Science-Backed Self-Care Methods
If you’ve been feeling physically fatigued, weak, irritable, lonely, stressed or any negative feelings, it is probably your body’s way of telling you that it needs something: self-care.
Self-care might mean different things to a lot of people, depending on their context and preferences.
Allotting “me-time”, no matter how short, can have a huge positive impact on your well-being, especially in times you need it the most—when you are stressed, anxious, or busy.
How can you help yourself find ways to give yourself your conscious attention? Here are some ideas:
Build Good Sleep Hygiene
Poor sleep is closely linked to low motivation, emotion, and cognitive function, and serious medical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Developing good sleep hygiene involves building habits that prepare your body for regular sleeping times, like avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and setting routines you associate with sleep, such as reading books, and so on. It can also include making your sleep environment more conducive to sleeping.
Eat A Healthy Diet
Follow a healthy eating plan that has a variety of foods, including whole grains dark green leafy vegetables, deeply colored fruits, dry beans, and peas. At every age, calcium and vitamin D are important to protect bone health. Good food sources of calcium include canned fish with bones, such as salmon and sardines, broccoli, leafy dark green vegetables, such as kale, turnip greens, and collards, and dairy. Vitamin D is made by the body, and soaking in sunlight for 20 minutes daily helps the body make enough of it. It can be also found in fatty fish like sardines, mackerel, and salmon.
Supplement Your Diet
Before adding supplements to your daily routine, it is best to make sure that you are getting enough food in your body and consulting your healthcare provider. Try to see which supplements can significantly improve your health and nutrition.
If you are lacking in any nutrients, they may recommend some supplements like vitamin C, vitamin E, melatonin, calcium, vitamin D, and flaxseed. Note that nutritional supplements should not be considered to be substitutes, as a good diet and food is the best way to absorb these nutrients.
Stay Hydrated By Drinking Water Or Fruit Juice
As we age, our bodies lose their ability to retain moisture. Dehydration leads to the brain not having enough water, and even just a 2% water reduction can cause neurological symptoms like brain fog, confusion, and fatigue. Lacking water also leads to drier hair, more brittle hair, flakier skin, and achy joints.
To add to the effects of aging, our sense of thirst also fades, so make sure to track your water intake throughout the day by drinking water, fruit juice, and eating moisture-rich fruits and vegetables.
Activate Your Body Everyday
Exercise reduces excess weight, increases muscle strength, improves sleep quality, improves mood, and even sharpens the mind. Consistent moderate activity is better than occasional strenuous activity, so even taking a brisk walk every day is better than doing a hundred-yard dash once a week. It’s best to have 30 minutes of exercise nearly every day of the week, so try to find activities throughout your day that you find fun.
After all, if it’s fun, you might do it more often. This might include walking, stretching, or even dancing to your favorite songs.