Stress is definitely a part of the chronic condition picture, and currently it’s at an all-time high since many are loosing jobs, prices are getting higher and there are real concerns about health care being impacted by changes to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. If you don’t have a self-care routine, or you’ve gotten away from it, now is a good time to start.
The purpose of self-care is to help recharge your battery, give you a break from stress, and help to maintain physical, mental and over all well-being. I’ve posted about aspects of this over the years. This series covers the basics of physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional self-care, with a variety of links, including past blog posts.
Keep in mind that just because something is good for you, if you don’t like or enjoy it it’s not self-care. However, there are things that we need to do, such as cleaning, keeping medical appointments that we may not like in the moment, but they do help with maintaining our well-being and peace of mind. For the most part though, find things that you look forward to do and enjoy. Set aside time daily for them. Assess what feels right for you, recognizing that over time routines and patterns would and should change. Finally, what works for one person may not work for you. Check out How to Make a Self-Care Checklist That Actually Works for You to help get you started.
Today’s post focuses on the physical aspects of self-care. Be sure and check out The Big Three (Diet, Exercise & Sleep)
Note there are lots of free videos you can try, so it’s worth taking the time to find ones you like and bookmark them.
• Exercise: It can be a simple walk around the block or dancing to a favorite tune. If you haven’t tried “Mind-Body Exercise,” you might want to consider it as it combines body movement, mental focus, and controlled breathing to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and overall health. Examples of mind-body exercises include: yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, Qigong, and Meditation. Here are some links to try.
Standing Yoga
- Nidra Yoga to improve sleep and memory
- Try Yoga Nidra
Qigong
Stretching
Meditation: “Meditation is a mind and body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well-being,” according to the
• Diet: There are lots of diet trends out there, but the research continues to support that the best diet is plant slant with the Mediterranean diet leading the pack in helping with depression, heart health, dementia and a reduction in factors that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer etc. With lots of options for fruits, nuts, whole grains, vegetables (yes to potatoes), and fish, there are lots of nutritious yet enjoyable foods to choose from. If you aren’t familiar with the diet, check out Cleveland Clinic’s Mediterranean Diet
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