Close your eyes and think about all of the times someone close to you has told you that you need to take care of yourself. Whether they were talking about your latest relationship, how overworked you have been or how selfless you are with your friends, chances are, they are right.
[Tweet “We find it easier to take care of those around us while ignoring our own needs–that cycle needs to end.”]We find it easier to take care of those around us while ignoring our own needs–that cycle needs to end. When you don’t take care of yourself, it bleeds into your relationships, health and work life. Try some of these self-care tips this fall and improve your physical and mental health.
Self-Care Tips You Should Try This Fall
Get Your Vitamin Game On
Before you begin, you need to prepare your body for the slew of self-care habits you are about to pick up and a great way to do that is to get yourself some multi-vitamins. You can use vitamins for healthy skin, hair and nails, and they can also work wonders for your immune system and overall health. You might notice your mood improving, as well as your energy levels and sleep patterns.
Schedule Some Time for Yourself
You should choose one day a week to dedicate to self-care; we all have a nasty habit of making excuses as to why we do not have time for something–or we simply forget. If you put something in your calendar, you are more likely to keep it up.
It doesn’t have to be a big thing; it can be as small as getting a manicure or setting aside an hour to curl up with that book you’ve been meaning to start.
Wake Up With Some Stretching
If you are not really a morning person, this one might help you. Set your alarm 5 or 10 minutes earlier than you usually wake up and spend some time stretching before you start the rest of your morning routine.
Stretching will help energize you for the day, while easing stress and tension from any weird sleeping positions you found yourself in. It will also get your blood flowing, which will help wake you up.
Spend Some More Time Outside
No matter what the weather is like, you should always try and spend at least an hour of your day outside–this is especially important if you work in an office environment where you find yourself sitting all day.
Not only will going outside usually coincide with walking (which is a great form of exercise), it will also reduce symptoms of depression, allow you to relax and relieve stress, and improve your creativity. Consider joining a walking group on Meetup.com to meet likeminded folks and get your daily activity in.
Fill Your Belly With Warmth
Fall is all about being cozy, and that cozy feeling can easily extend to your belly. Adding some warming foods to your diet will help fight the dry winds and the colder climate that the fall season generally brings. Vegetable-based soups are a great option for a hearty and healthy dinner, while oatmeal with fresh berries and nuts makes for a fantastic breakfast.
When cooking, opt for herbs that will also warm your immune system, such as thyme, rosemary and sage–not only do these herbs warm you up, they can also help keep colds at bay. Drinking ginger tea with lemon and honey is also a great way to send you off to sleep at night.
Check Out of the Daily Grind
Our day-to-day lives can be incredibly stressful. Everything from turning on the news to scrolling through your Facebook feed can lead to a spike in stress and anxiety. And you definitely should not be doing either of those things before going to sleep, as just the glow from the television and Smartphone can interfere with your ability to fall asleep (and stay asleep).
To really check out, schedule yourself a weekend getaway where you totally unplug. It may be tough at first, but you will be amazed over how good it feels to finally relax and unwind.
Identity Magazine is all about guiding women to discover their powers of Self-Acceptance, Appreciation, and Personal Achievement. We ask that every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the current article they have written. In that way, and as a team, we hope to encourage and motivate each other, thus inspiring you to Get All A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? Additionally, what are you still working on accepting? Now, we’re talking about resignation, rather stepping into, embraced, and owned.
I have accepted that it is impossible to please everyone. I struggled for years to fit in with what I thought were the “cool kids,” but in the end I was unhappy because I felt I could never be my true self.
I now accept that to be my true self, as an individual, means that not everyone will like me, and that I can’t please everyone. But I now understand that being myself brings to me the most fulfilling relationships.
2. What have you learned to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? On the other hand OR in contrast, are there elements of who you are that you’re still working on appreciating?
I have learned to appreciate my family more, flaws and all. When I was young, my parents had a very busy life, and struggled to just make ends meet in our family. As a result, I became resentful that they never spent enough time with my siblings and I.
Now I appreciate them more, because they worked so hard for our family, and I am grateful now that I can have a stronger relationship with them as an adult and have a truly fulfilling relationship with them.
3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? Tell us not only what makes YOU most proud but also share the goals and dreams that you still have.
The most rewarding thing I have ever done was when I decided to study abroad in Barcelona for a semester. I really felt like I broke out of my shell. Being in an unfamiliar place where you can’t speak the language is difficult, but I gained so much confidence in myself that I can achieve my dreams in life. I still have a passion for travel. I would love to become a travel writer one day and circle the globe!
4. Of course, we all have imperfections, or so we think. In truth, we are all perfectly imperfect. What are your not-so-perfect ways? Likewise, what imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?
Sometimes, I get self-conscious that I’m too weird for people. For example, I love to spend the day inside reading books instead of partying all the time. Despite staying home, I’m actually love being with people. So a lot of extroverts don’t understand that I enjoy time alone too.
Not everyone gets that that is just me! I also have what I guess is a strange sense of humor. Some people call it an intelligent or witty sense of humor, and so sometimes my jokes fall totally flat. But this is all okay, because like I’ve said, that’s just what makes me, me!
5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to appreciate and express all the positive traits that make you…well…YOU! In fact, sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (We assure you!) Therefore, Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I truly love my ability to connect with people through writing. To me, it’s one of the most magical things out there. It’s pretty crazy that you can create a made-up character or story and someone, somewhere, will feel like they are understood. It’s an incredible feeling.
That’s why I enjoy reading. Even if I just write personally for myself, I feel empowered that I can indulge in my imagination. Finally, I love my ability to have deep conversations with people. When people open up, I feel like our souls just meet in a space of harmony.
When we expose our humanity to each other, I think it’s just a very beautiful thing. Also, I can’t forget, I love my cat, Pancakes! There is simply no better pet out there.
