10 Things to Make You Feel Beautiful Everyday

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1. Wake up and be present. There are some days when you just want to bury yourself in bed and never wake up. Get up, I dare you. Waking up means you’ve overcome the first hurdle; in the words of Woody Allen, “80 percent of success is showing up.” Most important than just being somewhere, however, is being present in the moment. Too many people just exist—be the one who lives.
2. Be grateful. Our very existence, whether viewed from a scientific or religious or whatever perspective, is miraculous. Magical. It’s incredible that we’re not mechanical robots, or microbial blobs, or volatile, combustible things. We’re human beings. We look, touch, smell, hear, breathe, remember, create and feel.
3. Lemon water, first thing in the morning. Warm water with a squeeze of lemon (I personally prefer more, I love lemon!) first thing in the morning does wonders in invigorating your body and jump-starting your entire internal system. It not only boosts your mood energy, but also aids digestion and weight loss, promotes healing, balances pH levels, and clears skin.
4. Breakfast. Even if it’s a banana before you run out the door, eat something of substance. I’m a firm believer that how you choose to start your day is telling of how the rest of your day will follow; eat a crap breakfast, and you’ll not only feel groggy, but continue to feed your body with crap things throughout the day. Skipping breakfast might be even worse: your mind and body have nothing to fuel themselves and later on in the day, you’re more likely to binge. Breakfast is a bit of a religion for me, and while I typically view it holistically, it’s still a good habit I’m trying to stick to. My favorites include: a bowl of oatmeal with a handful of blueberries and granola (it’s a blend of organic oats, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, raw honey and cinnamon); scrambled eggs (two egg whites, one yolk) and half an avocado with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling of black pepper; frittata (eggs, baby spinach, mushroom, onion); one banana and a cup of Greek yogurt with honey and granola.
5. Eat raw. A raw diet is hard to maintain, but I’m a huge advocate of incorporating the raw philosophy into my eating habits. Eat tons of fruits and vegetables, they’re incredible for the body. Fresh foods are ambrosia, and keeping things simple is paramount in feeling good. Again, this is something I’m trying to shift from a haphazard phase into a permanent lifestyle change. During the months when I’m keen on eating clean (combined with being dedicated to at least an hour workout), I feel unstoppable. I firmly believe that physical lightness aids in helping the body and mind move—and feel—at ease.
6. Dry brush or exfoliate. I love skin, it’s no secret. I spend a good two to five minutes exfoliating in the shower every day to keep skin as soft, smooth and healthy as possible—and following with a dry oil to moisturize. Dry brushing, however, isn’t for the faint of heart. (I have quite the high tolerance for pain, but dry brushing definitely takes a while to get used to.) Some experts attribute a multitude of external and internal health benefits to dry brushing and while I’m usually skeptical of any beauty-related claims, I believe these.
7. Start the day with some sort of exercise. I used to be good with this: I don’t think I’ve ever felt as happy or at peace with myself then when I would wake up at 5 a.m. and do Pilates or Tracy Anderson’s mat exercises before I shower/get ready/head to class. Even if it’s something as little as doing a few squats, a 10 minute Pilates exercise, or a morning salutation, it’s something. Exercise gets the blood flowing and releases endorphins; it feels good, period.
8. Read before bed. Shut off the laptop, set the phone on vibrate. Instead of watching Netflix or surfing the web mindlessly before you fall asleep, engage your brain. Feed the senses. Force it to work again; our technology (Internet’s mostly to blame) addled brains have been spoiled to just absorb stuff rather than digest and draw from what we see/hear/feel/etc.
9. Wear lingerie every day. Ever since I read Vanina Marsot’s Foreign Tongue, I would always fall in love with Anna’s friend’s philosophy on lingerie, and replay the scene where Anna stumbles upon all these beautiful, lacy bits spread throughout the friend’s Paris apartment to hang dry. (I was probably the most un-salacious, Target-bra-wearing 16-year-old at the time, but now that I’m 21, I’ve fully embraced it.) I love beautiful things and appreciate sensuality; it’s what makes us human after all. And next to the human body and interpersonal relationships, what is more intimate than lingerie? I’ve never understood this (American) throw-away philosophy where we only indulge and spend on something (or yourself) when it’s (or you are) meant to be seen in public. You see yourself most often; you spend the most time with yourself; why not treat innerwear as you would outerwear?
10. Live by Erica Jong’s 20 Tips For Writers, regardless of your profession. I came across it once years ago and it’s resonated with me ever since.

“It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes are lives. It’s what we do consistently.”

—Anthony Robbins

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xx