With the year in full force, there’s no better time to start giving back to yourself by incorporating more self-care into your lifestyle so you can feel your best.
After all, it’s one of the most important things you can do. By focusing on taking care of yourself, you’ll be healthier, happier and better able to take care of others. What’s more, you’ll be able to face any challenges your way better.
If you’re unsure where to begin, here are some tips and tricks to help you incorporate more self-care into your lifestyle to help you feel your absolute best.
Establish a Sleep Schedule
How often do you hear someone complain that they need to catch up on sleep?
The bad news is that, according to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, you can’t actually ‘catch up on sleep’ 🙁
Needless to say, sleep is vital to your overall well-being.
If you aren’t getting enough sleep, or if you aren’t sleeping well, you’ll start to feel the effects eventually. Fatigue and brain fog, your ability to concentrate and irritability, weight gain and depression. Poor sleep can have an impact on your body and mind.
So here are a few easy ways to help you establish a sleep schedule and healthy sleeping habits:
- Aim to get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night
- Use your bed solely for sleep (and sex!)
- Avoid eating two hours before bedtime
- Aim to unplug two hours before going to bed
- Try meditating or some gentle yoga stretching before retiring each night
- Take a warm shower before you jump into bed
- Head to bed at the same time every night.
And if you’re having trouble staying asleep or suffering from insomnia, here are some more tips. I hope they help you to get some restful sleep!
Take a Deep Breath
Self-care doesn’t have to be about material things like candles and beauty products.
Save your money and practice breathing instead. Besides helping you destress, breathing deeply can increase your energy levels, ease discomfort in your gut and support proper posture.
To safely practice deep breathing, be sure to go slow and gentle.
Breathe in for five seconds.
Hold your breath for three seconds.
Slowly exhale for five seconds.
For best practice, complete a full cycle of breaths five times before moving on with your day.
Spend More Time Outside
The Environmental Protection Association (EPA) reports that the average person spends 93% of their life indoors, meaning that only 7% is spent outdoors.
This is startling considering the benefits of time in nature, with a new study revealing that two hours a week in nature is the ‘dose’ you need to increase health and happiness. And nature doesn’t have to be pristine wilderness or spectacular national parks. City parks, community gardens, or farmland are all natural environments!
You don’t have to spend a week in the woods to reap the benefits of the outdoors and feel good about yourself.
Instead, consider other activities such as a morning walk, weekend hike, walking the dog around the park, or riding a bike.
Pamper Your Skin
At a glance, your skin can reveal what your body is trying to say about your health.
My skin is the first thing that shows signs of stress and ill-health; that’s why it’s important to properly care for your skin.
My skin changes daily from dryness, acne and eczema to seborrheic dermatitis, hives and folliculitis. This is why it’s super important for me to assess my skin’s needs regularly. This includes what I put into my body and what I put on my body.
Give your skin some extra TLC by exfoliating gently to remove dead skin and find the right moisturiser for you. It took me many years searching, but this year I have finally found one that works for me. Cerave. It’s been perfect all over for my super sensitive, blotchy, bumpy skin.
If you’re struggling with a specific skin issue such as fine lines and wrinkles, search for an anti-aging cream containing retinol. Retinol can stimulate collagen production, leaving your skin feeling and looking brand new! (skin products containing retinol are another of my new loves!)
Drink More Water
The importance of staying hydrated is no secret; water plays a huge role in maintaining healthy skin, energising your muscles, keeping your body balanced and helping you feel your best.
However, it can be easy to forget to hydrate throughout the day.
Set a goal to negate this, such as drinking eight glasses of water a day. Not only can a goal to drink more water motivate you, it can also solidify a positive change in your daily routine.
Additionally, carrying a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day can act as a reminder to drink more often, AND it’s better for you and the environment!
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is about learning to nurture your present moment awareness.
Mindfulness helps you to non-judgmentally observe what’s happening in the present moment rather than what has happened in the past or what might happen in the future. All while calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.
And while this may sound overwhelming, practising mindfulness has its perks. Research has found that mindfulness can increase your ability to focus, decrease your stress levels, and strengthen your memory.
To reap the benefits mindfulness offers, try spending around five to ten minutes each day taking in your surroundings and how you feel.
Take note of what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. Then reflect on your thoughts and how they impact your spiritual and emotional health. Doing so will make you feel more grounded and in tune with your surroundings.
Sweat to Feel Your Best
Aside from the physical benefits, exercise can provide you with numerous other benefits.
From the mental health benefits of exercise as an excellent way to relieve stress and improve your mood, to the social benefits of connecting with others.
Furthermore, exercise can help you sleep better, improve mobility and build strength in your mind and body.
However, developing an exercise routine can be challenging due to time limitations, general busyness, affordability, and fatigue.
But let’s be honest, by dedicating as little as thirty minutes a day to working up a sweat; you will feel better than ever!
Do yourself a favour and find something you LIKE doing, rather than pushing yourself to do something that’s a chore. Whatever works for you, get moving, get that heart rate up and start sweating. It will do you the world of good!
End Note
Now that you’ve reached the post’s end let me ask you this.
What self-care tips and tricks can you incorporate into your life to help you to feel your best?
Does anything from this list jump out at you?
Or has it given you a new idea?
I’d love to hear what you think. Drop me a comment in the box below!
