THE WELLNESS EDITION NO. 12 - HOW TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOURSELF
I wrote a list of ten things for you that will immediately make you feel better. I made it extra big so you can print it out and put it over your desk or take it with you, wherever it fits you best. Just right click on your mouse and download it and apply all of it daily! I put them together randomly, so no particular order!
Taking good care of yourself is crucial because if you don't do it, who else should do it for you? It is your job! I speak from experience because I was really bad in taking good care of myself for a long long time so basically the lessons I have learned in the past few years, I wrote them down for you here. So let's talk about them now!.
1. Sleep enough! Sleep is so important, I cannot stress enough on the importance of sleep. Of course it is different for all of us how much sleep we need but I'd estimate that the majority of people needs at least 7 - 8 hours. I'm no physician but from my knowledge most healing in the body takes place while you sleep.
Cells are healing when you are sleeping and of course it is super important for your emotional wellbeing as well. I am very sensitive whenever I did not sleep enough or slept bad, I am sure you can relate. So try establishing a healthy sleeping routine, go to bed at a reasonable time and make sure you get enough hours of sleep so your body and soul can regenerate.
2. Eat breakfast! Let's talk about breakfast friends. I am sure all of you know the phrase that 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' and that scientists keep on arguing about it. I was a breakfast-refuser for the majority of my life but two years ago I started eating breakfast and then realised that it really does the trick.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that is the highest after waking up, when you eat breakfast, your cortisol goes down again. Also your body gets the fuel it needs for the day. Find a breakfast that fits you. I love salty food in the morning, so my breakfast consists of an egg fried in butter, orange juice and espresso with lots of fresh milk. That works for me but I know many people prefer something sweet in the morning. So start your breakfast discovery tour and see what kind of food works for you in the morning.
3. Moderation is key! That goes for pretty much every aspect in life. Don't go too wild on anything that can harm you if you overdo it. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol is okay as long as you don't overdo it. There are people who also overdo food, work etc. So pay attention where things get out of whack and do it all with moderation. Otherwise you end up hurting yourself. We don't want that, we want to see you healthy and happy!
4. Keep your finances in check! This one is also important for being well. Running out of money just because you neglected your finances is a horrible feeling. Paying extra fees to the bank because you overdrew your account is such an annoying way to lose your hard-earned money. So better keep your finances in check so you don't experience any bad surprises.
I had one summer when I was really miserable and there I became the dispo-queen and it felt absolutely horrible, I learned my lesson. Now I check my account balance every day and don't even have a dispo credit anymore. Also if you receive invoices, pay them immediately, otherwise it is a real pain in the ass. Don't let your finances slip because it only results in feeling miserable.
5. Don't procrastinate! Procrastination, we all do it from time to time even though we know that it is not good for us at all. So try not to procrastinate because procrastination also results in feeling miserable. If you have a super long to-do-list, key is to be organised well. Split it up in little tasks that you can do every day, then the pile does not seem anymore so overwhelming. It really works very well to split it up because then it is much easier to get started.
6. Calories are your friend! Guys, seriously, calories are important. How should your body and brain function well when they don't have enough fuel for it. You also don't expect a car to drive with full force while the tank is empty, so don't expect that from your body either. Unfortunately, recommendations towards daily caloric needs are way too long in the mainstream nutrition.
If you are interested about knowing more, google the Minnesota Starvation Experiment and read on MinnimaudRecovery and YourEatopia how many calories your body actually needs vs. what we area always told in the media how much it needs. I've been the queen of nearly starving myself for many years and the consequences for your health and wellbeing are just horrendous. I ate so little, on certain days when I was very very miserable I even ate nothing, that I fainted all the time, I was always cold, nervous and dizzy, I had horrible insomnia and so on.
Don't make the mistakes that I made and don't engage in such a self-destructing behaviour. So please see that calories are your friend. Eat a balanced diet that does you well. Of course everyone is different and what is good for me might not be good for you. So do your own research, find out what kind of food is good for your body and soul and make sure you eat enough during the day. Anorexia and orthorexia are a serious matter that can end deadly so if you struggle with it, get professional help. You can heal, it takes time and it is painful but it is possible. I am you living proof.
7. Set boundaries! Boundaries are also crucial. Don't let anyone treat you bad. Don't stay in toxic relationships and friendships. Who does not respect you once, will most certainly keep repeating this behaviour so better get out of it before it is too late. This also took a long long time for me to learn. I love NML's blog www.baggagereclaim.co.uk - here you can learn a lot about red flags, boundaries, self-love. I think I spent years on this blog analysing my own behaviour and finding out where it was essential to set boundaries and how to treat myself well. If you struggle here, follow the link and read what Natalie Lue has to say. She is great and her blog is such a wonderful resource for everyone who struggles with boundaries and feeling unworthy.
8. Learn to say no! This one pretty much goes with setting boundaries but I felt like saying it again because I know how hard saying no is, especially in the beginning when you are not used to saying no because you are such a good-hearted people-pleaser. But let's be honest, being a people-pleaser is a horrible thing because you are not standing up for yourself and unfortunately there are too many a******* out there exploiting it. So do yourself a big favour and learn to say no!
9. Get outta stuck! Seriously, in the past I was super guilty of this one as well. I stayed in relationships, friendships and jobs that made me seriously ill. This is so bad and totally unnecessary. If something is bad for you, get out of it. Think about a strategy to end it and to find something better. You don't owe anyone to stay when it makes you feel miserable and ill. Thinking back I should have gotten out of many things much earlier before I did, before they made me feel really miserable and ill. Don't let it get to that point. Don't fall into the trap that you suffer and your life feels sad and miserable. Get outta stuck ASAP and if you can't do it alone, find professional help so you can develop a strategy to change for the better.
10. Love yourself! This one is probably the most important one because if you live consciously with self-love, treating yourself well will come automatically. Loving yourself won't let you engage in self-destructive behaviour because there won't be any space for it. Loving yourself is hard for some of us, I speak from experience, but it is also something you can learn, it just takes patience and time. Of course you'll experience fallbacks from time-to-time if loving yourself does not come naturally to you and you have to learn it first. But forgive yourself, get up again and just continue your journey of self-love. You'll see that life gets so much better when you practise self-love and apply all the other things I wrote down here.
This post got very long, thank you for everyone who followed along and I'm happy to hear about your experiences concerning everything I just mentioned. So please leave a comment or shoot me an email. So girls, thanks for reading this and take good care of yourself!
xx, Phyllis
