In our hectic daily lives, it can be all too easy to forget to take care of ourselves. Here are some easy – and some not so easy – practices to fill our own cups!
1. Get enough sleep.
Many of us are sleep deprived which affects mood, memory, attention, healing, sleep, and more. 8 hours is recommended. Have the same sleep schedule – preferably typical nighttime hours – if possible. The mind and body like routine.
2. Hydrate.
It is said that 75% of us are chronically dehydrated. This affects our brains, mood, blood pressure, and metabolism, just to name a few. A good practice is to drink half of your weight in ounces daily. Try starting your day with 32oz of warm lemon water. You’d be surprised how good you’ll feel!
3. Exercise.
Moving our bodies is crucial to feeling better. It increases energy, boosts mood, helps us sleep better and reduces anxiety, and so much more! Try adding a daily walk or a gentle yoga practice… workouts don’t have to be long and brutal to have benefits. Then add on as your fitness increases.
4. Eat Healthy.
When we eat better, we feel better. Eating high levels of unhealthy processed foods affects our blood sugar and causes inflammation in the body which results in feeling lousy both mind and body. Try adding in fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins and healthy starches like beans, brown rice and whole wheat products (if gluten isn’t an issue.) As you get in the habit of eating better and feeling better, it will be easier to say no to fast and convenient processed foods. TIP: something that works for me is always having something with me, like a banana, a baggie of raw almonds or a protein bar. When I get hungry – and I get hungry! – If I eat my snack, it almost always saves me from running through a drive thru.
5. Talk Nice to Yourself.
We believe what our mind tells us. So if we have a habit of speaking (or thinking) poorly toward ourselves, “Boy, Alicia! Could you have been more stupid?!?!” or worse, it has a negative impact on our wellbeing. When you catch yourself saying something unkind to you, interrupt yourself and change it to something nice.
6. Take Time for YOU.
To read a book, make a craft (see below), take a bath, meditate, practice yoga, visit friends, take a hike… the possibilities go on and on and on.
7. Create Something.
If you are feeling stuck, bored, or just blah about life, having a creative outlet can help. It doesn’t have to be fancy or even come out great. It’s the doing, the creating, that feeds our souls.
8. Watch What You Ingest.
Yes, I know we already covered food. What I’m talking about here is all the OTHER things we take in: social media, news, the books we read, the movies we watch, the people we spend time with. If any or all of the aforementioned things are negative, depressing, violent or energy sucking in any way, they will affect us negatively. Try cutting out anything that brings you down, causes you not to sleep well, etc. and replace with something that builds you up.
9. Create a Routine.
And stick to it. Routine is calming to the nervous system. Doing the same things such as our bedtime routine, every night at the same time, is good for us. Keeping that routine within our natural clock is even better.
10. Practice Gratitude.
It’s easy to focus on negative things or get so caught up in our busy lives that we forget to be thankful. At the end of each day, before you go to sleep, think of something your feel grateful for. Better yet, write it down. Handwritten, not typing or texting into your phone, creates neural pathways in your brain, helping gratefulness to become ingrained in your brain. Being grateful and content leads to happiness.
Self-care isn’t always easy or convenient, but it is necessary to living our best lives and being able to be present – in the best way – for others. If all 10 seem overwhelming, start with one. 🙂
