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Thursday

Welcome to Thursday! Today, we're chatting about:

• The powerful benefits of hiking

• How to make movement a regular part of your life at any stage

• Simplify your morning with this time-saving beauty routine

• Must-know tips for hiking with your dog

Discover the Health Benefits of Hiking

Hiking isn’t just a way to explore the outdoors — it’s also an amazing activity for our minds and bodies!

Whether you’re on a leisurely hike in your hometown or setting off on an adventure in a new destination, here are some of the powerful benefits of hiking:

• Can improve sleep quality: One study showed that hikers exposed to natural daylight saw increased melatonin levels, and their internal clocks shifted earlier — so it may sync our bodies’ cycles with nature and help us rest easier!

• Boot our moods: Lots of research points to the powerful, mood-boosting impacts of simply being in nature! Hiking is an incredible way to reduce stress and overall boost our happiness.

• Improve cardiovascular health: Hiking can lower blood pressure and our risk of cardiovascular disease.

• Improve bone density: This activity can help boost our bone density and combat the effects of osteoporosis!

Step outside and enjoy the many different ways hiking can benefit our bodies!

How to Make Movement a Regular Part of Your Life, Regardless of Where You Are

Movement is good for our minds and bodies in so many ways. Regardless of factors like our age or schedules, it’s something that we can all enjoy regularly.

Regular movement doesn’t have to be linked with the guilt we may be made to feel by the diet industry. Instead, it can be a holistic, enjoyable activity that we look forward to!

First and foremost, it can be helpful to redefine what we think of as “movement.” It doesn’t simply have to be going to the gym, a workout class, or on a run. Instead, movement can be dancing in our kitchen, playing outside with our kids or pets, and going on gentle walks.

Next, it’s ideal to find out what you enjoy. What would movement look like if it didn’t include forcing yourself to do an activity that you actually dread? Would you rollerblade? Maybe you’d try a new class or hobby! Take some time to figure out what you would like to incorporate into your life.

It’s also helpful to listen to your body. Whether you’re feeling tired, sore, didn’t get enough rest last night, or are energized and want to jump around, tune into what your body is telling you. Don’t force movement if it doesn’t feel good.

Finally, remind yourself it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Five minutes of any kind of movement is still movement! You don’t have to do it for a set amount of time. When you do it as long as it feels good, it’s much more likely to be something you look forward to.

Your Morning Routine, Made Easy

Let’s face it — these days, we appreciate any moment we get to ourselves. After all, taking time for ourselves is essential for nurturing self-care. But with such busy schedules, we know it can be hard to find the time.

Luckily, MERIT’s Five Minute Morning set makes it easy.

It’s the impossible-to-mess-up beauty routine that helps you get ready in five minutes so you can spend less time in front of the mirror and more time doing everything else, including self-care.

The set includes:

• The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick

• Brush No. 1

• Flush Balm Cheek Color

• Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil

• Day Glow Highlighting Balm

• Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara

• Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade

At Note To Self, the Five Minute Morning set empowers us to feel good, approach each day with confidence, and begin every morning on a positive note.

It’s everything you need to get ready and feel great— available at a discount when you buy them together as a set. Even better? Your first order at meritbeauty.com also ships with the free Signature Makeup Bag.

Thank you to MERIT Beauty for sponsoring Note To Self. 

Tips for Hiking with Your Dog

If you want to explore the outdoors as a form of movement, one great way to make it an extra enjoyable activity is to bring along your four-legged friend!

However, when heading out on the trail with your pup, it takes a little extra preparation to be sure you’re both ready for what the day brings!

Here are a few tips for hiking with your dog:

• Verify your destination is pet-friendly: Not all trails or parks may be welcoming to dogs. Be sure your destination is pet-friendly, and be sure to note any specifics to be mindful of.

• Remember to BARK: This is the National Park Service’s acronym for keeping parks (and trails) a friendly place for everyone! This means

  • Bag your pet’s waste

  • Always leash your pet

  • Respect wildlife

  • Know where you can go (beyond specific destinations, there may be parts of a park or trail that allow pets while others don’t)

• Ensure you have snacks, water, and other essentials for both of you: If you need water and some fuel on the hike, your dog, of course, will, too!

• Make sure your pet is protected: There may be all kinds of fleas, ticks, and other bugs out on the trail. Make sure your pet has preventatives, and be sure to check their body for any hitchhikers before you get home.

A Note From Us

Parting Thoughts

• ✅ Did You Know: At 14,912 miles long, The Great Trail (formerly the Trans Canada Trail) is the longest hiking trail in the world!

• 🙋🏼‍♀️ Snapshot Of The Day: We'd love to see moments from our readers lives that they are proud of! If you recently accomplished an achievement, experienced a joyful moment, or are proud of a picture you have taken, be sure to capture it on camera and send it to us for a chance to be featured next week! 

• 💭 Final Self-Care Thoughts for Today: Whether you head out on a hike with your furry friend or dance in your kitchen, do the kind of movement you enjoy!

Enjoying Note to Self?

Know of a great self-care tip or article you'd love to share with the community? Want to send us pictures of you completing one of your self-care rituals? Email us at [email protected]!