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Our lives are becoming increasingly busier and more stressful. Taking care of ourselves, mentally and physically, can often take a back seat to family, social commitments and work. The thought of taking time out to manage our own health can seem too much to ask.
But there are small changes we can introduce as part of our daily routine to improve our wellbeing.
Hydration - internal
We all know that drinking water is essential to a healthy functioning body. But getting through the recommended 2 litres a day can be daunting.
Our best tip is to always have a bottle of water on your desk, in the car or in your bag. Try setting yourself the goal of drinking one full bottle before lunch and one in the afternoon. You can build up from here. Don’t like plain water? Try adding lemon and orange slices, berries or cucumber with sprigs of mint.
Hydration – external
Never underestimate the power of a good quality, organic moisturiser. Most of our work places and homes are air-conditioned, which can literally suck the life out of our skin. Make a moisturiser infused with natural sunscreen part of your daily routine and use a body butter when you step out of the shower. A naturally infused lemongrass hand cream on your desk will not only soften the hands but the scent will give you a boost too.
Meditation
It might sound like something hippies do but meditation can have significant benefits on your mental and physical health. Research even suggests it can improve anxiety, depression, and insomnia. But for some of us, it might be impossible to find the time or energy to go to a class. We’ve tried a few apps that make it easier to meditate anywhere.
We highly recommend both the Calm and The Mindfulness Apps – with meditations starting from just 3 minutes, and suitable for beginners. We have found them invaluable in the office and in the evenings at home. Take a 5 minute ‘mind-break’ during the day, it will reenergise you.
Get off your phone
We’re all addicted to our mobiles. It’s been widely researched that looking at your phone late at night can lead to sleeplessness. But it can be a hard habit to break.
You can even use an app that will record the amount of times you use/look at your phone each day. It will shock.
Try a couple of these tips: Charge your phone away from your bed, so you’re not tempted to plug it in and scroll through Facebook for an hour. If you can’t do this, try listening to a podcast instead. How about reading a book or flicking through magazine? Or use one of the sleep meditation apps to get you off to nod off in no time.
Routine
Going to bed at the same time and waking up at a set time each day can help your body clock and reduce lethargy and stress. If your alarm goes off, hop up and don’t keep hitting the snooze button. If you can’t get to sleep at the same time each night, the experts say that if you at least wake at around the same time each day, will have you feeling refreshed.
Incorporating self-care into your daily routine can make you a better worker, parent, friend and global citizen. Take time out for YOU and you’ll feel the mental and physical benefits.
- Lindy
Founder, Meditrav