Back to the Basics
Back to the Basics of Self-Care
When I ended up in InstaCare over the weekend with a UTI I knew that my life had gotten a bit out of whack and it was time to do a good review of my basic health practices. I had plenty of time to do this as I lay in bed reviewing the past year. I decided to take my own advice and get back to the basics of good self-care.
What is Good Self-Care?
Self-care simply means “to look after yourself in a healthy way.” This includes looking after yourself physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally so that you can build up your resilience to stress.
It means adopting a mindset that makes your physical and mental health a priority. It shows in behaviors like getting enough sleep, eating well, and in many other aspects of your life, like exercise.
Exercise is among the “big three” areas for great self-care (along with eating right and getting adequate sleep). The overall health benefits of exercise are unmatched.
1. Exercise:
Making time for exercise brings about a significant improvement to your mind and body. It’s among the “big three” areas for great self-care along with eating right and getting adequate sleep. The overall benefits of exercise are unmatched.
Along with maintaining a healthy weight, exercise can:
- Combat health problems and disease
- Boost Energy
- Promote better sleep
- Improve mood
Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and much more.
2. Sleep:
Getting plenty of deep, restful sleep is vital to achieving wellness and vitality. The Sleep Foundation recommends getting 7 – 9 hours of sleep a night. Using good sleep hygiene to help get adequate sleep can:
- Improve your Memory and Judgement
- Help with fatigue and feelings of listlessness
- Improve your personal work performance ,
- Improve your overall health and well-being
- Help with mood disorders
- Help with giving your body the opportunity to repair and renew
- Sleep is a powerful stress reducer
Many rigorous studies have shown that there is a relationship between how we eat and how we feel. They’ve also shown that eating poorly tends to precede poor physical and mental health, whereas a healthy diet of whole foods is protective.
– Dr. Bonnie Kaplan PhD
3. Nutrition:
Nutrition matters much more than you may realize. The nutrients that we consume influence how we feel, sleep, concentrate, and cope with stress. Nutrition consists of anything and everything that you put into your body: beverages, supplements, medicine, food, and alcohol. Supplementing good food choices with the healing power of nutrients in the form of a micronutrient vitamin, like EMPowerplus, can ultimately lead to better health, not just the absence of symptoms. What you eat today will affect how you feel tomorrow. It’s a good thing to remember this when making food choices throughout each day.
How often do you check in with yourself?
Start by asking yourself a simple question: How do I feel right now? Then note your response. Tune into your body and notice what it’s telling you.
Listening to your body is important, and appropriate self-care involves taking preventative measures to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Make sure that you are in tune with your body as you exercise, add nutrition into your diet, create a healthy sleep schedule, and take time for yourself.
