5 Simple Ways to Take Care of Yourself Everyday

Stress, depression and anxiety—sometimes it feels like they can be too much to handle. These conditions can lead to weight gain, poor hygiene and mental health issues. But they don’t have to win. With a little daily self-care, you can improve your overall health, happiness and outlook. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can take care of yourself every day.

1. Man in the Mirror

The first thing you need to do is own your situation. Take a long, hard look in the mirror and understand that you have value. Before you can do anything else effectively in your life, you need to accept the fact that if you can start taking care of yourself, you can improve all of the other aspects of your life. Think about the things you need in your life to make you happy and healthy. Do you want better teeth? Maybe you should visit the professional invisalign dentist in west point? And you should, without feeling guilty!

You are worth it.

Set aside some time just for yourself every single day. This will give you the time you need to check in with yourself and understand what your needs are as they change. Whether you exercise, read, nap or play a game, it doesn’t matter. It’s your time and it belongs to you.

2. Getting Active

Exercise is key in improving quality of life. Science has proven time and again that routine exercise will help maintain a healthy weight, promote weight loss and improve mental health, along with a wealth of other health benefits. This doesn’t have to be at the gym or jogging. It could mean walking the dog, playing basketball, doing yoga or anything that gets your heart rate up and gets you moving. Try to keep your exercise simple. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy doing and do it regularly.

3. Sweet Slumber

Perhaps one of the most neglected parts of our day is our sleep, despite the fact that we know how sleep is important. Many people feel they can function well on less sleep than they actually need. Most studies show that 7-8 hours a night are the ideal amount. Additionally, taking naps during the day can help reenergize you. These don’t have to be hours long, even 15 or 20 minutes can reset your day. This allows you opportunities for rest and recovery.

Simple things you can do to help get better sleep would be to buy a nicer pillow or mattress, don’t take electronics to bed, and wearing an eye mask. If you’re having trouble relaxing or shutting off the anxious thoughts your mind, Sera Labs Health reports that there are some natural ways to help with recovery. One way that has proven all natural and very effective is taking CBD oils. These come in a variety of forms—oils, candies, supplements and pills—and have been shown to aid in releasing anxious thoughts and improving sleep quality.

4. Flavorful Feasts

A big part of self-care has to do with the food we eat. Our diet impacts our body fat, kidneys, heart, immune system and so many other things. In recent years, there has been a surge in diet plans, in particular the ketogenic diet. This diet limits carb intake to push the body to reach ketosis, a state where it burns fats, or ketone bodies, for energy rather than sugar, or glucose. A ketogenic diet focuses on foods such as spinach, kale, broccoli, as well as a healthy protein intake. There are some keto diet rules, but they aren’t as strict as you might think.

Happy mature man reading a book at home wearing eyeglasses. Senior man lying on couch wearing spectacles while reading novel. Close up face of old man reading book while relaxing at home, copy space.

5. Reading and Writing (or Both!)

This can be a healthy way to bring other aspects of self-care together. Reading about the keto diet or journaling about your exercise can help put you in the right state of mind for approaching these aspects of your life. Additionally, you can just read or write for fun. This getaway from the day can help boost your mental health, give you some personal time and reset you for facing daily challenges.

When it comes to taking care of yourself, it doesn’t have to be massive changes. Take some little steps to work on your diet, your sleep and your overall mental health. They work together, so improving one will help improve another.