Self Care tips
A major component of self care is being aware of the messages your body is communicating.
1. Go easy on yourself
It’s that time of year,
theres food everywhere and then suddenly there’s a social obligation to become
fit and healthy in January. I call it the fresh start effect. But this can
really to mount up the pressure.. so go easy on yourself and plan steady changes.
2. Drink more water
We alwaya say this. But why.. well for one our bodies are made up of 75% of water. We need to to carry out our basic functions as well as detoxifying the body for proper brain and liver function.
Aim for 8 glasses a day!
3. Improve your gut health
I’m talking from experience here. I’ve personally found by increasing my intake of probiotics has really had overall impact on my general health.
It’s also worth keeping
in mind that certain foods can cause inflammation in the gut so be wary of what
you eat.
4 . Unplug once in a while
Our world is increasingly demanding and it’s getting harder and harder to switch off. It has a huge impact on our mental health which can lead up anxiety and stress.
So choose to disconnect every once in a while, maybe for at least a few hours a day. Put down the tablets, laptops and get out in nature or read a book. It has been proven to have a positive effect not just on our heath and our mind-set but also on our close relationships too.
5. Mindfulness
Meditation has been shown to calm the mind, lower blood pressure and help us to remain positive. There are a number of meditation apps available to help you get started with meditation. Just hope over to YouTube and do a search. Theres no set formula – it’s just about being – let thoughts come and go in your mind without any judgement at all. It’s okay to just be.
6. Move more
Exercise releases happy hormones and gets our blood moving around our bodies. Don’t worry you don’t have to run a marathon! Take the stairs, walk to work, get the bike out of the shed – it’s about creating a habit of exercise so it doesn’t feel like a chore. Your metabolism will increase and you’ll find that overall you have more energy over time.
7. Self Massage
Sometimes I can’t stand anyone near me so would self massage to soothe pain and relax me. Massage balls are so useful to help unwind the knots in your back and other specific parts of your body.
8. Heat & Ice
Ice helps with treating new injuries, it can help numb pain and inflammation.
Heat can be used to treat chronic pain in various ways, such as a hot bath or shower, electric heat pads to help treat localised areas and microwaveable heating pads.
9. Gratitude Lists
Living with chronic pain can be emotionally consuming. At times it can be difficult to find things to be grateful for but this can be a helpful coping strategy. At the end of the week try looking back and picking the top 3 things that you’re grateful for and then when you’re feeling low you can look back at this list and experience and new level of peace and freedom.
10. Join a Cysterhood
Living with a chronic condition is tough but finding others to truly get you makes it easier for you. You’ve probably already turned to family and friends to talk about the difficulties of living with this condition but sometimes people just don’t get it. Fortunately online Communities have started popping up in recent years and especially those dedicated to serving people with chronic pain and illnesses so feel free to get in touch and the other women like you as we say this journey is easier with your sister’s.
