3 Habits to Support Optimal Health

You know that self-care is important, but how often do you really engage in activities that are solely about taking care of YOU? Likely, not as often as you need to support optimal health.

When you don’t intentionally take care of your mind, body and spirit, it can become very challenging to handle what life throws your way. Your cup empties, your fuse shortens, your energy and motivation wane. Issues feel bigger than they really are. You become overwhelmed.

I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve forgotten about me, too.

But….I know that when I take care of myself, I am better able to serve and support others.

I know that’s also true for you.

In this article, I share some simple strategies, tips and tools to integrate self-care into your daily life. I encourage you to choose one or two items from each section and give them a try. After a while, try one or two others. See what works for you and your routine….and what feels good.

YOU are worth this time and devotion! So dive in!

1. Manage Your Stress to Support Your Health

How you respond to stressors in your life is unique to YOU. What initiates a stress response for one person may not for another. What may overwhelm you may be taken in stride by someone else.

We certainly don’t lack sources of stress in our modern, fast-paced world. Whether it’s emotional, mental, physical, relational, financial, or toxin related stress, how you handle it is critical to support your health.

Your immune system, digestive tract, nervous system and heart are most vulnerable to chronic stress. How you manage stress greatly influences your sleep, daily functioning, relationships, waistline, body chemistry and health.

Chronic stress can lower your immune system and make you more susceptible to illness and less able to manage a chronic health condition.

I know that reducing your stress level is often easier said than done. I believe it is profoundly connected to self-love and self-care. When you take the time to be mindful of your needs and to lovingly take care of yourself, you are much better able to manage the stressors in your life and thus support optimal health.

Some of my favorite stress management and self-care tools:

Eat well. How you nourish your body has a great deal of impact on how you will be able to manage stress. Focus on nutrient dense foods that balance your blood sugar and figure out and avoid foods that you might be sensitive or allergic to. Caffeine and sugar negatively impact adrenal function (your fight or flight stress response) and should be limited or avoided. Try sticking to one cup of coffee and swapping white sugar for honey, real maple syrup, stevia, or coconut sugar. Also, avoid processed, chemical laden foods as these induce inflammation, which is very stressful to the body. (More on eating foods that fuel you in Part 2…coming soon.)

Practice deep breathing exercises. Breath-work can be very effective in calming down your central nervous system. I wrote about one of my favorite breathing techniques HERE. It’s a super simple and effective 4-4-8 breath pattern.

Try progressive relaxation. It can be done anywhere, any time. I learned this technique in fourth grade. Beginning at your head, contract each muscle group in succession for 2 to 4 seconds and then release. Move to your shoulders, arms, chest, back, abdomen, pelvis, upper legs, lower legs, and finally your feet. Finish with a few long deep breaths. I’m a very light sleeper, and this exercise helps me fall back to sleep when I wake in the middle of the night.

Sneak off for a moment. Disappear and gift yourself a minute to implement another strategy from this list; have a fragrant cup of tea in a cozy, quiet space. I miss the days of nursing my son and the getaway that it provided, but I find little treats of solace for myself in quick escapes into the outdoors. Porches and decks are my favorite friends!

Remember gratitude. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember that not everything is grim. Each day take a few moments to think about or write down three to five things you are grateful for having or being able to experience. Consistently expressing gratitude is a very powerful positive mindset tool, whether you express it out loud to others, in a journal, or in your personal meditation time. You can squeeze in a minute for expressing gratitude when you first wake up, over a steaming cup of coffee, while brushing your teeth, while enjoying a meal, etc… I enjoy doing this out loud with my son before bed.

Take a break from media – television, movies, newspapers and social media. Watching or reading the news, watching television dramas and reality shows can all increase our stress level. Social media can do the same. Take a break for a day, or a week or more. At the very least, turn it all off a couple hours before bedtime. You just might be surprised at how good you feel!

Have some fun. Laughter can help you relieve tension and release endorphins in your body, get more oxygen in your blood and to your organs, reduce the level of certain stress hormones, like cortisol, and boost your immune system. Your brain and body need breaks from stressful days and circumstances. Think of how energized you feel after a good laugh. Plan a game night, go to a comedy club, race go karts, call up that friend that always makes you laugh. There’s a reason people love to watch those funny animal videos so much! My son reels me in from time to time, and I roll my eyes for a second and I’m laughing a second later. So go check some out. You can’t wait on something fun to fall into your schedule. Make time everyday for something you look forward to enjoying.

Connect with nature. My absolute favorite way to get a boost of Vitamin D and calm my nervous system.

Connection with the Earth restores a lost electrical signal to the body that seems to stabilize the complicated circuitry of our essentially-electrical body. Our built-in self-regulating and self-healing mechanisms become more effective. There are head-to-toe improvements. Better blood flow. Less pain and inflammation. More energy. Deeper sleep.

www.earthinginstitute.net

I firmly believe those statements. So try walking barefoot, sitting in the grass, gardening, swimming, wading, or joining your kids in the mud. Get outside and have some fun. This simple stress management tool can do wonders.

Get in touch with your creative side. Set time aside each week to engage in some activity that creates flow for you. Allow yourself to sink into complete immersion in an activity. It could be dancing, crafting, painting, coloring, drawing, playing music, sewing, knitting, building….whatever it is that brings you joy and helps you to relax. What have you forgotten that you can do or pushed aside for later? Make time now.

Bring joy to someone else. Even the smallest kind gesture will make both you and the unexpecting receiver light up in a huge way. Their whole day could take a better turn. They are likely to pay it forward, and you are likely to seek more opportunities to show kindness. What a beautiful ripple effect.

2. Move Your Body

You don’t have to run a marathon, but if you have any kind of chronic health condition or want to avoid getting one, get your body moving. Even just a short walk outside can rev up your energy and your mood. If you plan to start an exercise program, be sure to get approval from your doctor first.

What is the best form of exercise? The one you will do consistently!

Consistent exercise has several health benefits. It can help:

• improve mood, libido and sleep
• reduce stress
• balance blood sugar
• reduce insulin resistance
• get your lymphatic system flowing
• boost your immune system
• lower your risk of infection and disease
• reduce inflammation in the body
• stimulate endorphins
• boost metabolism
• enhance neurological functioning

Pretty good reasons to get moving, right?

So find a couple of activities you love – yoga, pilates, tai chi, walking, swimming, biking, running, dancing, barre, spin class, Zumba, weight lifting. Surfing and body weight workouts are my top two choices, but I also love a good hike or stand-up-paddleboard session.

Participating in two or more types of exercise, or cross-training, is good for you to maintain consistency (sadly, there aren’t always waves to surf) and to keep from overworking certain joints and muscles. Plus, variety!

Bonus points if you include both aerobic and strength activities. And stretching is really important to balance out your routine.

Encouraging a friend or family member to do it with you might also help you stay consistent. I love to workout on my own, but group classes are popular for a reason. Some people thrive exercising in social settings.

Fun family days provide lots of opportunity for fun movement: Really get into a game of frisbee throwing, catch with a football, volleyball (no net required), tag, etc…. My family loves to throw a frisbee, and I love to do a few squats or jumping-jacks between throws.

It can seem difficult to fit exercise into a hectic week. You may prefer to exercise early in the morning.That way you have it done and are less likely to have something come up or be too tired at the end of the day. I like a slow, calm start to my day and prefer to exercise later. It has been a part of my life for so long that I just have to fit it in. When I don’t exercise I don’t feel well on many levels, so it is a priority.

You don’t have to plan a lot of time for exercise. Even ten minutes is better than zero, and your body, mind and spirit will benefit. So make it happen.

Once you get started you will want to keep it up.

One great and simple strategy to get started: wear a pedometer. This can be eye opening to see how much natural movement you get each day. Wear a pedometer, or a Fitbit for a few days to get a baseline. Then make an effort to increase your steps by 10-20% each week until you are consistently close to 10,000 steps a day.

3. Get Good Quality Sleep

Deep, restorative sleep is essential to good health. While you sleep your body is repairing cells, restoring your energy and immune system, balancing your hormones, and so much more.

7-9 hours a night of uninterrupted sleep is recommended for most adults. Teens and children need even more.

Don’t fall to the temptation to disregard sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to a variety of symptoms including:

• Weight Gain
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
• Weakened Immune System
• Moodiness
• Depression
• Impaired Memory/Brain Fog
• Difficulty Concentrating
• A Lowered Threshold for Stress
• Altered Circadian Rhythm

I’m sure you’ve experienced the repercussions of a night without enough ZZZs. Many people ignore the importance of sleep or see it as an indulgence. But it is critical for your health.

Some of my family’s favorite strategies for getting a good night’s sleep:

Use lavender essential oil. Diffuse it or mix a drop with a teaspoon of coconut oil and rub it on your neck or the bottoms of your feet. My son didn’t sleep through the night until he was 2 ½ and I learned about essential oils. He loved this treatment; it worked for him. Now that he’s 10, he has his own diffuser and puts drops of lavender and spearmint in it every night, no kidding. I love lavender mixed with eucalyptus or vetiver on my chest and wrists.

We love chamomile tea at night. Sometimes I don’t want to bother with heating water and brewing tea at night, but then I’m always happy I did. My son thinks I’m golden, and it really soothes us both. I’ve found it helpful even in the middle of the night when I’ve woken up and couldn’t get back to sleep. Try adding a little milk and honey, a natural sweetener that won’t keep you awake. Lemon balm tea is another good option, on it’s own or combined with chamomile, and you can find great sleep blends in most stores.

Create a consistent bedtime routine and stick to it. Incorporate a few of my suggestions to create little nightly rituals. This can help your body and brain wind down and become trained for sleep. For my son, the ritual act of setting up his diffuser every night serves as a signal to his brain that it’s time to relax.

Think hard about your nighttime activities and how easily, or not so easily, you fall asleep. For some people, peppermint can be very stimulating and brushing teeth with peppermint toothpaste before bed can perk you up. Actually, brushing your teeth—period—can be stimulating. Consider doing it earlier, which might also help you avoid night-time snacking.

What other activities might not be so good for you at night?

My husband makes magnesium water, and he takes just one sip before bed. This works great for him. You can find many ways to supplement with magnesium, and of course check with your doctor first.

We run fans and fully open hatches to help cool off our boat at night. The hums of the fans also help drown out noises from outside and lull us to sleep.

More strategies to help you sleep well:

Keeping the temperature in your bedroom on the cool side can help. Once upon a time when we owned a house, we kept our air-conditioner around 68-70 degrees at night. It was really nice!

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals at night. I often have a square of dark chocolate at night without issue, but some people need to avoid even that tiny amount of caffeine. One glass of wine might help you feel relaxed, but two or more will likely keep you awake. A heavy late meal can keep your digestive system overly active and disrupt your sleep.

Try a soothing epsom salt bath or just soak your feet in a small tub of epsom salt water.

Talk to your doctor about supplementing with Magnesium, Melatonin, Ashwaghanda, L-theanine, or 5-HTP (produces melatonin) if you struggle with insomnia. Do your own research as well regarding supplements and their side-effects. Keep in mind that everyone reacts to supplements differently, so don’t simply try what your best friend swears will work. There are also different sleep aides for different sleep issues, like falling asleep, staying asleep, sleeping more deeply, etc. Again, do your research and talk to your doctor.

Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day, even on the weekends. If you play catch up on the weekends, make an effort to go to bed at the same time, but allow your body to wake up naturally.

Your bedroom should ideally be used for sleep and intimacy with your partner only. Try to keep food, work and confrontations out. You might want to avoid watching TV or using a computer in your bedroom to minimize your electromagnetic exposure before bedtime.

Clear the clutter in your bedroom. Clutter is distracting and makes it difficult to wind down. Even when the lights go out, those piles can flash in your mind.

Speaking of light, it can be helpful to make your bedroom very dark, eliminating all light.

Write out your to-do list for the next day so your brain can rest knowing you won’t forget anything. Keep that list by your bed in case you do wake up with another task or idea pressing on your mind.

Allow at least one hour without screens (TV, computer, tablet or phone) before bedtime. I’m not gonna say I practice this one. (I’m not preaching either.) We often watch a show before bed, but we all crash right after—the tea, magnesium and lavender….

Again, you have to think about how you and your body respond to different activities at night. These are ideas, suggestions.

What will you implement today to better manage life’s stressors, get your body moving, and induce deep sleep?

Let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

Reach out to me in the comments or the email form in the sidebar or below. ‎

If you’d like some additional support, click here to see how we could work together.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL CONTENT WITHIN THIS ARTICLE IS BASED ON MY PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE, OPINIONS AND EXPERIENCE AS A HOLISTIC HEALTH COACH. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR REGARDING MEDICATIONS OR MEDICAL ADVICE. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

For my full Disclaimer, please scroll on down.

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Thanks for reading!

Live, love and be well!

Jen