The COVID Pandemic wreaked havoc on the world, but it also brought to light some issues that had been ignored or minimized, especially in the United States. Work-Life balance was one of those issues.
A significant shift in thinking occurred for many people in the work force, and priorities changed. I personally think that the many losses we suffered changed our perspective on what is important to us.
Our mental health and self-care became more of a priority. If you are one of the many people who have shifted to making self-care a priority, but not sure how to incorporate it into your life, this post is for you.
In this article I will talk about what self-care is, the types of self-care and give you 10 simple Physical self-care practices to incorporate into your daily routine.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
10 Simple Physical Self-Care Practices
What is Self-Care?
Self-Care is an action or behavior that focuses on taking special care of your overall well-being. Self-Care is individual and is about your individual preferences. It’s about attuning to your mind and body’s needs. Just like a specific plant requires certain weather conditions, water and specific soil to grow, your whole self needs specific conditions that are individual to your needs in order for you to grow and be your best self.
Types of Self-Care
Our lives are comprised of several different facets that affect our whole person. Self-Care isn’t always about massages, getting mani-pedi’s and face masks. Though, they can be some things that you find are helpful for your self-care.
There are 7 main types of self-care that touch 7 different aspects of our lives. These are:
- Physical Self-Care
- Psychological/Emotional Self-Care
- Social Self-Care
- Professional Self-Care
- Environment Self-Care
- Spiritual Self-Care
- Financial Self-Care
10 Simple Physical Self-Care Practices
1. Take a Walk
Walking is the easiest and simplest form of physical activity. But it also has a lot of benefits that affect our physical health and mental health. Several studies have shown that walking, or really any physical movement can:
Reduce chronic pain
Studies have shown that physical activity, especially walking, can reduce chronic pain such as arthritis, chronic back pain, and even fibromyalgia. That’s because walking helps build muscle to stabilize joints and lubrication to help joints move smoothly. Additionally, physical activity activates the endogenous opioid system, which is our natural pain reliever that is made in our bodies.
Reduce risk of developing chronic illnesses
Walking helps promote the flow of blood through our bodies which carries the nutrients and oxygen our brain and body needs to function at it’s best. When our bodies are functioning optimally, our bodies are able to protect itself from viruses, bacteria and diseases. There have been studies that have found that walking may be able to decrease risk or prevent cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and even possibly some forms of cancer.
Improve brain functioning
Our brain functions by receiving adequate blood flow. As mentioned previously, when our bodies are moving, our blood can flow optimally to the parts of our bodies that need it to function. Our brains use about 20% of our body’s total oxygen supply. The more oxygen flow we can get to the brain, the better memory we can have and our cognitive functioning improves.
Improves your Mood
There have been several studies that link exercise to improved mood and mental health. Even just 10- 15 minutes of walking can promote the release of endorphins in our brain that make us feel good and relaxed. Brisk walking or exercise that gets your heart rate up also decreases cortisol levels which is a hormone our brain produces as a response to stress.
Tip:
Try incorporating more walking into your day. Park further away from the grocery store to walk more. Take breaks throughout the day with the intention of taking a 5-10 minute walk. If you have a dog, walk the dog instead of letting it outside in the backyard.
2. Stretch
Taking multiple breaks to stretch throughout the day can help decrease your stress and improve your flexibility. Research shows that stretching increases serotonin levels which is another hormone that makes us feel good and reduces stress levels. Regularly stretching your muscles improves flexibility and can prevent injury as well.
Tip: Try incorporating a 5 minute morning stretch routine either before or right after you get out of bed. If you are feeling lively, and are a morning person, you may want to try incorporating yoga into your morning routine. Yoga is a great exercise that incorporates stretching as well as mindfulness.
You may also want to set reminders on your phone throughout the day that tell you to take a break and stretch. Especially if you have a desk job!
3. Drink Water
We all know hydration is important! I mean, our bodies are made up of 60% water! We might as well be fish. That means drinking more water is vital to your physical health. It also improves our blood flow. As mentioned above, proper blood flow doesn’t just improve our physical health but also affects our brain health.
Tip: If you are not a water drinker because you aren’t a fan of the taste or lack of taste water has, jazz up your water! I personally enjoy using water enhancers to flavor it up from time to time. A couple of my favorites are:
And
4. Eat Foods That Make You Feel Good
Yes, nutrition is important. Getting the vitamins and minerals we need to support our health improves our physical functioning for sure. But if your entire focus is using food as a fuel source only and not enjoying it, then you are missing out on some other benefits.
Incorporating fun foods and foods you enjoy eating impacts your mood. Foods that taste good send neurotransmitters to the brain that release our “feel good” hormones. Those feel good hormones like serotonin and dopamine decrease our stress levels. These “feel good”, stress fighting hormones can prevent depression and anxiety.
So yes, eating a well-balanced diet that is filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats can provide you with the nutrients your body needs. But eating those high-carb, sweet, salty and fatty foods can positively impact your mood and overall health. Moderation and balance is key.
So don’t deprive yourself of the foods that make you feel good! Foods that make you feel good can be both nutritious and delicious.
5. Mindful Eating
The practice of Mindfulness has so many physical and mental wellness benefits. Mindfulness practice is a great way to decrease stress, reduce anxiety and depression and improve overall brain functioning.
Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean intense meditation. It doesn’t even mean you have to do yoga. Mindfulness is a state of focus and awareness of the present moment without judgement. You can really incorporate this practice into any activity.
Mindful eating is a simple and easy way to practice mindfulness. It can also help you listen to your body more and increase your satisfaction in your meals.
Tip: When you sit down to eat your meal or snack, try putting away all distractions. Pay attention to the texture, smell, color and taste of your food with each bite. Notice how all of your senses interact with your food. Take note of what you notice and enjoy the moment!
6. Get Sunlight or Use Light Therapy
Safe exposure to sunlight not only improves our Vitamin D levels, but it also effects our circadian rhythm and improves our mood! Getting about 10-30 minutes of sunlight exposure (with sunscreen of course!) will produce the recommended amount of Vitamin D your body requires to function optimally.
Vitamin D is essential for our health and helps regulate our metabolism, immune system, strengthens bones and is thought to be able to decrease inflammation.
Our Circadian Rhythm is the internal process that regulates our sleep cycles. Our bodies are primally designed to wake up with the sun. The sunlight tells our bodies it’s time to be alert and energized.
So when we don’t get adequate sunlight or we get too much sunlight, it impacts our sleep. When we get poor sleep, our mood and mental health is negatively impacted.
Tip: Try to get more exposure to sunlight or buy a light box that emits the same type of light from the sun but in a more convenient way. Try getting sunlight or using your light box within the first hour of waking up in the morning. This will help tell your body it’s the beginning of your day and increase energy levels. If you are using a light box, make sure you get one that is at least 10,000 lux. Additionally, try limiting exposure to light at least 2 hours before bed time. So dim lights in your home and decrease usage of electronic devices at least 2 hours before bed.
7. Taking a Relaxing Bath or Shower
Studies have shown that taking a bath or shower in warm water (about 104 degrees Fahrenheit) increases blood flow and ultimately improved general health, mental health, emotional regulation and social functioning.
Tip: If you are already showering or bathing daily, try adding a shower bomb or essential oils to the water or shower. This can enhance your experience and give you something to look forward to. Also, you don’t have to wash your hair every time you get in the bath or shower, so you can really focus more on the experience.
8. Work on Sleep Hygiene
As mentioned previously, sleep is a vital part to our physical and mental well-being. The amount of sleep we need is effected by our age and gender. The Sleep Foundation recommends adults 18 years or older get at least 7 hours of sleep. However, if you are a biological male, you may only need 6-8 hours. If you are a biological female, you may need 7-9 hours to function optimally.
Quality of sleep is just as important as quantity. To help improve the quality of sleep you get, setting a sleep hygiene routine can help. Sleep hygiene is an environmental and behavioral routine that is used as a way to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Tip: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Yes, this include weekends. Our bodies need consistency. Start winding down at least 30 minutes before bed. You may want to decrease your technology usage at that time, dim the lights, put on relaxing music or read a book. I
I personally have might my smart lights programmed to turn off or dim at least 30-45 minutes before I want to be in bed. I also set the mood in my room to something relaxing with music, a candle and an essential oil I like to spray on my sheets.
9. Incorporate Mindfulness or Meditation
Mindfulness practice or meditation has been linked to overall improved health. Mindfulness practice activates your parasympathetic nervous system that decreases cortisol levels and allows you to relax.
Some forms of mindfulness practice include yoga, tai chi, mindful breathing, journaling or any kind of mindful movement. Incorporating even 2 minutes of meditation or mindfulness practice into your daily routine can help decrease stress and help you focus. The key is consistency!
Tip: Try downloading a mindfulness app, like Headspace, to help you get started with mindfulness activity. They offer 2 minute breathing or guided meditation exercises all the way up to 60 minutes or more. You can also try being more mindful with any activity, such as eating your food as mentioned above.
I personally incorporate mindfulness into some daily routines, like brushing my teeth! I focus and mindfully pay attention to how the bristles feel on my teeth, the taste of the tooth paste, and making sure to get every tooth.
10. Laugh More
Research has shown that laughter and humor can directly impact our physical and mental health. Laughter has been linked to improve our immune systems, decrease pain, improve blood pressure and relieve stress.
Laughter increases your brain’s “feel good” hormones and reduces cortisol levels. Chronically high cortisol levels have been linked to inflammation, high blood pressure and increased sugar levels. Cortisol is vital to our functioning, as it’s job is to protect us. However, chronically high cortisol levels can deteriorate our health.
Tip: Check out laughter yoga or laughing exercises to help you increase the amount of laughter you experience in your day! The average adult laughs about 15 times per day. Try to get your laughs in throughout your day!
All 10 practices are things you can incorporate easily into your daily routine. You don’t have to incorporate all of them. And you definitely don’t have to do it all once. But try to choose 1 or 2 to add to your daily routine. These 10 practices of physical self-care can have profound affects on not just your physical well-being, but your mental health as well. If you have other physical self-care ideas or activities that you have incorporated or have learned about, I would love to hear about them! Feel free to comment below or email me!