Wilking always picks up some Nature Made Vitamin C Tablets, an essential vitamin that helps her make sure she feels her best.

She also makes sure to snag some Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts to help her recover. “Epsom salt baths help me soothe achy muscles, wind down after nonstop day, or help get me moving first thing in the morning,” she says.

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Finally, she adds one of her favorite skincare orders, No7 Serum Masks. “I’m a sucker for a great face mask,” she says. “It really helps put me in the state of mind to turn off my day. I love to leave my masks in fridge for a bonus cooling.”

It’s all a part of a comprehensive self-care routine.

Find your “thing.”

It’s true: you are a snowflake. You’re not like anyone else—so your self-care needs to be unique to you.

“I think self-care depends on what you find individually as something that allows you to feel like you’re giving yourself the break you need,” Wilking says. “We’re constantly connected. Self-care is that moment to take a break, whatever that looks like for you.”

For some people, self-care can be doing a yoga class. For others, it might be meditating, stretching, having a beer, or putting on a face mask when you get home. Or getting out the door and running a few miles.

It’s all about what makes you feel good to disconnect.

Break up your day.

To-do lists can seem insurmountable, something we actively dread. But Wilking has found a hack to get a little self-care in, even if your day is super hectic.

“I try to create blocks of time within my to do list,” she says. “I have easy milestones throughout the day, so once I get a few things checked off my to do list I make sure I do something for me. Even if that is taking a walk with Mia, or going for a short run, it breaks up the work.”

Another benefit of breaking up your day like this: if you place an order with Walgreens Pickup before starting the next item on your to-do list, in the time it takes to go for that short run or walk, your order is ready. Two tasks, one block.

Give it a shot. Instead of a list, try grouping your to-dos into chunks of time. Then, reward yourself.

To start your journey toward better self-care in 2021, start your Walgreens Pickup order today. Everything you need—and more—is waiting for you