How To Take Better Care Of Yourself

As a pioneer of the clean beauty industry, Follain Founder Tara Foley is at the forefront of all things health and wellness. When she said, “It feels good to take care of yourself,” in our latest podcast, the truth of her sentiment made me question why we not only don’t prioritize taking care of ourselves, but often view self-care as time that would be better allocated elsewhere. Tara’s insight unravels the prevailing misconception that our daily responsibilities, often fueled by our quest for success, leave us little, if any, time to take care of ourselves; Despite the fact that prioritizing your wellbeing elevates every aspect of your life. 

The equation is simple: When you take care of yourself you are happier. When you are happy, you are more present. Presence leads to higher productivity, which in turn, amplifies your success.

Tara’s the perfect example. Making the daily decision to take care of herself has equipped her with the stamina to launch Follain, build a thriving online business, open six stores across the country, travel almost weekly to meet their brand founders, lead their growing team, and most importantly, build her family, welcoming two beautiful children along the way. She’s achieved all of this in five years and as she prepares to lead Follain’s expansion, has placed an even higher premium on taking care of herself to ensure she has the energy and creativity to reach new heights in life and business. 

“You have to schedule taking care of yourself to remind yourself that it’s just as important as any other meeting on your calendar,” she says. 

I’ve long admired Tara, and learned many lessons from her over the years. Here are a few I’ve been reflecting on from our most recent conversation... 

—  On cultivating a health and wellness state of mind:“Health and wellness isn’t just the physical input and output of what you’re eating, how you’re moving, and what you’re putting on your body. It’s evolved into a mind-body approach and a state of mind for everything we do in life…For me, with the stage of my family and business, it’s more mental right now - making the choice to be happy and present where I am rather than being stressed - and that’s okay. Health and wellness needs to meet you where you are in life.” 

—  On routine, spontaneity, and taking breaks: I loved the way Tara articulates finding a good balance of maintaining a daily routine and mixing it up with activities that replenish your energy and stimulate your creativity. She commits to taking a small break during the day to ensure she’s approaching her work with her highest levels of attention and enthusiasm. You can do this by taking a walk, doing a short meditation, walking up and down the stairs, eating a quiet meal...Anything that gives your mind a break. 

“Both having a routine that your brain can anticipate and feel safe in and also breaking that routine is really important. I get my best ideas when I break away from my daily schedule throughout the day and get my blood pumping," she says. "Creativity doesn’t come easily. You have to work to get the opportunity to be creative.” 

—  Get more sleep! Tara changed her whole routine to fulfill her 2019 intention of getting more sleep, and after our chat, I’ve been inspired to do the same. Studies show that how long you sleep determines how you long live, with sleep deprivation being linked to increased risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, poor mental health, and more. She’s committed to no longer working late nights, using social media before bed, or choosing exercise over sleep to maximize the number of hours she’s getting every night. A month in, she shared that she’s operating on a significantly higher level and feeling more confident, present, and productive. (PSA: Go to sleep early tonight!) 

—  On transformation: Tara sums up the importance of surrounding yourself with positive people who expand your ambition and focusing on your own intentions, rather than the opinions of others, perfectly: 

“Throughout every transformation you go through there will be people who point a finger and say that you’ve changed. I used to take that really personally. Once, I changed my mindset and came to peace with the fact that change is a really good thing, I acknowledged that people who aren’t on board with your growth as a person and business aren’t the right people to surround yourself with. Evolution is a good thing, especially when you know in your gut that you’re doing the right thing for your life and work.” 

To learn more from Tara, you can tune into our conversation here.