We’ve had a week of less restrictions after the last lockdown! Now things are getting busier self care is more important than ever! I don’t know about you but I have enjoyed getting back to work and seeing people again but it’s been a bit stressful suddenly feeling pressure to do more!
I wanted to write a blog with a few self care tips to help keep overwhelm at bay!
Movement
This is my top tip!
Doing regular exercise will help your health in many ways such as; increase your bone density (especially important for women around the time of menopause), reduce your risk of depression and even reduce the risk of many cancers.
How much you do depends on your fitness level, goals and how active you are in work. A good starting point might be to aim for 10,000 steps a day on your fitbit or to do 10 minutes of stretches every day.
For more on this see my blog about movement
Vitamin D
Known as the sunshine vitamin – Vitamin D is made when your skin is exposed to sunlight. For many of us here in the UK it’s difficult to make enough Vitamin D as we simply don’t get enough sun.
The NHS (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/) recommend between September and March all adults in the UK take a supplement to prevent deficiency.
Get yourself outside for a few minutes every day and try to expose a little of your skin (such as your lower arms) to the sun to help your body make the Vitamin D it needs. It’s especially important right now as lockdown has meant many people have spent a lot more time indoors and thus haven’t had enough exposure to sun to get enough! If you think you might be lacking in Vitamin D you can pick up supplements from the local chemist or supermarket.
Sleep
How much sleep do you get? Most adults need around 7-8 hours sleep a night. The odd interrupted night of sleep won’t do much harm but chronic lack of sleep can cause mental health problems and increase the risk of many diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
Some tips to help you get a good night’s sleep
- Have a bedtime routine and try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day
- Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evenings
- Make your bedroom dark – too much light can affect your sleep
- Avoid using mobile phones and computers late at night as the blue light emitted by the screen affects sleep
Food
It goes without saying that a healthy diet will boost your health. The NHS recommend a minimum of 5 portions of fruit and veg a day (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/) and this is an easy way to start improving your diet if you aren’t eating enough now.
Meal planning saves you time and money and if you are returning to work having a planned meal and some basic ingredients in the house will help you make better choices and stay away from the takeaway.
water
Hydration for health (https://www.hydrationforhealth.com/en/hydration-tools/hydration-calculator/#section-methodology) have a free tool to check if you are drinking enough water. As a a guide women should drink a minimum of 2 litres and men 2.5 litres per day. On a hot day or if you are doing a lot of exercise you should increase this.
Tips to get more water
- Get a refillable water bottle and keep it on your desk as a reminder to sip
- Try adding mint and cucumber or a slice of lemon to your water to make it refreshing
RELAX THERAPIES MEMBERSHIP
If you feel like adding a massage to your regular self care I offer a monthly massage membership.
Every month you get
– an MOT for your body
Your chance to tell me about any niggles or pains you are experiencing and I can check them out and address with hands on work and some self care tips.
- Free upgrades to acupuncture, aromatherapy and cupping for your massage
- Unlimited personal rehab exercise prescriptions – your plan will be emailed to you with clear written and video descriptions to follow.
If this sounds like something you would like click here for more info
Schedule Appointment