Five Great Self-Care Tips for Everyone
Good Sleep
Did you know that the average adult requires 7-9 hours of sleep every night for good health? Do you get anywhere near that much? Lack of sleep, or poor quality sleep, can lead to a host of health problems including poor memory and concentration, lowered immune function (getting sick more often) and chronic inflammation. Never mind feeling irritable, exhausted, and sometimes depressed or anxious. Sleep is essential to good health.
So what can I do?
- Go to bed, and get up, at the same time every day, even on the weekends. This may sound crazy, but your body likes habits, and will rest much better if you go to bed at the same time each night.
- Turn off all your electronic devices at least two hours before going to sleep. The blue light in most electronic screens interferes with our ability to produce melatonin, an essential hormone for sleep.
- Do a little Yoga or light stretching before getting into bed. This relaxes mind and body, reduces muscle tension, and tells your body it’s time to rest.
- Use herbs like Valerian or Ashwagandha to improve your sleep. Valerian is one of the most popular sleep herbs in the world. It has sedative and muscle relaxing properties. Ashwagandha helps the body adapt to stress, and allows us to get deeper, more refreshing sleep.
Self Massage
The skin is the largest organ of the body, and an important part of our bodies’ ability to eliminate toxins. Our skin is also one of the ways we sense the world around us, sensing touch, temperature, and more. A simple oil massage is a delightful way to nourish and protect the skin, as well as relax and pamper ourselves. Self massage can be done with plain oils like Coconut, Sesame, or Olive Oil, or it can be done with naturally scented or medicated oils.(Mahanarayan oil is one of my favorites) 5-10 minutes a day can change your relationship with your skin for the better!
So what can I do?
- After a bath or shower, sit somewhere warm and comfortable, and gently massage a small amount of your chosen oil into your skin, starting with your feet and working your way up.
- Be gentle with yourself, this isn’t like a deep tissue massage, just rub the oil in with small clockwise circles.
- When you’re done, towel yourself off gently to remove any excess oil
- Sit and breathe deeply for a minute or two to appreciate what good care your taking of yourself!
Time Outdoors/In Nature/With Animals
Contact with nature, plants and animals is really good for you! Just a little bit of time in the fresh air each day can seriously improve your health and well being! If you can get to a nature preserve or botanical garden, that’s great, but any tree or bit of grass will do. Spending time in a park or garden, playing with a dog, or watching wild birds can improve your mood, stress levels, digestion, and immune function, so get out there and get healthy!
So what can I do?
- Every day, for at least 10 minutes, spend some time outdoors. Look around you, not at your phone, and observe your surroundings. Listen to the birds, watch the wind in the trees, see the squirrels scampering about. Try to breathe, relax, and enjoy yourself. Your worries will be there when you get back, for now, just breathe.
- Find time for a 15- or 20-minute walk at least once a week. You don’t have to walk fast, this is less about exercise and more about centering yourself in your own experience. Again, leave your phone alone, unless you want to listen to music while you walk.
- When you find yourself outdoors, walking to the car or waiting for the bus or wherever you are, take a moment to note the weather, the smell of the air, the angle of the sun, and how it makes you feel.
Eating Fresh, Local Food in Season
Eating fresh local produce brings joy as well as being healthy for your body and the planet. There is absolutely nothing quite as good as actual sun-ripened tomatoes in July that haven’t been jostled on a diesel truck for hours and hours. Fresh fruit is my personal favorite: apples, raspberries, and peaches in season are just glorious! Not only is the food tastier when it’s in season, but if I don’t have it in the off-season, the anticipation makes everything better! Give it a try, I think you’ll see what I mean!
So what can I do?
- Join a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, group. These are popping up all over the place. There is usually an annual fee due in January or February, then throughout the growing season the farm you choose delivers fresh produce to a pick-up spot, usually weekly.
- Visit a Farmer’s Market and learn about the farms near you. A Farmer’s Market day can be fun for the whole family. It’s a great way to meet and get to know the farmers and small business people in your area.
- Grow some of your own vegetables. It doesn’t have to be fancy, and you don’t need a yard. For many years, in my tiny apartment, I grew lettuce and kale in old aluminum turkey roasting pans, as well as potatoes and summer squash vines in plastic barrels on my patio. Lots of herbs and vegetable do surprisingly well in pots, and there’s nothing better than eating your own produce fresh off the vine!
Taking Time for Things That Make You Happy
This one sounds so simple, but be honest, when was the last time you did something just because it made you happy? So often we spend all our waking hours working on our list of “shoulds”, which seems endless, and we neglect the things that bring us joy. So come on, let’s get happy!
So what can I do?
- Take one hour, just one, each week to do something just for yourself because it makes you happy. It could be anything: Sing or play music, dance, paint, read a book, window shop, bird watch, scrapbook, bake, the list is endless. It doesn’t have to be fancy, or cost money, it just has to make your heart a little lighter.
- Share something you love with someone else. I love to cook, and I love to teach other people to cook. I also love to read, and talk about books with my friends. Find someone you want to share with, joy is contagious!
- Believe that happiness is possible, important, and that you deserve it. Seeking joy and enthusiasm should be as basic a health care technique as brushing our teeth. Be yourself, because you’re amazing!
Simply Awesome!