When it comes to how we spend our time and the investments we make with our time, we often put ourselves last. There is undoubtedly a long line of things that need to be taken care of first, and what we want or need comes at the bottom, especially if you have children.
However, it shouldn’t be like that, and putting your health and well-being front and center doesn’t make you a bad person; it means you know your own value, and you are doing what you need to do to retain the balance and not burn yourself out.
After all, you won’t be much good for anyone if you are the one that needs looking after. And in a world where life is busier than ever, taking those moments to give your body and mind what it needs will pay off in the long run.
Sleep
Sleep is possibly like the fairy dust of the real world. It has amazing restorative qualities; however, it can be elusive and hard to get enough of for the magic to work. Ideally, you will want to be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night but this isn’t always possible or feasible depending on your circumstances but there are some changes you can make.
Avoid caffeine too close to bedtime or after around 3 pm depending on when you go to sleep of a night, avoid screens in bed, set regular bed and wake-up times, and use herbal supplements such as lavender to help you relax and make sleep easier to come by and avoid falling asleep with the tv on. These little tips can help make your bedroom a place that induces sleep and does not add to your sleeping woes.
Drink More Water
The general guideline is that you should be drinking around 8 cups of water per day; however, this present works for everyone. But you should be aiming for this figure as much as possible. If you become dehydrated, then your body won’t be able to perform at its best, and you will have some massive health issues. Water can be found in most drinks and many foods, too, so technically, you will be getting your water content from coffee or juices and foods such as fruit. Still, ideally, you will want to drink at least a few glasses of the clear stuff to help keep your body working and hydrated properly.
Move More
If you are relatively inactive a great investment in your health is simply to move more. You don’t need to join a gym or anything drastic like that, but you can aim to move more around your home or go for a walk if you can. Aim for moving or being active for 30 more minutes per day; break it down into chunks if you need to; it doesn’t have to be at once, and see how this goes for you. Then you can improve on it and extend your moving time if possible.
If you’re already fairly active, why not commit to going outdoors more and walking? Find some ways you can incorporate moving and getting outside into your day in a way that works for you to reap the benefits.
Get Checked Out
You are so busy running around after everyone else that you haven’t even noticed you aren’t giving yourself the same care and attention. At a minimum, you must keep up with your annual or six monthly checks with your doctor and dentist to help you stay on track healthwise.
Whether it’s getting your bleeding gums checked out at the dentist, you need to enquire about the dental implant cost for missing teeth, or you need a clean and polish, book that appointment. The same goes for the doctor; if you have some nagging health issues, get them checked so you can stay in good health to support your family in how they need it.
Breathe
It sounds stupid to say it. After all, you do breathe all the time automatically to stay alive. But when was the last time you stopped and inhaled and exhaled deeply? The last time you took the time to stop and ground yourself in the moment and take that couple of seconds to regroup by taking a deep breath?
Life can be and often is overwhelming, and stopping to breathe correctly and relax a little, even for a brief moment, can be enough to help you center your thoughts and give you the headspace you need to think clearly or not think at all.
In the grand scheme of things, you might not feel like you are important enough to take care of yourself and value your needs, but you are, and taking the time to look after you when everyone around needs something from you isn’t selfish, it’s a priority, and you should treat it as so.
