Have you been feeling tired, unmotivated, or even lazy? The last year and a half have been tough on all of us. However, the Covid19 Pandemic has changed the way we live and well as how we view the world. Mask mandates, loss of jobs, schools becoming virtual, and hundreds of thousands of deaths have shocked the world. In addition, studies have shown that depression levels have spiked during the pandemic. Needless to say, if you’re not feeling like yourself, you’re not alone. Self-care is a great way to help deal with life’s daily stressors and keep you feeling motivated and energized!
What is Self-Care?
So, what exactly is self-care? In short, self-care is any activity that an individual can do to promote physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health. Of course, you can include your healthcare provider in your self-care practices as well. This includes things like getting a vaccine, scheduling cancer screenings, or getting regular checkups.
Why does self-care matter? Self-care is linked to lower levels of stress and even getting rid of anxiety! Beyond the benefits self-care has for you, it also benefits those around you. If you are taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, you will be a better version of yourself for those you love. A better spouse, parent, friend, student, the list goes on.
How Can You Include Self-Care in Your Daily Routine?
Get some sleep
According to the CDC, 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. The American Academy of Sleep recommends that adults ages 18-60 should aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep. Yes, you may have to trade in a few scrolling on TikTok for some shut-eye! It will be well worth it; sleep has many benefits that go beyond feeling well-rested.
Here are a few benefits of being fully rested: getting sick less often, staying at a healthy weight, lower risk of heart disease, improved work, school performance, and lower stress levels. An easy way to be sure that you are fully rested each night is to set a bedtime. Choose what time you want to wake up and stick to these times every day.
Go for a Walk
Walking is one of the best forms of exercise because it does not put a lot of strain on the body. However, this does not mean walking doesn’t work! This easy exercise lowers stress levels, helps mood, and even boosts self-esteem! Walking releases endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are just chemicals in the brain that make you feel happy. In other words, walking gives you a natural high!
Don’t know where to start? You can start small. A simple walk around your neighborhood will do the trick, and if you’re feeling fancy, you can travel to a park or nature trail to walk in some lovely
scenery. Luckily, you don’t have to walk for a long time to feel the effects of walking. You can lose weight by walking just 30 minutes a day! Not quite ready to walk for 30 minutes? Starting with just 15 minutes a day has been shown to reduce snack cravings.
Add Healthier Foods to Your Diet
You have heard it 1,000 times, “you are what you eat.” It turns out your parents weren’t just trying to get you to finish that hefty serving of brussels sprouts! Studies have shown that nutrition has a direct impact on your health. If you eat better foods for your body, you will feel better. What should you eat? It is as simple as adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Pick the vegetable that you enjoy the most! “Okay, that sounds good, but vegetables are gross!” We hear you; the key to tasty veggies is all in the seasoning and how you cook them! Have you ever had unseasoned meat? It’s not what we would consider delicious. Using your favorite seasonings on your veggies will transform the taste. You will forget that you are eating a vegetable. Eating healthy has all kinds of benefits, from weight loss, clearer skin, thicker hair, more energy, and clearer thinking!
Practice Positive Thinking
Believe it or not, the way you think has a direct effect on your health and well-being! You may be thinking, “yeah, yeah, think positive, but my life is falling apart; how are simple thoughts going to change that?” Science supports it. One experiment showed that adults who focused on positive thoughts felt happier throughout the day. Other studies show that women with diseases like cancer, heart disease, and stroke had a lower chance of death when they practiced positive thinking!
So how do you put these thoughts into practice? As you go through your day, watch out for negative thought patterns. For example, expecting the worst possible outcome, let’s say that you wake up late and now you will be late for work. You start thinking about how your boss will be upset, and you’re not going to finish all the work you set out to do. You may even begin to talk down on yourself! Instead of thinking of the worst outcome, think about the best result. Tell yourself it will be okay, you woke up late, but tomorrow you will wake up on time. Even though you will be late to work, you will still finish all of your work
Gratitude
In our modern society, it is very easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We are working hard at work, studying hard in school, doing our best to survive the day. Day after day, year after year, this takes its toll. We get caught up in the negatives of our lives. It’s easy to get stressed out and forget about the good things in our lives. This is a one-way ticket to depression! How do you avoid this? Think about the good things in your life. You don’t have to win a million dollars to feel optimistic about your life (although that would help.) You can start small! Keep a journal, think about how you’re healthy, have a home, think about the people in your life who love you. You can practice gratitude for anything, even the little things.
Bottom Line
As far as we know, we only have one life to live! You want to spend it feeling good, mentally and physically. Sadly, for many of us, our parents can’t take care of our every need. It is now up to us to make sure we are well taken care of. Self-care boosts your self-esteem, lowers your stress levels, and even boosts your motivation. There is no right or wrong way to do self-care; the important thing is that you do it! Self-care will look different for everyone. It may take you a little while to find what works best for you, and that’s okay! There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first. You can’t help anyone else unless you help yourself. Visit MyCHN blog for more tips for your health. Leave us a comment and tell us how you practice self-care.
