Self Care After 50
"Self Care" is a term used a lot lately - and for good reason! Caring for your SELF is vital to a happy, fulfilling life. You can be a caregiver to others - as a mom, a partner, a child of adult parents - but if you aren't taking care of you, you won't have as much to give back! To me, self care comes down to three areas: Exercise, Nutrition, and Wellbeing. Try these gentle, small changes you can make in your daily life to start adding more self care to your routine!
Self Care: Exercise
Exercise is proven to be a life lifter: It boosts your mood; promotes a healthier physical body; keeps your body working better, longer; and wards off disease and illness. Yet so many of us don't exercise regularly. Time, money, pre-existing conditions...the reasons are there, but I am HERE to tell you to start walking! It is a wonderful form of exercise that most any of us can do even after 50, it is free, and you can do it anywhere - even in your home! For those who have not exercised in awhile, hold on to a table and start walking in place for 3-5 minutes stints. For those who walk regularly, add a hill, step up your pace, and add on an extra 10 minutes. The self care benefits are numerous! And if you need a little push, join my FREE 2-Week Walking Challenge! It starts 4/4, and is so popular year after year - so come join me and the countless others pledging to add some self care in the form of exercise to our daily routine!
Self Care: Nutrition
Just as it is not healthy to drastically limit the type of foods you eat (unless you are required to for medical reasons), it is also not good to eat too much processed foods. To take away the anxiety that food can give some people, try the 80/20 Rule: Eat healthy foods 80 percent of the time, and treat yourself the other 20 percent. Heathy foods include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes, and lean protein. Simply make 80 percent of your plate (or of your daily total) something healthy, and then you won't feel guilty when you treat yourself...and you SHOULD treat yourself! That's part of what self care after 50 is all about! Begin with these Healthy Breakfast Suggestions - the perfect way to start the day!
Self Care: Wellbeing
You can spend countless dollars on all sorts of self care gadgets, but I like to do two things that are free when I need a boost to my wellbeing: Go to bed early, and carve out time with friends. A good night's sleep is the ultimate self care gift you can give yourself, especially as we get older - it makes you feel (and look!) amazing, gives your brain a boost, and recharges your body so you wake to a new day with a new attitude and energy! I also loooooove spending time with friends - including my husband Jeff and my daughters, who are my closest friends! Friends make you laugh, relax and appreciate life. So next time you need a self care boost for your wellbeing, call up a friend and chat or meet up!
I hope these tips encourage you to put yourself first...as women we are conditioned to care for others, and put ourselves second (or third, or fourth). But realizing that little steps can make a BIG difference in how we feel and ultimately how we show up for others, can help you to prioritize your emotional and physical health. You are WORTH IT!!!
Let's live EVER BETTER™ - together!
Denise
P.S. Don't forget to sign up for my FREE 2-Week Walking Challenge - at all start April 4th!