Taking care of yourself should always be a priority. If you’re not looking after your own health and wellness, the rest of your world suffers; from work and reaching your goals, to being there for your friends and family.
Unfortunately that’s the way it often is, with life moving so fast, we tend to forget to take a day (or even 30 minutes) to just focus on our health and self-care.
Because you matter most, here are some ways you can start to incorporate in each of your days to make sure you’re taking care of yourself so you can show up for others:
Healthy Eating
Many people find healthy eating a struggle because they think it’s time consuming and just too much work to put together, especially considering the convenience of fast food and to-go meals. The reality is (and we know you know this!), when you fuel your body with nutritious food, you are setting yourself up for success by nourishing your body, mind and soul.
You can use strategies such as meal prepping to ensure you always have a healthy meal to eat! Taking the time to go grocery shopping once a week so you can prepare an entire week’s worth of tasty and nutritious meals is a great way to provide your body with the food it needs to operate at its best.
Healthy Stress Management
No one is a stranger to stress. Sure, being a little bit under pressure can actually work to help you be more productive, but a lot can be incredibly harmful to your wellbeing.
Think about your stress coping mechanisms. Are they healthy? Some people tend to resort to eating or drinking excessively in order to feel a release from the daily stressors of life. Other people get outside for a walk, practice yoga, schedule breaks, or practice breathing exercises.
Here’s why these are healthier options when it comes to stress management:
Go for a walk
Exercise is the perfect (and proven) way to take your mind off of everything so it can be just you and the great outdoors. This is a chance for you to cool off, collect your thoughts, and prioritize everything you have to do so it doesn’t all seem so overwhelming.
Exercise
Like we shared above, exercise is a proven gateway for stress relief because it actually secretes endorphins that help regulate your mood. Once your blood starts moving, it allows you to forget about everything going on around you and just focus on yourself and the feeling of moving your body. Whether you like cardio or weightlifting, yoga or running, any type of physical movement is beneficial to your mental and physical health.
Take a break
Whether it’s a 5 minute break from your desk or a 3 day vacation, breaks are essential to help you deal with stress. You might have to schedule these breaks into your day so you can ensure you actually do step away, but the minute you turn your brain off and direct your focus elsewhere, you’ll find your stress levels almost immediately decrease.
Breathing exercises
Practicing breathwork is a powerful way to transition your mindset towards something light and airy. You have the power to change your entire attitude just by focusing on your breathing; the in and out of your chest and how long you hold air deep in your belly. So whether you close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, or spend a few minutes working on controlling your breathing, you are immediately thrown into a realm of relaxing and de-stressing.
The next time you’re starting to feel more stressed than content with life, try out one of these helpful mechanisms and see how they work to manage your stress.
Stress certainly looks different for everyone, and sometimes it feels like your brain just can’t turn off, but with some practice and awareness, you should be one step closer to feeling a big weight off your chest.
