Add Self-care in to your daily routine

Guest blog by Jennifer McGregor from the Publichealthlibrary.org.

Our everyday routines aren’t completely normal right now due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, it’s still super important to take care of yourself, physically as well as mentally.

There are countless tips and tricks that can help improve your health no matter what your daily routine looks like. From adding in fruits and vegetables to getting outdoors for some fresh air, these are simple ways to make your life healthier and ultimately happier.

Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables

Eating fruits and vegetables is a fantastic way to incorporate healthy food decisions into your daily routine. Fruits and vegetables not only contain the necessary vitamins and minerals your body needs, but eating these whole foods can also have some terrific benefits including managing your weight.

The best way to incorporate more fruits and veggies into your daily diet is by “eating the rainbow.” You may have heard the expression before, and it is to help you remember to eat a variety of fruits and veggies in order to ensure you are receiving the best variety of nutrients for your body. It can be as easy as throwing some avocado on your sandwich at lunch or adding a steamed side of veggies for dinner.

Take Care Of Your Appearance

While it’s true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, when your eyes don’t see yourself as beautiful, you can wind up feeling depressed and less-than you truly are. Show yourself some self-love by doing things that make you feel beautiful inside and out. A revitalizing face mask, a warm bubble bath with melted shea butter for your body, or a deep conditioning treatment for your hair can go a long way toward improving yourself-image and self-esteem.

Get Some Fresh Air

If you’ve been working from home during the pandemic, it’s easy to forget to step outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. Researchers say embracing the outdoors is a good way to help lower stress — especially if you include a 20-minute walk or jog with it.

Take a Supplement Or Vitamin

While eating healthy and exercising are both great ways to focus on your daily health routine, don’t forget to take a supplement or vitamin. While we may shoot for the goal of eating the right amount of veggies and fruits into our meals, multivitamins can help bring in the nutrients you may be missing from what you are eating.

There are a wide variety of ingredients your multivitamin should contain to bring the best nutrients to your body. According to Healthline, the seven most important ingredients to have in your multivitamin include vitamin D, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, folate, and vitamin B-12. Be sure to take them with your meals to receive the most benefits possible and to help prevent an upset stomach.

You might also consider taking an electrolyte tablet, such as Nuun or Science in Sport’s drink tablets or Dr. Price’s hydration drink mix, to ensure that you stay hydrated after a tough workout. Most multivitamins don’t include the electrolyte element. You can find electrolyte supplements in tablets or powders, but to make sure to check reviews to make sure you’re getting a quality product.

Attend Your Mental Health

Sometimes we are so focused on physical health that we tend to forget how important our mental health is. Being in isolation can really take its toll on your mind as well as your body, making you feel blue. As mentioned above, exercising can help lower stress, but there are so many other areas in our life where we can incorporate good mental health practices. A big proponent of our mental health is getting good sleep. In order to help prevent burnout, improve your sleep by setting a regular bedtime so your body can become used to a sleep routine.

Another way to help your mental health is to be kind to yourself. Tell yourself something positive in order to help create a more beneficial outlook. Talk to yourself as if you were talking to a loved one which means talking to yourself with more compassion. If you can’t imagine telling someone something, don’t say it to yourself.

There’s no need to completely change your schedule around for self-care. These four tips should flow seamlessly into your already established routine. With daily practice, you will soon feel better mentally and physically.