Self love and to look after yourself is something everyone should make the time for in their lives. Not enough time is spent looking after ourselves, so many of us take all of our time looking after everyone else apart from ourselves and this can be damaging to our mental and physical health. To look after yourself a little better this year, all you need to do is take a small amount of time each day to make your life easier and pamper yourself both inside and out. Here are some of the ways you can start looking after yourself every single day.
START EVERYDAY WITH LEMON WATER
Instead of starting each and every day with a milky, sugary coffee – swap this for a cup of warm lemon water. Lemon water is a brilliant way to cleanse your system before you eat your first meal of the day and it also kick starts your metabolism so that you are ready to eat your meal. Lemon water is a perfect way to soothe the stomach first thing in the morning and to also keep the body health and happy for longer.
STAY HYDRATED
If you have read a lot of health and wellbeing articles before you are probably sick of hearing this tip; but so many people say it because it is the best thing for your body. Water not only keeps your skin looking young and the body hydrated, but it also clears out toxins in your body and gets rid of them through urination. Water can improve our mood, energy and concentration throughout the day which is why it is so crucial to drink enough of it.
START GREEN
One other brilliant way to start your day is with some nourishing greens. You can make a smoothie for first thing in the morning and this can give you a much needed burst if energy, vitamins and minerals. A green smoothie with spinach and protein powder will provide a nourishing breakfast option.
MEDITATE
Meditation is something which more and more people are trying to get on board with by where many people seem to struggle. The act of meditation only has to be for 5-10 minutes a day and is a practice which refocuses the mind and clears your head ready for the day ahead. You can simply sit with your eyes closed for a while or even get a mobile mediation app to help you with it.
RELAX
When was the last time you had an evening where you truly did nothing, sat in your living room with a glass of wine and relaxed? We all seem to go through life at 100 miles an hour but we never stop to take time for ourselves to look after yourself. After a while this can cause us to burn out and we can end up becoming ill as a result. To avoid this make sure that you take the time out once a week to spend time with your family or simply have a bath. Do whatever you enjoy and whatever relaxes you.
CUT DOWN ON SUGAR
Sugar is something which can make us feel amazing for a short burst of time, however once the levels decrease it can make us feel weak and tired. Too much sugar in our diet will affect the way we feel on a daily basis and cutting it down is the best way to keep us healthy and happy.
POSITIVE THOUGHTS
It might seem like a strange concept that a simple quote can become important to us, but it has been proven by many people that positive thoughts and affirmations can make a huge difference to the way we feel and think about a situation. It is important to always look on the optimistic side in life, and if you usually struggle with this you could benefit from some positive quotes in your life. If you have an office space you can print off quotes and put them on the wall for daily inspiration.
LOOK IN THE MIRROR
The best way to look after yourself as a whole is to take time to look in the morrow every single day. You can check your teeth, gums and eyes for any infections or weakness, look for areas in your skin which need attention and also take a look at your body overall. If you find things which make you feel self conscious such as your midsection or the size of your thighs, you can motivate yourself to do something about it and make the changes which will turn you into a more happy, healthy and confident person overall.
SNACK ON NUTS
Rather than reading your crisp and chocolate cupboard when you have a craving for something to snack on, take a handful for healthy nuts instead. Nuts are higher in protein and healthy fats meaning that they satisfy your hunger and provide some great nutrients to the body. They can also be helpful in brain function due to the presence of omega 3 in them. Next time you get a bit peckish just grab a handful and eat without guilt.
READ
Reading is a way to look after yourself. For many people it is a way escape from their own lives for a while but also to inspire them to make changes. Read things which inspire you and make you want to do something in the world. Once a week get a glass of wine and your favourite book and just enjoy the silence as your imagination runs wild.
CHEW YOUR FOOD
At the end of the day when your dinner arrives it can be all too easy to get carried away and wolf it all down without a second thought. However, if you want to avoid having digestion issues later on in the evening you need to chew your food thoroughly with every single bite. This allows your digestive amylase to start breaking down the food and makes your job easier when the food reaches your stomach. Also, the slower that you eat, the quicker you will feel full.
MINDFUL EATING
To look after yourself, pay special attention to your food when you are eating it. It not only gives you a break from thinking about other things, but it will also make your food taste better and allow you to fully control what you are consuming. When we eat in front of the TV or when sitting on our phone we don’t notice how much food we are really eating, this can lead to us becoming overweight.
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This has been a collaborative post. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are not my own
