The 2-Minute Self-Care Ritual I Swear By

How's your week going? We saw Lady Bird on Tuesday night, which was lovely. I went out for wine and cheese with a few coworkers on Thursday, and this weekend I'm finally doing a Christmasy activity! My sister and I are planning to spend Saturday holiday-market hopping, and I'm pretty excited! Hopefully we'll find a few gifts (I need something for an ornament exchange), but it will be fun to just walk around, sip mulled wine and get in the Christmas spirit.

While all of the holiday hustle and bustle is fun, it's pretty easy to feel drained and even more stressed than normal with everything that's going on. Prime example: work deadlines moving up by 2 days to accommodate time away for the holiday outing. I've recently developed a little routine for melting away said stress that I've come to rely on and actually look forward to—and it's more important than ever during this hectic time of year.

The best part is how simple it is. Before collapsing into bed, I do a quick foot massage with Aveda Foot Relief. My feet are always sore and callused from pounding the treadmill or cute shoes that aren't comfortable. The thick creme intensely moisturizes and softens away all the rough spots, and the peppermint and tea tree oil have an amazing cooling effect. I knead each foot for a minute or so until the creme soaks in and just let my mind go blank while enjoying the aroma. Heaven.

But the ritual is about more than a luxe creme that softens your feet and smells amazing—foot massage relieves anxiety, promotes a deep sense of relaxation (the kind I don't get from a face mask) and brings energy to your whole body. It only takes TWO MINUTES (so I never skip it for being too tired or not having enough time) and I instantly feel re-set and lifted. It is the best feeling before bed.

Foot Relief is totally that product you never thought you needed, but do! I picked it up randomly, when I used to work at Aveda—thinking it seemed kind of superfluous—but I was pleasantly surprised by the experience and now I'm at the point where I miss it if I skip a night.

Try it out this month! It's the physical and mental therapeutic lift we all need, and a must if you don't want to spend a ton of time or money on self-care.