Your 10 Fave Posts – What Inspired You The Most in 2020

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Your 10 Fave Posts - What Inspired You The Most in 2020 Title Card. Behind the title text, a woman stands in from of a pink backdrop, wearing a pink tuque. She looks down at the phone she's holding and smiles.

Hello Sweet Friends:

A new year is finally here. And while I know 2020 isn’t exactly a year we’d like to look back on, I still believe a little reflection can be a beautiful thing.

Taking time to look back and appreciate how far you’ve come and how much you’ve grown is a fantastic form of self-care.

It’s a lovely practice and something I try to remember to do on occasion. Because otherwise it’s very easy to miss a lot of your beautiful growth.

With that in mind, I decided to reflect on my work here and took a peek at what inspired you the most this year.

I checked my Google Analytics to see which posts you gave the most love to this year! Together we’ve talked so much about health, self-love and care, mental well-being, food and so much more. I’ve enjoyed every second with you.

Let’s take a look back at everything we’ve learned together and talk about your 10 favourite posts in 2020.

Read to take a fun walk down memory lane with me? Let’s do this!

10. 5 EASY WAYS TO SOOTHE A SENSITIVE STOMACH

A close up of a clear tea cup full of water and herbs that are infusing.

Everyone experiences tummy troubles every now and again. Some more than others. It’s (literally) a crappy experience. But that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do to help support yourself through it.

And, I don’t know about you, but when I’m feeling icky I want options! Because we deserve all the relief we can get, right?!

Want a peek behind the scenes? The original version of this post was one of my first blog posts (woah!). I wrote it all the way back in 2014! Eventually I felt inspired to give it a makeover. So I made some updates, fixed the layout, threw in some extra photos and… boom! Post makeover!

I’ve had a sensitive digestive system since I was a kid, so I was very excited to share my experiences and self-soothing advice with you. I’m so happy it’s helped and inspired you year after year (it made it to last year’s top 10 list too!) Thank you bunches!

If you need a little help in the sensitive stomach department, there’s tons waiting for you over here

9. HOW TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL OIL BATH MELTS

A small bowl overflows with Sara's oil bath melts. It is surrounded by pink and blue flowers as well as baby's breath.

White chocolate and coconut oil bath melts… need I say more?

Tapping into relaxing and destressing forms of self-care is always important, but this year made it absolutely pertinent. We’ve had a lot to take in, take on, think about (worry about) and consider. Destressing has been an non-negotiable must.

It may sound simple, but an easy DIY project with a relaxing reward is a 2 for 1 self-care activity. Together in this article we talked about how to make chocolate and coconut oil bath melts, what they had to offer our skin health and how to enjoy them.

Feeling inspired to make some? You can get your hands on all the recipe right here.

8. HOW TO MAKE A RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME HOMEMADE DEEP CONDITIONER

A woman stands back to the camera. Her long hair hands loose and she works her hands through it.

It’s another 2 for 1 self-care activity baby! We had the chance to make something together and then indulge in some relaxation. And, in the end, you’ve got happy, shiny hair. Booyah

I love the joy that comes with self-soothing, DIY self-care moments. Especially when the DIY part is super easy! That’s why this recipe is 4 simple ingredients. Mix them together and, boom, you’re done and ready to moisturize and chill.

If you’re excited for a home spa day or simply want to give your hair some extra love, your Homemade Deep Conditioner recipe is waiting for you right here.

7. 10 POWERFUL LIFE LESSONS I LEARNED FROM GRAVES DISEASE

Sara of mshealthesteem.com stands in a field, holding wild clover flowers. She smiles wide and looks at the camera.

Your favourite blogger sharing flowers and smiles <3

I wrote this piece to celebrate my 7 year Graves Disease diagnosis anniversary back in 2019. But this isn’t only for autoimmune disease warriors. I wrote this for you! Yea, you! Even if you don’t have a chronic illness. This post is guaranteed to leave you feeling inspired and ready to love yourself fiercely.

Together we talked about everything from prioritizing doctor’s visits, to mental health, to support systems and even booty shaking. Yes, that last one is very important!

You deserve to love yourself fiercely and thrive in your circumstances. Graves taught me that and I am so glad I get to share that messages with you.

You can give it a read right here gorgeous

6. THIS CHICKPEA FLOUR FLATBREAD RECIPE WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

Sara dips some socca, a type of chickpea flour flatbread, into an olive oil mixture. In the background are more slices of socca as well as teal flowers and baby's breath.

Let’s make French street food baby! Socca is a chickpea flour flatbread that tastes amazing. And, super good news, all you need is chickpea flour, water and some herbs and spices. Yum!

I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you haven’t made it yet, it’s a must try! Get all the deliciousness right here

Fun fact, I like to enjoy it with hummus and bruschetta. Is it weird to dip your chickpeas in chickpeas?

5. WHY THE QUARANTINE FATPHOBIA NEEDS TO STOP

A close up of a stop sign on a city street.

This amazing guest post by Maryann Auger is such an important read.

We’ve had a lot to feel stressed about this past year. But our weight didn’t have to be one of them (regardless of what all of Facebook would have you believe.)

The fear of gaining weight during this time of social distancing has been running rampant.

But it’s not funny. It’s not helpful. And it’s not good for anyone’s mental health.

Fatphobia hurts everyone. And the world truly doesn’t need any more hurt.

So I invited Maryann Auger, a non-diet, weight inclusive certified personal trainer, online coach, fitness instructor and nutrition coach to speak with us. She helped us take a positive turn. If you haven’t read it yet (or want to re-read), you can dive in right here

4. HOW TO MAKE A RELAXING COCONUT MILK BATH

A mason jar full of coconut milk bath power is tipped over, the milk bath powder poring out. The mason jar sits on a red towel. There are pink and purple flowers surrounding the jar, decorating it.

Luxurious and relaxing, a coconut milk bath leaves your skin feeling silky smooth!

Oh, and it only takes 3 ingredients to make (4 if you add essential oils, but that isn’t a big thing, right?)

I made this goodness after someone on Instagram requested it. And man oh man am I pleased with my creation. I’m glad you guys enjoyed it too.

If you haven’t tried a coconut milk bath yet, get the recipe right here. You’re going to love this one.

3. HOW TO MAKE A MARVELOUS CHOCOLATE COFFEE DIY FACE MASK

A small glass bowl with the brown chocolate coffee face mask, mixed and ready to use. It sits on a white table. There are pink flowers and baby's breath laying beside it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that many readers stumbled upon this post while looking for DIY non-medical Face Mask sewing instructions… When I shared this recipe in July of 2019, Face Mask generally only referred to skin care outside of medical settings. But my, oh my how things have changed.

And, while I unfortunately have no sewing skills or advice to share in the non-medical face mask department, I hope so much that my skin care face mask recipe offered some relaxation and down time to those who needed it (and haven’t we all needed it?!)

This blend of cacao, coffee and yogurt smells amazing and feels so good. And since coffee and cacao are so kind to your skin (we dive into why in the post), you’ll be getting your glow on too. Treat yourself to one over here

2. HOW TO REDUCE STRESS – 6 FANTASTIC TIPS FROM PSYCHIATRISTS

A cozy bed with books and a mug resting on it. There are blankets strewn about. The photo makes you feel inspired to enjoy some relaxing self-care.

Stress happens! And you deserve to have some fantastic stress management activities ready and waiting for when you need them. Who better to help than psychiatrists and other mental health professionals?

I loved that there was a focus on self-love and care throughout the professional advice. As well as the importance of asking for help and creating support systems. Because I think we all need to be reminded that it’s ok not to be ok and we all need help sometimes.

I also talk about my own experiences in therapy in this one. Spoiler alert, it was so helpful!

There’s no health without mental health sweet friend. If you need a some help managing stress this post is for you

1. 3 REMARKABLE SELF-LOVE TIPS FROM BTS LOVE YOURSELF

A woman stands outside at night. She holds fairy lights in the shape of a heart and stares down at them smiling.

I don’t think I can take any credit for the continued popularity of this article (it was number 1 last year too!) BTS’ magic made this happen.

When I originally wrote this post in 2019 I did it as a fan of BTS and an advocate for self-love. I think it’s wonderful that BTS uses their platform to talk about the importance of prioritizing self-love. And there are so many beautiful gems in their speech to the UN.

My favourite take away – you can have ambitions and still love yourself as you are. You’re allowed to strive, to dream, to grow. As long as you don’t withhold self-love until you achieve those things. Loving yourself is not the same as becoming complacent. Self-improvement is still allowed. It just works better with a ton of love and kindness behind it.

You definitely don’t want to miss out on all the self-love inspiration in this one. Check it out and get inspired right over here

Final Thoughts

Sara of mshealthesteem.com holds up a mug that says "I love u." She's looking at the camera and smiling.

Happy 2021 – I’m sending you all my love 🙂

It was such a treat to revisit the blog posts that inspired you the most in 2020! Together we’ve learned so much about self-love, self-care, mental health, food and more. I can’t wait to see what we get to learn together this year.

What mshealthesteem.com post inspired you in 2020? What subjects would you like to explore together here in 2021? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Health and love,

sara-signature

Thought of the day: Remember to stop and reflect on your progress every now and again. You’ve come so far! Celebrate it <3

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Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

Sara Flanagan is a wellness writer and the creator of www.mshealthesteem.com, where she shares her story of being diagnosed with Graves Disease, a chronic autoimmune disease, and empowering herself to do everything she can to thrive in spite of her diagnosis. She writes articles on self-love, acceptance, wellness and nutrition. Join the Health-Esteem Family today and share in the journey.

19 Comments

  1. Reply

    April

    January 18, 2021

    I can’t wait to see what you have in the pipe for 2021! In the meantime, I have to go check out the posts on this list that I missed.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      Thank you so much April! I’m excited to see what 2021 has in store! Looking forward to the goodness you have to share too <3

  2. Reply

    Lizzy

    January 18, 2021

    Love this post! Excited to make my way through this collection as I am new to your blog. Which by the way is super cool. I love the name!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      I’m so happy to hear that Lizzy! Thank you <3. I hope you have fun peeking around. Welcome <3

  3. Reply

    angela

    January 19, 2021

    Thats really good plan for the year.I already have mine but you just inspired me to do more.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      I’m so happy to have inspired you Angela! That’s awesome! I can’t wait to see your creations 🙂

  4. Reply

    Marysa

    January 19, 2021

    I haven’t checked to see what my most popular posts were. These all look like great blog pieces! My own personal favorites are travel posts, but I think because it is my favorite thing to do and therefore easiest to write about.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      I love that you enjoy reading and writing about travel! It’s so fun to explore our interests in that way. I’d love to see your top 10 list if you put one together too <3

  5. Reply

    Angela Ricardo Bethea

    January 19, 2021

    Will definitely have to try something like this for next time. All of those sounds like wonderful pieces of posts to check out sometime.

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      Thank you Angela! I’m so happy you enjoyed reading about them 🙂

  6. Reply

    Rosey

    January 20, 2021

    That homemade conditioner sounds ideal. I may give it a try

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      I hope you adore it Rosey! I love to let it sit while I relax in the tub and enjoy a book. I hope you get the chance to relax and enjoy it too. Let me know what you think! <3

  7. Reply

    forkwardthinkingfoodinista

    January 20, 2021

    I could just do with a bit of relaxing right now and a face mask sounds like the perfect thing. Self care is so so important now more than ever x

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      I hope you get to relax and put those feet up this weekend Melanie! I couldn’t agree more – now, more than ever, we really do need time to de-stress, relax and unwind.

  8. Reply

    emman damian

    January 21, 2021

    Great top 10! I think I should do this as well in my website. I’ll run the analytics to see what really trended and what inspired me last year!

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      Yes! Isn’t it so much to take a peek back like that? I can’t wait to see your top 10 list Emman 🙂

  9. Reply

    kileen

    January 22, 2021

    that chickpea flour flatbread is calling my name!! definitely gotta make it this weekend!

    kileen
    cute & little

    • Reply

      Sara | Ms. Health-Esteem

      January 22, 2021

      I’m so excited for you to try it Kileen! Have fun! I hope you love it as much as I do – let me know what you think <3

  10. Reply

    Alice Mola

    January 23, 2021

    This was such a great post round up! I will be checking out those bath melts, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of them and I’d love to know more!

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Hiya! I’m Sara

I’m a wellness writer, Graves Disease thriver and self-love advocate.

And I’m passionate about empowering you to prioritize self-care and love yourself fiercely.

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