One of the recent blogs on my Beauty & Style page talked about how beauty starts from the inside-out, with regard to making sure that we’re eating healthy foods and putting good things into our bodies that will reflect in our skin and health. This is in addition to using good and natural skincare products.

Beauty also comes from our spiritual self, which is also something that reflects on our face as either joyful, peaceful, or happy when we’re spiritually centered, or angry, annoyed, sad, etc., when we’re not.

Are you feeding your soul? For some, that comes with practices that might include attending church services or groups, being in nature, listening to worship or inspirational music, doing yoga or meditation, journaling, or any number of ways that force you to slow down and put aside your cares and everyday worries and to really focus on something for a period of time. Many of us wait until we get to a crisis point where we cry out to God, go for a run or a hike in the mountains, or meditate to center ourselves instead of scheduling these things into our day. It’s like brushing your teeth. You’ve been disciplined to do that since you were a child, so it’s something that becomes rote, and you don’t even think about it.

But it’s by the continued practice of doing something where you will see results. I know for myself, using the example of exercise, there have been periods of time where I’ve been consistent about it, and after a time I would think, “I don’t really see that it’s making that much of a difference.” But it’s when I STOPPED doing it that I noticed the difference.

Life gets busy, and the gadgets and electronics that were touted to make our lives easier are really not the time-savers we thought they would be. Work, family, friends, running a household, taking care of our health, appointments, weekend sports for those of you with school-age children – and the list goes on. All while trying to work some fun into our lives that doesn’t seem like it’s a chore.

There are many components that contribute to the unique individuals we are as women. It can be a balancing act. We may sometimes feel like that person in the circus who’s spinning all the plates – running back-and-forth – trying to keep everything going without letting any one thing come crashing down. But self-care is a necessity, and perhaps you have never realized this more than in this past year that has brought so many changes in our lives and forced us to look at our circumstances. You can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t first love and take care of yourself.

Spiritual practices and beliefs can have a drastic effect in a positive way on our physical health, such as lowering our blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels. If we can find a level of peace in our lives, set boundaries where needed, stop limiting the options available to us, and stop using aging as an excuse not to make changes that would benefit us, we would notice the positive difference that occurs, and others around us would probably notice, as well.

If you don’t consider yourself a spiritual person, there are many other things you can incorporate into your life to “lift your spirits.”

• Have a karaoke party for yourself and sing songs that you love

• Go for a walk in the mountains, by the beach, in your neighborhood or town and enjoy nature. IT’S SPRING!
• Get an astronomy app, lay on a lounge chair on your patio or deck, and look up at the stars and planets. You may come to realize that you are but a small star in a galaxy of many.
• Have a piece of dark chocolate every day
• Update your wardrobe with something funky and fun, like a new scarf or a dangly pair of earrings

• Write a poem
• Call a friend who you haven’t seen for a while (No texting! You need to hear their voice.)
• Buy yourself some wildflowers and display them in a pretty vase where you can see them every day
• Curl up with a novel you always wanted to read on a rainy day with a cup of your favorite coffee or tea (And maybe have that piece of chocolate!)
• Update your décor with some new pillow covers to brighten your space. You can NEVER have too many pillows!
• Take a nap while falling asleep to soft, ethereal music
• Get in the car and drive with no destination in mind!

• Learn a foreign language and plan a trip to a corresponding country
• Try cooking a new dish from the country you’ll be visiting
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen or packing meals for third-world countries
• Get out of your comfort zone and learn more about another culture through books, movies, art, music, or making a new friend who is different from you
• Chop vegetables or iron some clothes to release stress. These also give you immediate gratification in accomplishing something. Making your bed every morning also does the same and can set a positive start to your day.

• Spend time with a child or grandchild and do something “childish.” If you don’t have one, BORROW ONE!
• Look in your wardrobe and create an outfit with pieces you’ve never worn together before. (Don’t forget to add that new scarf or earrings you bought!)

These are just some ideas; I’m sure you can come up with many more that will exude beauty on the outside by doing the things that speak to your soul on the inside.

And a little mascara and lipstick wouldn’t hurt either! Because when we look good, it contributes a positive aspect to the way we feel.

Speaking of makeup, I’ll have an announcement soon about a digital makeup course I’ll be offering for women over-50.

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