Tag: self care

wellness and self care

What does wellness mean to you?

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Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about wellness. I find that it’s a buzzword mentioned in all sorts of health articles, magazines, podcasts, products, marketing, you name it! Especially with the increasing interest in health over the recent years, wellness is talked about more than ever. While the word itself is non-uniquely and usually associated with health and health-related topics, the meaning of wellness is unique to everyone. If we were to lit·er·al·ly define wellness, it could be said that it’s the active/conscious process of choosing life and lifestyle choices that overall fulfill and improve one’s health (emotionally, spiritually and physically). Alternatively, if we were to ask what wellness means to you as an individual, we’d be able to capture a variety of answers.

Why should we care about wellness? Well, a person’s level of wellness affects everything in their life. Wellness is directly related to health, stress, mentality, emotions and so on, so if any one of these components are out of balance, it affects your well-being. By  achieving optimal levels of wellness in your life, what subsequently increases will be your energy, productivity, gratitude and health. The journey to maintaining and acquiring wellness is a cycle!

Here’s what wellness means to me:

  • Finding self love and self care. Listening to what my body needs. 
  • Taking purposeful breaths to remind myself to de-stress, stay calm and refresh.
  • Finding gratitude in people, the daily things and the little things.
  • Allowing myself to love deeply and be loved. 
  • Being goofy and not caring what others think. 
  • Maintaining work-life-family-friends balance.
  • Nourishing my body with nutrient-dense foods regularly, but also being okay with eating some not-so-healthy foods/treats in moderation. 
  • Getting adequate rest and waking up energized. Slowing down and taking a power-nap when I need to. 
  • Remembering my purpose as a wife, daughter, sister, friend, professional. 
  • Accepting, reflecting and learning from the past. Looking forward to the future. 
  • Planning ahead, but also accepting the unknown’s in the future.
  • Financially preparing for today, tomorrow and the future, but also reminding myself that money does not bring happiness. 
  • Appreciating nature; taking the time of admire the beauty and its amazing scents. 
  • Taking mindful breaths; enjoying fresh air.
  • Smiling and laughing like crazy, and not caring how silly I look. 

So, if you have a few minutes, take some time to reflect on what wellness means to you.

self care

Top 5 self care tips

Happy new year, everyone! I still cannot believe how fast last year flew by. Nonetheless, it was a year filled with learning, good memories, new friends, new experiences and new ways to take care of myself! As busy as each of us may become in the year, don’t forget to take time for yourself. Remember, we make time for things that matter. You, being the most important person, should be made a priority. Here are some self care tips. Cheers to 2018!

  1. Feed your body with the proper nutrition to keep it healthy, energized and feeling good. Incorporate more lean sources of protein and whole foods into your diet. Choose foods that have gone through zero to minimal processing and basically still look like what they did when they were first harvested. Focus on adding tons of vibrant, colors to your diet. No, I’m not talking about food dye. I’m talking about trying a variety of fruits and vegetables because each fruit or vegetable with their own unique color brings their own unique set of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants.
  2. Hydrate yourself with low to no calorie drinks wherever you go. Plain ol’ water is always a good choice for hydration, but if you’re not too crazy about its plainness, then try sparkling water (look for ones without sodium added). You could also spruce up plain water with some cut fruits and vegetables to make it a tasty, infused water. Get yourself BPA-free reusable bottle for convenient access.
  3. Schedule yourself at least 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Whoever said sleep is overrated is not truly practicing self care. When you sleep, your body has the opportunity to rest. During the day, you’re walking, running, thinking, stressing…whatever it may be, your body works hard for you day in and day out, so make it a priority to let it rest and rejuvenate.
  4. Squeeze in physical activity into your daily routine. Whether you schedule time to hit the gym or a fitness class, or maybe you are a busy mother without much free time, try to use usual routines in your day as an exercise platform. For example, take the stairs rather than the elevator, purposely park further away to get in more walking steps, do stretches while waiting, practice chair exercises if you have a desk job. These are a few suggestions and there are still way more out! Be creative and make sure to not stop moving.
  5. Take care of your skin with proper cleaning, moisturizing and sun protection. If you wear makeup, don’t forget to remove it before you go to bed. This will free your pores, let it breathe and prevent breakouts. There are plenty of skin regimens out there and if you find one that interests you, make sure you stick to it for a period of time (consider 4-6 weeks) before switching to something else. Your skin needs time to adjust, so results may not happen immediately.