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Self-care is an essential part of our health and wellness. Unfortunately, it is one of the first things to fall by the wayside in times of stress or uncertainty. Ignoring self-care can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and depression. Simple things, done each day can help improve our self-care habits and improve our health and wellness. Look at the ideas below for ways you can practice self-care each day.
~ Go for a walk ~ Journal ~ Meditate ~ Go out in nature ~ Listen to your favorite music/song ~ Do something creative ~ Reach out to your support network
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Self-appreciation is a reflection of our inner sense of well-being. Having low self-appreciation can have many negative impacts on our overall health and
well-being. Low self-appreciation can negatively impact our relationships with others and ourselves, our ability to do our jobs, and both our mental and physical health. While developing a greater self-appreciation can be difficult, there are some simple things you can do each day to help. ~ Challenge negative thinking ~ Identify situations or conditions that tend to deflate you ~ Take a step back. Observe your thoughts, actions, and situation from an outsider’s point of view ~ Practice self-care Identifying and expressing our emotions in a healthy way can help us to better manage the way we are feeling and the impact those emotions have on us and our surroundings. Identifying what we are feeling in the moment allows us to take a step back and make a rational choice instead of letting emotion be our guide. Being able to identify our own emotions also helps us to develop better emotional intelligence which can help improve your relationship with yourself and others.
Use the following practice to help you identify your emotions: ~ Write down three positive and three negative emotions you felt today. ~ Now think of different words to describe those same emotions. Feeling like you’re in a slump? Research has shown that expressing gratitude on a daily basis can improve your energy levels and mood as well as help you get more sleep, boost your immune system, and lower your risk of disease. Try this “Three Good Things” practice to help cultivate gratitude in your own life.
3 Good Things Practice: ~ Take out a piece of paper ~ Write down 3 good things that you are grateful for today ~ Keep up the practice for at least 2 weeks before reflecting on your experience When we are feeling anxious or scared, we tend to breathe quicker, shallow
breaths. This leads to a lower concentration of carbon dioxide in our blood causing us to feel lightheaded, clammy, sweaty, and have tingly fingers or toes. Learning how to control our breathing can help us better manage the emotions we are feeling. Next time you are feeling anxious, scared, or upset try this: ~ Sit comfortably. Close your eyes if you want to. ~ Breathe slowly and steadily in through your nose for a count of 4. ~ Hold your breath for a count of 2. ~ Breathe out slowly and steadily for a count of 4. ~ Repeat for a few minutes. Snacking at work can have a huge impact on our health goals. Stay on track
with your personal health goals with these office snacking tips: ~ Not an option to remove office candy, sweets, or salty snacks? Store in opaque containers and/or place them in low traffic spots. ~ Keep a few of your favorite snacks on-hand for convenience. ~ High fiber snacks (like nuts, fruit, whole grains, & veggies) will curb your hunger for longer! Eating well doesn’t have to break the bank. Check out these tips for eating well while sticking to a budget.
~ Meal plan: o Plan your meals before you shop based on what is on sale/in season, meals you actually enjoy cooking and eating, and ingredients that can be used in more than one meal. ~ Grocery Shopping: o Make a list and stick to it. o Shop at home first. Use ingredients you already have in your pantry instead of buying new. o Shop in season. o Buy bulk when appropriate. ~ Skip eating out. Preparing your meals at home can cut food costs dramatically Did you know the average American consumes a total of 350 calories a day
from added sugars? In one year, most Americans will consume anywhere between 80-150 pounds of sugar! Consuming this much sugar can put us at higher risk for developing things like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other health problems. Try out these tips for reducing your added sugar intake: ~ Choose plain water or carbonated water with lemon instead of a soda or juice. ~ Buy plain varieties of products like yogurt or cereal and add fruit as a sweetener. ~ Avoid making treats an everyday food and reward yourself with non-food rewards. ~ Enjoy desserts occasionally, a smaller portion will help keep calories down while still satisfying your sweet tooth. Mindful eating can help you enjoy your food more and reach your health goals. Try:
~ Taking note of the color, texture, and smell of your food before taking a bite. What do you notice that you haven't noticed before? ~ Chewing each bite entirely before having another bite. Notice how the food's taste and texture change with each chew. ~ Enjoy an entire meal free of distractions. Just you, your thoughts, and your food. Resistance training helps maintain and combat the loss of muscle mass that occurs as we age. In addition to increasing our muscular fitness, resistance training can help prevent osteoporosis, decrease our risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, and lowering body fat. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that resistance training be done at least two (non-consecutive) days each week. Each workout should consist of 8-10 exercises and 8-12 repetitions for each exercise.
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