Tuesday

“You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.”

-Mandy Hale

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

• Why getting outside might be just what you need

• The magic of hiking

• We’re giving away gift cards for a cleaner, healthier home this Earth Day

• A reminder of Earth’s beauty

Stressed? Try Logging Off and Stepping Out

Here’s something science and your dog agree on: going outside is good for you. Nature, it turns out, isn’t just nice to look at—it’s actively soothing your brain.

In one Harvard study, people who walked in a green space instead of an urban setting for 90 minutes showed less activity in the part of the brain tied to overthinking and negative emotions. Basically, fewer spirals, more calm.

There’s also the obvious stuff we forget: you move more when you’re outside. You're not doomscrolling. You’re getting actual sunlight on your face, which helps regulate sleep and boost your mood.

You don’t need a national park pass to get the benefits. Walk around the block. Sit under a tree. Read your emails on the porch if you have one. The point isn’t a perfect hike—it’s a mental reset.

Think of it as closing all the tabs in your brain. No charge, no equipment required—just you and the outdoors doing what you were both built to do.

Why Hiking Feels So Good

You probably already know hiking is good for you. But if you’ve ever felt like your legs were jelly halfway through a trail, there’s a reason—it’s doing more than you think.

When you walk on uneven ground, your muscles have to constantly adjust. That tiny wobble over roots? It’s your body using 28% more energy than it would on a flat sidewalk. Every climb works your glutes and calves; every descent tones your legs through subtle resistance training, like the downhill version of weightlifting.

Add a backpack or hiking poles, and it’s not just a leg day—it’s a whole-body workout. Your core kicks in, your arms start pulling their weight, and stabilizing muscles around your knees and ankles (the ones you didn’t even know existed) get stronger with every step.

Mentally, it’s just as powerful. A Stanford study showed that time in nature helps calm the parts of your brain linked to stress and negative thinking. Basically, hiking helps reset your brain like a warm computer reboot.

You don’t need a mountain. Even a hilly local trail can do the trick. Just go slow, carry water, and let the trail do its quiet magic.

Create a Healthier, Cleaner Space for Earth Day

Want a cleaner home without the harsh chemicals? We’re giving away $450 in gift cards to 3 lucky winners this Earth Day—and this is your last chance! Enter now for your chance to win one of three $150 gift cards in just seconds!

Meet Force of Nature, your ultimate spring cleaning upgrade. This powerful (but tiny) appliance transforms water, salt, and vinegar into a multi-purpose cleaner, deodorizer, and EPA-registered disinfectant—killing 99.9% of germs without toxic chemicals.

• One cleaner for every surface

• Cuts through grease, grime & odors

• As effective as bleach—without the toxins

• Eco & family-friendly

3 lucky winners will get to experience a cleaner, healthier home—for free! Don’t miss out: Enter here for your LAST chance to win this Earth Day.

Thank you to Force of Nature for sponsoring Note To Self. 

For Earth Day, A Reminder of Beauty

Sometimes the best way to honor Earth Day is just to stop and marvel at what’s already here. No upgrades, no filters—just Earth being her show-off self.

There’s the turquoise glow of Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, where waterfalls link 16 lakes like something out of a storybook. Or Torres del Paine in Chile, with jagged peaks that look like they were sculpted by someone having a dramatic day. And if you've never seen a photo of Mount Roraima, the flat-topped mountain that inspired Up, prepare to lose 20 minutes on Google.

Closer to home, the Blue Ridge Mountains can still quiet your racing thoughts in under five minutes. And in Alaska’s Glacier Bay, icebergs float like ancient ghosts—and remind you just how much we’ve got to protect.

Earth Day isn’t just about urgency. It’s also about awe. About remembering that this planet is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful—and worth loving out loud.

A Note From Us

Wellness Round-Up:

1. Where to store things if you're out of closet space

2. The benefits of sleeping with an eye mask

3. How often should you change your pillows

4. In celebration of Earth Day, here’s your last chance to enter Force of Nature’s Spring Cleaning Giveaway

Parting Thoughts

• ✅ Did You Know: False! Wellness also means checking in with yourself mentally.

• 🙋🏼‍♀️ 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! 

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]!