"Wellness is not something that can be achieved by following any one set routine," said Blatner, author ofThe FlexitarianDiet,in a press release from NOW. "It's a personalized journey and something that evolves over time and changes season to season. Choosing trusted products that can be part of your seasonal routine is so important to keep you feeling good and healthy."
She offers six steps for seasonal self-care:
- Add seasonal comfort food. This doesn’t mean mac and cheese—it means seasonal produce, and in the winter, it means warm, hearty foods. Showcase locally picked apples and pumpkins for fall, and moving into the winter, turn the spotlight on soups, and share recipes for homemade stews.
- Take stock of which supplements can stay—and which are more seasonal. As fall and winter come around, the press release says, it’s more important to make an immune supplement part of a routine—with the approval of a health care practitioner. This year, you may already be having trouble keeping those elderberry supplements on the shelf; rather than talking up immune health, remind your customers of the importance of vitamin D as we head into shorter days and longer nights.
- Brighten up a beauty routine. Clean beauty products that focus on functional ingredients can help brighten and moisturize the skin, which the press release notes is particularly important in the fall. This can be one way of picking up a HABA section that may be stagnating due to COVID: Everyone loves a hot bath in the winter, and the necessity of moisturizing remains even if people are staying inside.
- Change up a fitness routine. “Shaking things up can give you a renewed sense of accomplishment from tackling something new,” the press release explains. While it's important that your customers do things they enjoy, you might point them towards new yoga mats, or towards your sports supplement section to make sure that they're ready to flex new muscles.
- Stay (seasonally) hydrated. Blatner recommends personalizing water with flavored effervescent drink tablets, and personalizing hot drinks and smoothies with flavored sweeteners—NOW sells Organic Pumpkin Spice Monk Fruit, which is a 0-calorie liquid sweetener. Hydration never goes out of fashion; help your customers ensure that it never gets boring.
- Practice breathwork. Blatner recommends inhaling for 10 seconds, holding for two, and then releasing for 12, and repeating the process at least five times to help calm and focus the mind. She suggests adding essential oils to give this practice an aromatherapy component; be sure to talk up the benefits of your properly-sourced essential oils to customers looking to get into aromatherapy.
