Remembering to take care of yourself can be hard in our workaholic, fast-paced culture. We can become so consumed by our jobs, school, and taking care of our loved ones that we forget to look out for number one—ourselves. But make sure to do even small, simple things to better ourselves and live happier, healthier lives is incredibly important for our bodies and minds.
There are a variety of things you can do to take care of yourself, even amid the chaos of daily life.
Get Health Insurance
This one is a given. No matter how healthy you are at the moment, injury and illness can occur unexpectedly and without warning. A priority in taking care of yourself is making sure you have health insurance. While health care can be expensive (even with the passage of the Affordable Care Act), gap health insurance can help shoulder the burden of health care costs.
Essentially, gap health insurance works as insurance for your insurance plan. More and more Americans are choosing high-deductible plans to help lower their monthly premium costs. But with these plans, individuals have more out-of-pocket costs. Some Americans use gap health insurance to help cover these expenses. However, take note that gap health insurance is not a replacement for regular health care. You can’t use it as your primary health insurance.
Get Moving
Having a regular exercise routine helps you to stay active, maintain a healthy weight, and increase your endorphins (the mood-boosting hormones). Frequent exercise is a great way to improve your mental and physical health. Exercise doesn’t mean breaking a sweat at the gym. It can be as simple as taking a stroll through your local park or even taking a dance class. While not considered a traditionally athletic activity, the benefits of dancing are numerous and include better posture and reduced stress.
Eat Colorful, Healthy Foods
Eat your vegetables! Making sure to have a balanced, healthy diet is an easy way to take care of yourself. Eat a colorful array of vegetables and fruits, and ensure you have five to nine servings every day. Cut back on the sweets and red meat, and opt for healthier choices like apple slices or a piece of salmon. And don’t forget to hydrate! Using a reusable water bottle will help you remember to drink eight glasses of water a day.
Make Time To Meditate
Practicing daily meditation has been widely proven to help one’s mental and physical health. Studies indicate that meditation reduces stress, anxiety, and blood pressure, improves sleep, provides a more positive perspective on life, and helps control pain. Set aside ten or fifteen minutes each morning for meditation. Understandably, you may not always have that much time every morning, but even just five minutes of meditation can work wonders.
A Good Night’s Sleep
Experts recommend seven or eight hours of sleep every night. That might seem difficult with a busy adult schedule, but getting the right amount of sleep is important in maintaining our health. Getting enough sleep helps our immune system and memory function. Ever notice how your lack of sleep leads to getting sick? Or how being tired makes doing simple tasks more complex? Sleep is imperative for staying healthy and being productive.
Rest And Relaxation
Finally, take a break! We all need them, no matter how busy our lives get. You can get a massage, soak in a bubble bath, take a nap, phone a friend, or even just turn on Netflix and zone out. Taking some quality “me time” to recharge not only helps us take better care of ourselves, but makes us better caretakers to everyone else.