Learning Self Care and how to look after Yourself
One of life’s hardest and most important lessons is learning Self Care and how to look after Yourself, we look at some of the ways you can begin to bring self care habits and routines into your day to day life.
We all have things that are important to us, things that we want to do but have you ever found yourself saying ahhh i’ll do that when i’ve done ………….
You find yourself always waiting for the right time, money or opportunity to come along. Well I will be honest I don’t think they are coming. Not unless you do something about them.
Today i’m gonna talk about one thing that needs addressing and thats YOU!
As a responsible adult (There is no government guidelines on what this term constitutes so i’m calling myself one) we have a responsibility to ourselves to take care of our bodies and minds. Yes we have doctors and hospitals for when things go wrong and we need help. There are however many things we can do for ourselves that can keep us functioning and sharp.
Im going to give you 5 things you can do for yourself to keep you in peak condition for whatever life’s challenges!
Relax: Take time out - You can schedule time every month where by you escape. This can take many forms such as a holiday, family time or even a walk on your own in a nice area near you. The key point here is to take time for yourself and do not think about work or stress involved in your life.
Food: You are what you eat - Think of your body as a Ferrari, (no jokes about your body being more like a ford fiesta please) would you put cooking oil in it instead of petrol ? No so why would you do the same to your body. I often hear oh I eat well, but with further inspection people usually have a good evening meal with protein and veggies which is great. when it comes to breakfast and lunch however hmmm it becomes more of a problem, “well I don’t eat breakfast” and “I might have a sandwich from the shop for lunch”. Now you can point to studies with intermittent fasting all you like but if your health is not what it could be or you’re overweight then sorry but you have no business talking about advanced diet strategies like intermittent fasting. Eating regular meals is a must, then those meals containing a good blend of protein, carbohydrates and fat is next. If you need some help with this feel free to give us a call or an email on where to begin.
Exercise/Activity/Movement - Whatever form it takes, exercise has been proven to help in hundreds of ways. So whether it’s Yoga, Weight Lifting, Swimming or hiking, pick what you really enjoy and make a commitment to do it every week. Oh by the way exercise also releases endorphins which are happy hormones and who doesn’t wanna be happier ?
Social Life: Nourishing friendships - Do you remember having a social life? If you are anything like me, this part of my life always seems to be put on the back burner. Well you need to see others, be in other peoples company. Why? because it can help you gain perspective, other people can be more objective when looking at a situation when compared to you which can be a great way of taking a bit of pressure off yourself. So call an old friend or new friend and go enjoy and activity together. Oh and turn off that phone while you are at it, its rude to be checking your phone when with a friend.
Competition: Challenge yourself - Whether its a new sport, course or something you’ve always wanted to do. Go and do it. Find out what you need, to do that thing and make it happen. If you wait for the right time, something will always come up, the right time is now. Plus guess what if it goes wrong or you don’t like it you can always stop!
Hope these self care tips help or at least give you some ideas on how to maybe start looking after yourself a little.
Your friendly neighbourhood Osteopath
Jamie
Hereford Osteopathic Centre
01432 356655