A few years ago Ashley Tisdale was on The Skinny Confidential HIM & HER Show to talk about her acting career and becoming an entrepreneur.

Ashley is now a mother and entrepreneur. Her brand Frenshe is bringing us all the wellness vibes. Frenshe is a resource for all things wellness, including topics surrounding mental health. Even more, Ashley has launched her own line of non-toxic products like scents, candles and lotions that are super clean, super useful and help you take a moment to yourself.

In this post Ashley is giving you her tips for creating your own self-care routine. Think simple, affordable and easy to implement practices that can make all the difference in your day, and life.

With that, let’s welcome Ashley Tisdale to the blog.

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Creating a Self-Care Routine with Ashley Tisdale

I’ve always had a passion for self-love and all things beauty and wellness. While on my own mental health and wellness journey, I discovered that introducing fragrance into my daily rituals had an incredible influence on my mood — whether it was to keep me present and grounded or to help me unwind and rest after a long day.

That’s why I created Being Frenshe, a collection of wellness essentials that allow you to nourish your well-being. Each offering is consciously formulated with clean ingredients and rooted in the emotional power of scent, so feeling good is as simple as taking a breath. We’ve just launched our newest scent, Palo Santo Sage. I’m obsessed with the fragrance itself (it is SO gorgeous) and the way it encourages a sense of being present and grounded. 

As someone who sometimes struggles with anxiety, I’ve found that it helps me immensely to have a set of wellness rituals. Notice that I said rituals, not rules—I think to be strict about every single thing isn’t helpful, because what we need might shift from one day to the next. These rituals are the ones that help me most. 

Meditation

I know, I know—everyone talks about meditation being this incredible practice, and that’s because it can create calmness and clarity like nothing else. I start my day by lighting a candle (so of course I had to have a candle in the Being Frenshe lineup) and meditating for 10 minutes. If I have time, I might try a longer meditation, but I can always fit 10 minutes into my schedule. If I don’t meditate, I can really feel it. 

Meditation isn’t easy at first. Our busy brains want to feed us tons of thoughts, and beginners often think that they’re “bad” at meditation. That’s not true. With practice, you’ll develop the ability to observe your thoughts and sort of brush them away. 

What I love about meditation is that the more you do it, the more you see the benefits — and it’s a practice that costs nothing and can be done anywhere. You can do it with someone else, alone, in a group, or with an app. There is always a way to make it work for you.

Community

I use social media, obviously, and I have made some meaningful connections online. So I’m not bashing social media when I say that being with people in person is a really important part of feeling my best. I’m lucky to live near my family, and now that I’m a mother, our family time is more meaningful than ever. I also feel fortunate to have close friendships that have lasted for years—in some cases, decades—and I am so grateful for the way we show up for each other during fun times and challenging times.

But I’ve felt lonely before, and I know that a lot of people feel isolated and alone. Loneliness is an epidemic in the United States—as in, the Surgeon General has called it an actual public health issue. Depression, in particular, is fed by feelings of loneliness. That’s why I think we need to talk more about the power of community and to invest time in our relationships. Personally, I love to host dinner parties and I love a good moms-and-kids playdate. But connection can also be low-key. It can look like meeting for coffee, joining a group hike, or saying hi to your neighbor. It’s an effort worth making.

Get Moving

Exercise has always been important to me. It’s good for my mental health, good for my physical health. It’s not about size or looking a certain way. My goal is to feel strong, flexible, and energetic. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of Pilates, and I always like taking a hike because it helps me clear my head. I think the key to staying active is finding something you look forward to doing, because—let’s be honest—not everyone looks forward to exercise. But you always, always feel better after you move your body.

Therapy and Reading

I’m really passionate about removing stigma around mental health. I’m open about going to therapy because it’s so beneficial. I’ve learned so many ways to manage anxiety through therapy, and even when I think I don’t have much to talk about… turns out I do. If you think you could benefit from group or one-on-one therapy, it’s worth trying. It’s an investment in yourself.  

If therapy isn’t an option (because I know that, unfortunately, it’s not always accessible or affordable) then look for a self-help book. I get a LOT out of reading books that support my mental health journey. Lucinda Bassett’s work has been hugely instrumental in helping me manage my anxiety, and The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown has helped me develop more self-compassion. No matter who you are, there is a book that will speak to you. 

Journal

Nightly journaling is a rewarding wellness practice for me. In the short term, I can get my thoughts on the page, and that usually helps me find clarity when I’m stuck. (It also keeps me from ruminating when I’m trying to fall asleep.) In the long term, I can look back on what I was doing/thinking/feeling—and that gives me perspective.

Trust Your Intuition

This is a big one. If you’re in tune with your intuition, it will guide you toward choices that are right for you. We all have an inner voice that tells us when something feels right (or doesn’t) but it’s easy to find reasons to tune it out. Maybe we’re frightened of change, maybe we worry about what others will think, or maybe we’re afraid of rocking the boat. But if we listen to what that voice is trying to tell us, we can make authentic choices that align with the core of who we are—choices that feel right. Learning to listen to my intuition has been a process, but I see the value of trusting my gut feelings.

Make Time For Yourself

Pretty much every woman I know feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. My ongoing challenge, especially as an entrepreneur, involves finding time for myself. There are so many things I love to do or need to do, and if I’m not careful, my self-care time gets pushed off the schedule. And I’ve learned that if I don’t carve out a little time for myself each day, I’m not as well-equipped in other areas of my life. 

So now I block out some solo time on my phone calendar. Even if it’s a super-busy day with tons of meetings, I’ll block off 20 minutes for a “meeting” that is literally as simple as enjoying a matcha latte. It helps! 

Prioritize Sleep

I think we all know how important sleep is for physical and mental health. If you have the ability to go to bed earlier or sleep in a little later, try it and see how it affects your energy levels. One way I prioritize sleep is by following nighttime rituals that signal bedtime. I’ll take a bath or a shower with the Being Frenshe Lavender Cloud products, I put my phone away for the night, and I light a candle as I’m turning down the bed. It’s a nice way to close the day and settle into a restful frame of mind.

Make time for nature

One of the reasons I love living in Los Angeles is that you’re never too far from the water, mountains, or desert. Connecting with nature brings me a sense of inner peace and it helps me stay in the moment. When we photographed the Palo Santo Sage campaign, our team went to Big Sur to shoot outdoors because I knew it would help all of us feel present and grounded. But you don’t have to travel to benefit from being in nature. I’m a huge advocate of getting outside for fresh air because it really does wonders for your mood.

Seek Creative Moments

Lastly, I think creativity is an integral (and often-ignored) part of wellness. As kids, our imaginations are limitless and we’re excited to dream up new ideas. Tapping into that youthful sense of creativity and fun is really valuable. It can unlock confidence, a sense of possibility, and wonder — and who doesn’t want that? I really like the idea of choosing a hobby for its own sake and letting go of the need to excel at it. Just have fun and see what happens.

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There you have it. Tips you can implement right now for a better sense of calm, clarity and self-care. Feel free to habit stack these too. Walking with a friend provides connection, nature and movement, enhance your sleep and strengthen your jaw with The Skinny Confidential Mouth Tape, and read while you ice roller over a freezing cold sheet mask.

Hope you loved Ashley’s tips and be sure to listen to her episode on The HIM & HER Show, plus check out her blog for so much valuable content on beauty, wellness and interiors. Oh, did we mention Ashley is an interior designer too? Check out her work here.

x, The Skinny Confidential team

+ learn about shungite stones and how to use them here.

++ the benefits of Palo Santo and why you should use it before bed.

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