#FeelGooder: Easy Chocolate And Roasted Cashew Almond Cookies

I am insanely busy.

I know a lot of you relate. Work. Family. School. Homes. Friends. Pets. Whatever.

Responsibilities come at us from all sides, all the time.

So what? That’s life, right?

But the busy-busy-buzz doesn’t need to be the whole of life!

We talk a lot about taking care of your body. But it’s vital to care for your spirit, too! Strength on one side of the equation supports the other.

One thing I have to remind myself as an insanely busy person: self-care doesn’t distract from accomplishment. Self-care makes goal-oriented effort way more efficient.

I already feel good. But I want to #FeelGooder! 🙂

Six of my Favorite Ways to #FeelGooder

Daily practice. I have always sucked at meditation. I can do visualizations well enough if they’re not too long, but the old-school, “clear-the-mind and just be” meditations have never been my forte. So I’ve taken half an hour a day to set aside for meditation and made it SACRED. And you know what? Daily practice has made a tremendous difference. Make a sacred space in your life for self-care, and practice it daily.
Snuggle minutes. I get great joy from loving on my cats–them, perhaps not as much. A hug from my husband makes everything better—even if nothing was wrong to begin with. I stop what I’m doing several times a day to just snuggle a minute. Consciously spend time savoring loving feelings.

Thor the Warrior Kitten has had ENOUGH of the hugs!

Nature breaks. I spend less time outside in cold weather, but even then I steal a minute or two on the front porch, with coffee and sometimes a little treat. Nature breaks are my favorite way to clear my head. Enjoy time outside.

Sleep! I long ago learned that if I give my body adequate rest, everything goes better. Get enough rest.

Mindful indulgences. I look for smart, perfectly simple ways to indulge myself. It doesn’t need to be expensive. Colorful ink pens and a crisp, clean journal. Reading time. Socks warm from the dryer. Fuzzy pants and silly slippers and leave me ridiculously comfy and content. Being fully present and attending to small pleasures and everyday, happy moments, joy is amplified. I think of this as “mindful indulgence.” Engage in your own mindful indulgence.

mindful indlugences — Slouch socks are “so 80’s,” my kids admonish. “So am I!” I reply.

Journaling — Disposable fountain pens in bright colors = bestest invention ever!

Of course I have a rainbow leopard print Kindle cover. Duh!

Cookies! Yes, I love cookies. But I don’t want to trash my self-care vibe with a whole bunch of junk, so I’m particular about my cookies. The cookies below have officially made number 6 on my list, as of now. Have some healthy cookies.

Actually, I’ve had a hankering for cookies for quite a while, but I don’t like fussy-to-make cookies. I’d been thinking about some putting together some simple, almond flour cookies.

And I just got the opportunity to try out these Roasted Cashew and Dark Chocolate Bars. The bars are a smidge higher carb than I would usually have outside of weight maintenance (and I am outside of weight maintenance, unfortunately), so breaking the bar up allowed me to totally savor the decadent flavor without adding more carbs than fit my personal targets–and added a perfect touch to dress up my cookies. Win-win!