It’s no secret that self-care and self-love are just as important to your overall well-being as annual physicals, regular checkups and keeping up with your vaccinations. With busy schedules, it’s often difficult to find the time for everyday self-care moments. But by practicing and making time for these holistic activities, you can significantly improve your mental and physical well-being. Here are some tips to consider incorporating into your day.
- Start your morning with a win: Have a conversation with your loved ones, snuggle up with your dog or enjoy a quiet morning of reading, away from screens and scrolling.
- Eat a healthy and hearty breakfast full of nutrients. Don’t forget to balance protein, fats, carbs and fiber.
- Get your body moving. Both indoor and outdoor activities are great ways to get your heart pumping. Consider practicing yoga, implementing daily morning walks or heading to the gym before you start your day.
- Throughout the workday, be sure to schedule breaks. Take a moment to stand up, walk around, stretch and take care of yourself.
- Stay hydrated. Having water near you at all times throughout the day will encourage better hydration habits.
- Have a filling yet balanced lunch packed for the workday. Nutrients are what motivate your body to stay productive (and healthy).
- Decompress after work with a shower, by reading, by turning on some relaxing music or doing one of your favorite creative activities.
- When the day is coming to an end and you’ve finished dinner, make cleanup a household activity. Evenly distributing the mental and physical workload of chores alleviates stress.
- Be mindful. Mindfulness and meditation are optimal ways to help settle the thoughts in your mind, calm the body and center yourself. Taking 5 to 10 minutes to sit with yourself makes space for inner peace.
- Plan or journal it out. Preparing a to-do list for the day or week ahead is a great way to feel confident in what’s to come. If prepping isn’t your forte, try journaling. Writing out your worries, the past day’s events, or anything else you can think of helps get your thoughts out on paper, so your mind can rest easily throughout the night.
Now that you know where to start, it’s time to start creating a bit more balance in your life – for both body and mind.
