Looking after yourself is not easy and can take a lot of your time. You might feel like you don’t have time to take care of yourself and look after your own health while you are so busy with work, family life, and other commitments. However, taking time out to care for yourself can help you to feel much better in many ways, including physically and mentally. We will consider some of the popular ways you can start looking after your health more this year.
1. Change What You Eat
This might not be necessary for someone who already eats a nutritious and balanced diet, but for most people, their diet could be improved. You can start to think about what might be missing from your diet, such as extra protein sources or increased amounts of vegetables with each meal. Try to vary what you eat throughout the week and maintain a balanced diet to ensure you are getting all the vital nutrients and vitamins that you need in your life.
2. Go for a Regular Massage
There are many benefits to massage which make this one of the most popular treatments available. As well as being very relaxing and helping to ease muscle tensions, headaches, and other common concerns, massage comes in a variety of forms which means there is something to suit everyone. Whether you are looking for a relaxing Swedish massage in Oxford or a deep tissue treatment to help unlock painful tension, including this as a regular part of your lifestyle this year could help you to become healthier. It is great for your overall health, including your circulation, blood pressure, and mental health.
3. Make Time for Social Activities
Engaging in social activities regularly can help us to feel connected and improve our health. It is important to strike a balance and maintain friendships and connections without letting this come at a cost to other aspects of your health or other commitments. The right work-life balance will be different for everyone, and some people might feel they want to see other people more frequently. Making plans with friends or staying connected to colleagues can help you to keep maintaining your social circles throughout the year.
4. Understand the Importance of Sleep
A lot of people underestimate the importance of sleep, leading to poor sleep quality or a lack of sleep overall. Many people require 7-9 hours of sleep per night in order to feel refreshed, although this could be higher or lower for each individual. Regardless of how much you feel like you need each night, focusing on quality and prioritising your sleep can help you to start improving your health. Sleep can help us to feel refreshed and reenergised for the next day, but it is also a critical part of our cycles to recover and digest. Lack of sleep can cause people to experience headaches, nausea, fatigue, and a weakened level of immunity.
5. Learn to Say ‘No’ When You Need to
We can sometimes become overwhelmed with things to do because we struggle to say ‘no’ to other people. Whether you are reluctant to turn down calls for help from your colleagues, favours asked by your friends, or community projects you are invited to get involved with, make sure you are putting your own health first. Sometimes this means saying ‘no’ more often to people and creating the time and space you need to look after yourself more.
6. Take Time Off Work
It is not always easy to take time away from work, and it might feel like things are always too busy. But making time just for yourself could mean you return to the workplace feeling more refreshed and ready to take on a new challenge. Without taking time off throughout the year, you could increase the chances of becoming overstressed or overworked, which could lead to burnout and subsequently create long-term health problems. If you are a manager, it’s a good idea to set an example by taking time off yourself and encouraging other employees to take their time off too.
7. Move Often
Some people may struggle to incorporate a structured workout into their routine, but this doesn’t mean you can’t get any exercise. There are multiple ways you can think about putting more movement into your daily routine, either by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, getting off the bus earlier, or starting your day with some gentle stretching or yoga. Whatever you choose to do, the important thing is that you start moving more in a way that works for you. You can explore options to work out with a friend, go for regular walks with your whole family, or tune into an online exercise class when you have some free time.
8. Be Kind to Yourself
When you are trying to look after yourself more, it is essential that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself throughout the process. Too much pressure can be counterproductive and result in you feeling even worse and more tired than before. Speak to yourself as though you are your own best friend and consider the way you would speak to your friend if they were in the same situations. If you feel too tired to exercise one day, don’t push yourself and leave it until the next day instead. As long as the overall trend is positive and you are making the changes that will help you, you are already on your way to feeling healthier and happier this year.
It doesn’t always come easily or naturally to look after ourselves as well as we should. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start making some great changes to your lifestyle now that will pay off in the short term and in the long run too. Whether you are investing in massage treatments, new exercise classes, or simply making more time to relax and de-stress, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your health and wellbeing this year.