Self-Care Strategies for Living Your Best Life
In today's busy world, many people are struggling to balance the myriad of responsibilities facing them. It can be stressful to juggle family and work obligations, and as a result, you may be feeling physically and emotionally drained by the end of each day. Thankfully, being strategic and prioritizing self-care can help. By taking the necessary steps to ensure you feel your best, you will be better equipped to take care of your responsibilities while feeling energized, motivated, and happy! Here’s a few great strategies below.
Drink Enough Water
Drinking water is one of the easiest and most effective tools you can use to boost your health. Proper hydration can reduce cravings, give you energy, regulate body functions, flush toxins, and aid in circulation. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day.
Consume Healthy Foods
Healthy foods can boost your mood, battle disease, improve productivity, and even increase your lifespan. For best results, dieticians suggest eating a mix of lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Also, avoid saturated fats and excessive amounts of salt and sugar. To increase your odds for success, plan your meals ahead of time and stick to a grocery list when you shop.
Be Physically Active
If you sit in front of a computer for your job, it can take a toll on your health, and most of us are doing this these days. Being sedentary not only zaps your energy and increases your odds for weight gain, but it can also cause heart disease, stroke, chronic illness, depression, and anxiety.
To boost your physical wellbeing and mood, make a conscious effort to move as often as possible. There are simple ways to integrate movement into your day-to-day life:
Get a standing desk
Park further away at stores to sneak in extra steps
Take the stairs rather than an elevator/escalator
Always stand or walk when you're on the phone
Stand up and stretch at least once an hour
Safely do squats and/or lunges as your coffee brews or water boils, etc
Additionally, schedule exercise on a regular basis. Government experts suggest that adults should exercise vigorously for 75 minutes per week, or moderately for 150 minutes.
Choose any type of workout as long as it allows you to hit your target heart rate. You can join the local gym, hire a personal trainer to keep you accountable and motivated, or work out at home. Invite friends to help you with accountability. Whatever you choose, make sure it's something you enjoy and will likely continue.
Reduce Stress With Meditation
Meditation has been used to reduce stress for thousands of years. By focusing on your breath and being in the moment, you can let go of the day's troubles and learn to clear your mind. If you aren't sure how to begin, use an app like InsightTimer or perhaps a Radiant You Journey to help you get started. You will be surprised how much better you feel when you establish a consistent meditation practice, as the benefits are cumulative.
Find a Happy Balance
If you are trying to balance your home and work responsibilities, you may feel pulled in too many directions. Having young children or elderly parents at home or staff to manage at work can make the situation even more difficult.
To keep stress at manageable levels, establish boundaries to ensure that your personal life is not usurped by work responsibilities. Don't allow yourself to feel pressured to skip breaks, lunch, or vacation days, and if you need to work remotely, don't hesitate to ask. Getting outside for a walk in the fresh air or spending a week at the beach (or any natural setting) can help you feel revitalized and ready to handle future work projects.
Balancing work and home responsibilities can be tricky, and many people end up neglecting their physical and mental health in the process in service to making sure the bills are paid and the family is fed. However, by taking the necessary steps to improve your health and reduce stress, bit by bit, you will likely find yourself on the road to a healthier and happier life.
