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As complex and unique individuals, understanding the relationship of mental and physical health is important to overall health and well-being.

Mental and physical health are interconnected. Both can be improved-or harmed-by how our bodies are cared for.

People affected by mental illness often face the additional burden of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. These serious, chronic conditions intensify mental health symptoms, worsen quality of life, and shorten life expectancy.

Regardless of whether you're managing a serious mental illness, experiencing symptoms of stress, or simply seeking ways to improve your health, there is one theme that is true for everyone:

Mental Health is Physical Health

Whatever your goals are, effective strategies can help you achieve them.

Advocate for your health: You're the team leader in your care.

Stay ahead of health concerns: Listen to your body and get regular check-ups.

Communicate with your treatment team: Talk about medications, treatment options, and how you're feeling.

Know your tools: Use food and physical activity to help manage your symptoms, and to prevent or improve chronic conditions. Avoid self-medicating with harmful substances.

Make the connection: Get others involved. Talk to your family and friends about ways to connect, and achieve mental and physical health goals together.

NAMI envisions a world where people with mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives. NAMI Hearts+Minds was developed to help you live a healthy and fulfilling life.

You are not alone.

User Tools

Additional Resources

Guides on Metabolic Syndrome and Related Conditions

A Guide to Metabolic Syndrome from Johns Hopkins Hospital. This informational guide answers your questions on metabolic syndrome, including what causes it. Learn about risk, symptoms, lifestyle and treatment options.

ABC's for Heart Health (4 Pasos Adelante). From the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, this fact sheet provides information on the basics of heart health. Learn about when aspirin is appropriate, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, and how to stop smoking. Available in English and Spanish.

American Heart Association. The American Heart Association's mission is "to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives." An array of resources and education are offered on heart health and managing heart disease.

Endocrine Society. The Endocrine Society provides research, education and advocacy in the field of endocrinology. This website shares information on endocrine-related diseases and conditions, hormones and the endocrine system, and a searchable database to find an endocrinologist near you.

Heart Disease. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a comprehensive overview of heart disease, including culturally-specific information on heart health and risk factors.

Health Monitoring Tools

Athelas One. This remote health monitoring tool tests white blood cell counts and absolute neutrophil counts, and sends results directly to a physician. For those taking medications and managing serious mental illness, this is a convenient way to consistently monitor metabolic health.

Life's Essential 8. An interactive online tool from the American Heart Association to assess and track the 'Essential 8' risk factors of cardiovascular health. Users will find tips to: (1) manage blood pressure, (2) control cholesterol, (3) reduce blood sugar, (4) get active, (5) eat better, (6) lose weight, (7) stop smoking, and (8) get healthy sleep.

Heart Disease Risk Calculator. Use this interactive tool to learn more about your risk for heart disease.

Simple Tips To Improve Your Health

3 kinds of exercise that boost heart health. This article from Johns Hopkins Medicine discusses types of exercise, examples of each, and their effects on the body: aerobic, strength, and stretching.

10 small steps for better heart health. Harvard Health details 10 tips for those diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, those with serious mental illness, or anyone who wants to improve their cardiovascular health.

DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Learn how to use your diet to promote heart health, lower blood pressure, and reduce cholesterol. Find tips on foods to include or avoid, and accurate information on serving sizes.

Other Health and Wellness Resources

The American Music Therapy Association offers information and downloadable resources for how music can improve mental health, chronic pain and other conditions.

Experience the music of world class symphony orchestras, with streamed performances, blogs and other musical content:

Rural Minds is an organization that helps provide resources and information specific to rural populations across the country.

Soundscapes and Meditations

Take a few minutes to practice mindfulness and focused relaxation.

Body

Breath

Appreciation

Resilience

Community

Environment

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As complex and unique individuals, understanding the relationship of mental and physical health is important to overall health and well-being. Mental and physical health are interconnected. Both can be improved-or harmed-by how our bodies are cared for. People affected by mental illness often face the additional burden of cardiovascular and metabolic disease.

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"Our way of relating to food in contemporary culture has been twisted by fear, unmet needs for love, and the need to control. In this brilliant and groundbreaking book, you'll discover a powerful way to let go of "dieting" and awaken an intimate, intuitive connection with your body, mind, and spirit." Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

"With great insight and compassion, Heidi offers a way out of the common struggle with diet and weight. She supports her "10 steps" with a compelling blend of professional experience, personal experience, and scientific evidence that addresses not only our relationship with food but also our deep need for self-acceptance and a way of life that nurtures mind, body, and soul. Bravo!" Susan Kano, author of Making Peace with Food

"If you're looking for a book that will help you feel more sane and comfortable around food while learning to eat more nutritiously, Nourish is an excellent choice. Heidi provides a blend of her personal recovery experience and professional and clinical wisdom that will guide you well on the road to recovery." Karen R. Koenig, MEd, LCSW, author of seven books on improving eating and self-care

" Heidi guides people to stop relentlessly trying again and again without experiencing change. This book offers a motivating, realistic lens to change how you listen to your hunger (physically and emotionally) and to make choices that bring peace and nourishment. Nourish is like no other book I've read, and it is a gift to the health field and the world in general. Bravo." Hannah Saxe, LICSW, Therapist and Eating Disorder Specialist

"Nourish is the much-needed book that integrates the science of nutrition with holistic and attuned self-care. Heidi provides practical guidance on how to eat but within the context of intuitive self-knowledge. This is literally the only nutrition book I feel safe recommending to my clients. Thank you, Heidi!" Marci Evans, MS, CEDRD-S, LDN, cPT, Food and Body Image Healer; eating disorders expert

"I have read so many books on food, diet, and health, and I finally feel I can stop. Heidi's book reminds us that we are all unique and that, instead of looking for the "right" way to eat from the experts, all of the answers are actually inside ourselves. Our bodies know. This book is filled with great advice, real stories, and examples. Ultimately, Heidi is a reassuring guide, helping us find our way back to natural, healthy, intuitive eating" Ingrid Kelada, psychologist and author of 21 Days to Happiness

"Heidi has met the challenge of putting her nutrition-counseling techniques into written form, allowing the ripples of her work to spread far beyond those lucky individuals who get to meet with her in person." Jessica Setnick, MS, RD, CEDRD, author of The Eating Disorders Clinical Pocket Guide and Eating Disorders Boot Camp

"This is a must-read for anyone working with people struggling with eating disorders or disordered eating. Heidi's own personal experience and honest examination of this topic are inspiring and very hopeful. So many of her statements about recovery will stick with me forever. Heidi walks people through the process of recovery in a non-critical manner and does this with ease. This book was a joy to read, and I will be recommending it to all of my clients." Beth Mayer, LICSW, Executive Director of MEDA, The Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association

Heidi Schauster, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S is a writer, nutrition therapist, and educator who focuses on eating disorders recovery, whole-self-wellness, and embodiment for all. She is the founder of Nourishing Words Nutrition Therapy in Boston, Massachusetts and has been working in the field of eating disorders for 25 years. Heidi is graduate faculty in the Eating Disorders Institute at Plymouth State University, a Health-at-Every-Size (HAES) advocate, and facilitator of the No Diet Book Clubs. She provides in-person and virtual counseling and clinical consultation for registered dietitians treating disordered eating. Heidi is author of the award-winning book Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Self. She is also a lifelong dancer, side-hustle stilt performer, bumbling gardener, and the proud mama of two outrageous teenagers. Heidi enjoys most food that is lovingly and consciously prepared, especially if it's followed by a dish-washing dance party.Join her mailing list at anourishingword.com or follow her on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook: @nourishingwords.

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Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body, and Self

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"Food is Love (But Don't Eat Too Much!)" Eat less. Eat clean. Avoid these foods. Eating is a life-giving pleasure, but confusing messages from the diet and nutrition industries may leave you wondering what to eat. Do you find yourself: Eating food that doesn't nourish or energize you? Munching mi...

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This article was written by Nicole McCray and provided to Minimalism Co to publish. You can learn more about Nicole at the end of the article.

Self-care looks different for everyone. But one thing that we can all agree on is that self-care is about nourishment- mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Nutrition is the foundation of good health. Sadly, our diet culture has programmed us to think of food as the enemy, but in reality, it's the ultimate form of nourishment for the mind and body.

Proper nutrition plays a vital role in your ability to thrive and prioritizing it is making an investment in yourself. If you're looking for a place to start with self-care, consider starting by changing the way you think about food and nutrition.

Why Nutrition is a Part of Mental and Physical Self-Care

When we talk about good nutrition, we're not talking about dieting or depriving yourself of the foods you love. In fact, sticking to a strict diet tends to be the exact opposite of good nutrition and self-care.

Self-care through good nutrition is about nurturing your body by providing it with the raw materials it needs to stay healthy every day, both mentally and physically.

For example, when you don't eat, your body becomes deprived of glucose, resulting in fatigue, headaches, low energy, and an inability to focus.

Nutrition also plays a vital role in the body's ability to create hormones that control our moods. When your cells aren't getting the fuel they need, you might feel irritated, depressed, anxious, or stressed.

And, just as important to self-care, food brings you pleasure. It's meant to be enjoyed and it can provide satisfaction and even comfort.

If you find yourself eating something unhealthy when you're feeling down, don't be too hard on yourself. Self-compassion is also a form of self-care and that may be what you really need in that moment.

When you nourish yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally with good food and nutrition, it's the ultimate form of self-care.

How to Practice Good Nutrition and Self-Care

Many of us equate self-care with exercise, reading a good book, or practicing a good skincare routine. But those aren't the only ways to practice self-care. Here's how you can practice self-care with good nutrition.

Take a Multivitamin Every Day

Taking multivitamins every day is an easy way to practice self-care. Nutrient deficiencies are more common than you might think, and they can have a major impact on how you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally every day.

For example, B-12 deficiency is quite common, especially in those who eat a plant-based diet. Every cell in your body needs B-12 to function optimally and it's essential for brain and nerve function. Magnesium deficiency can contribute to diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more. And vitamin D deficiency may lead to bone loss, muscle weakness, and a weakened immune system.

Although you could technically get all of your nutrients from your diet, many of us don't eat as well as we should every single day. Taking a multivitamin is an easy way to ensure that all of your bases are covered.

That said, all multivitamins are not created equal. According to nutrition experts at SmartyPants organic vitamins, you should always choose "100% natural supplements in their most bioavailable forms."

Avoid any product that contains cheap fillers or synthetic ingredients to ensure that you're nourishing your body, rather than taking in something that might be harmful.

Practice Mindful Eating

Let's be real. Most of us make a habit of eating in front of the computer, the television, or with a smartphone in hand. When was the last time you really paid attention to what you were eating, or who you were eating it with?

Eating mindfully in an environment that's free of distractions and focusing on the food and people you're enjoying your meal with promotes a more nurturing experience. You're more likely to take your time with your food and recognize when you're full so you don't overeat.

Eating more slowly and mindfully also improves your digestion, which means you'll absorb the nutrients in your food more efficiently.

So, why not make your meals part of your self-care routine? Light a candle, listen to some soft music, and enjoy the peaceful solitude or some good company. Slow down, take a breath, and nurture your mind and body.

Prioritize a Balanced Diet

Self-care is about balance, and good nutrition is part of that equation. Instead of depriving yourself of certain foods, prioritize balance in your meals.

It's important to include a wide variety of foods in your diet because some have nutrients that boost the mood, others provide energy, some help to balance your hormones, and others promote healthy sleep.

There is no one specific superfood that's going to give you everything you need. So, eat those healthy fats, complex carbs, lean protein, and colorful fruits and veggies to nurture your mind and body.

Go ahead and have a scoop or two of ice cream but be sure to balance it later with some healthy fruit, nuts, or leafy green vegetables. You'll notice fewer cravings and you'll feel more fulfilled after your meals.

Eat When You're Hungry

Eating when you're hungry is an essential part of good nutrition and self-care. It keeps your blood sugar stable, which means you'll have more energy, better mental focus, and you'll feel more emotionally stable throughout the day.

In fact, even the simple act of preparing your food can be meditative and relaxing. Eating a nourishing and nutritious meal is the ultimate form of self-care. Recognize your hunger and honor yourself by respecting it. Listen to your body when it tells you it's time to eat.

Limit Sugar and Refined Carbs

While balance is important and you should never deprive yourself of the foods you love, there are a lot of negative health effects associated with sugar and refined carbs.

Not only do they contribute to unhealthy weight gain, but they may also be a key factor in depression, heart disease, and possibly even cancer.

That means limiting sugar and refined carbs are important for self-care, so enjoy them only in moderation. Better yet, instead of automatically reaching for that cookie, consider whether there's a healthy alternative that would satisfy your craving for something sweet, such as fruit or dark chocolate.

And when you're craving carbs, focus on healthy, complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables. That way you'll be satisfying your carb craving and nourishing your body at the same time.

Nurture Your Gut

Your gut is full of tiny microorganisms that play a major role in your mental and physical health, particularly your moods and immune function. And, when your gut is healthy, you can absorb nutrients from your food more efficiently, which affects every system in the body.

Nurture your gut health by eating more prebiotic foods, like garlic and onions, which feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. And be sure to include plenty of probiotic foods daily, such as kimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut, to introduce new healthy bacteria into your system.

The Bottom Line

It's time to start thinking of food and nutrition as nourishment and fuel for your body. Remember, it's all about finding balance. Don't beat yourself up for having a slice of cake now and then, just be sure you're eating a variety of healthy foods to balance it out.
Author Bio
Image Credit: The Creative Exchange on Unsplash

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How and Why Nutrition and Self-Care Go Hand-in-Hand - Minimalism

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This article was written by Nicole McCray and provided to Minimalism Co to publish. You can learn more about Nicole at the end of the article. Self-care looks different for everyone. But one thing that we can all agree on is that self-care is about nourishment- mentally, physically, and emotionally.

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Children’s bedtime: Tips for a good sleep routine

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One-third of Americans don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, according to the CDC. If you're one of them, creating a bedtime routine is one of the easiest steps you can take to enjoy better sleep. Bedtime routines are a simple lifestyle change that can help your mind and body relax before bed.

What Is a Bedtime Routine?

A bedtime routine is a set of activities you perform in the same order, every night, in the 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed. Bedtime routines can vary, but often include calming activities like taking a warm bath, reading, journaling, or meditation.

Why Are Bedtime Routines Important?

Humans are creatures of habit. Like any other routine, bedtime routines establish habits that help our brains recognize when it's time to sleep. By performing the same activities in the same order every night, your brain comes to see those activities as a precursor to sleep.

Bedtime routines also play an important role in reducing late-night stress and anxiety - the kind of worrisome thoughts that keep you up at night. Anxious thoughts and rumination activate your mind and sympathetic nervous system. Left unchecked, these thoughts can intensify and develop into insomnia. By following a bedtime routine, you can keep your mind focused on other tasks and encourage yourself to relax instead.

The importance of bedtime routines stems back as far as childhood. All on its own, a consistent bedtime routine has shown to relieve cranky infants and their parents, helping children fall asleep faster and wake up less frequently during the night.

Bedtime routines help children connect with their natural circadian rhythms, learn how to calm themselves down, and practice healthy habits that promote good sleep. Bedtime routines have also been found to have profoundly positive impacts in other areas of children's lives, including better memory, mental health, and attention.

But bedtime routines for adults are just as important. Bedtime routines help your brain separate the day from the night, clear your mind and body of the day's stresses, and relax into sleep.

What Is a Good Bedtime Routine For Adults?

Ready to dream up your ideal bedtime routine? Try these ten ideas.

1. Decide on a Set Bedtime.

As part of your natural sleep-wake cycle, your brain starts winding down for sleep a few hours before bedtime. You can use your bedtime routine to make that process more effective. First, decide on your bed- and wake-up times, and stick to them every day. Following a consistent sleep routine helps train your brain to naturally feel tired when it's bedtime.

Next, schedule a time to begin your bedtime routine every night, anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours before bed. Set an alarm if you need to.

2. Leave the Electronics Alone.

Despite what you may think, your favorite Netflix show does not help you relax, nor does scrolling on Instagram. Electronic devices, including computers, televisions, smartphones, and tablets, all emit strong blue light. When you use these devices, that blue light floods your brain, tricking it into thinking it's daytime. As a result, your brain suppresses melatonin production and works to stay awake.

Don't play tricks on your brain. Say goodnight to your electronics at the beginning of your bedtime routine. If you can, avoid using electronics in the evening as much as possible. Be sure to turn on your phone's red-light filter well before your bedtime routine even begins, so if you accidentally look at it, it won't be as disruptive.

3. Have a Light Snack or Bedtime Tea.

Heavy meals and drinking before bed can lead to indigestion, acid reflux, and middle-of-the-night restroom trips that disrupt your sleep. However, going to bed hungry can also upset your stomach and make it hard to fall asleep.

Find a healthy middle ground by calming your stomach with a light snack, like a piece of fruit or yogurt. Cherries, grapes, strawberries, nuts, and oats all have high melatonin content. Non-caffeinated herbal teas, especially ones with chamomile or lavender, are another nice way to calm the mind and induce sleep. Just make sure to use the restroom before bed!

4. Take a Warm Bath.

As part of your sleep-wake cycle, your body experiences various hormonal changes throughout the day. One of these is melatonin production, which begins in the evening to prepare you for sleep. At the same time, your core body temperature drops.

Scientists have found that mimicking that nighttime drop in body temperature via a warm bath can trigger a similarly sleepy reaction. Consider taking a warm bath about an hour before you go to sleep. Your body will heat up from the water, and cool down quickly as the water evaporates, creating a sensation that makes you feel tired and relaxed.

5. Listen to Music.

62 percent of people listen to music to help them sleep. The genre isn't important, so long as the music relaxes you. Close your eyes, listen to the music, and let it distract you from your worries and calm you down.

Other types of audio can be good for sleep too, like ambient sounds and white or pink noise. Pink noise, like rain or waves, has been shown to improve sleep quality, while white noise may help you fall asleep faster by masking other sounds. You can find playlists for different types of white noise on Spotify and smart home devices like Alexa.

6. Stretch, Breathe, and Relax.

Relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) can allow you to let go of physical and mental tension, by instead focusing on your body and mindfully relaxing. A daily yoga routine has been shown to improve sleep quality, and a few simple stretches or massage before bed can prevent cramping.

Some light yoga, stretching, and breathing exercises can go a long way toward relaxing you into sleep. See what works for you and add it to your bedtime routine.

7. Practice Meditation.

Like yoga, a regular meditation practice can improve your sleep quality. Mindfulness meditation teaches people to allow their thoughts and manage emotions, enabling sleep onset, rather than stressing about not falling asleep.

You can practice mindfulness meditation by simply closing your eyes and allowing yourself to focus on your thoughts and feelings. Observe your thoughts, but don't judge them. Deep breathing and visualization are other forms of meditation. You can find many guided meditation exercises for free on smartphone apps or YouTube.

8. Read a Good Book.

Reading is a common bedtime routine that begins in childhood. Parents often read to their children as part of a bedtime routine.

When incorporating reading into your bedtime routine as an adult, stay away from exciting genres like suspense and action. A book with a plot that's drama-free, even boring, can be best.

9. Write Down a To-Do List or Journal.

Many people find it restorative to journal, and doing so in the evening lets them sort out their thoughts and feelings before going to bed.

If the idea of journaling overwhelms you, consider starting with a simple to-do list. One study found that taking 5 minutes before bed to jot down a quick to-do list of tasks that needed to be done in the following days significantly sped up sleep onset.

10. Prep Your Bedroom.

Dedicate part of your bedtime routine to transforming your bedroom into a sleep oasis. Make a ritual out of making things as cool, dark, and quiet as possible.

Set the thermostat to somewhere between 60 to 71 Fahrenheit. Turn off any noisy electronics. Dim the lights and pull down your blackout curtains. Put things away and remove clutter. Enjoy your favorite scent with an aromatherapy diffuser.

Now, for the final piece of your bedtime routine: getting into bed. Make this the very last thing you do, and once your head hits the pillow, don't do anything else other than try to fall asleep. You want your brain to see your bed as a place of slumber, and that's all.

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How to Build a Better Bedtime Routine for Adults | Sleep Foundation

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One-third of Americans don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, according to the CDC. If you're one of them, creating a bedtime routine is one of the easiest steps you can take to enjoy better sleep. Bedtime routines are a simple lifestyle change that can help your mind and body relax before bed.

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We explain mindfulness exercises, including mindful eating, body scan and meditation. Read our tips for getting the most from mindfulness exercises.

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Practicing Self-Care Helped People Sleep Better

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Practicing Self-Care Helped People Sleep Better

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Key Takeaways

A study from Germany found practicing self-care helped people sleep better during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chronic stress may cause people to develop sleep issues, especially for women.

Engaging in some self-care, like journaling or making time for rest, can improve your sleep.

Early on in the pandemic, many struggled with sleep and found themselves tossing and turning into the early morning. But what helped those who were able to get some rest? Researchers say practicing self-care may have something to do with it.

A study from Germany suggests that self-care and remaining positive helped people sleep better amid the COVID-19 pandemic's many stressors early on.

Just under 1,000 participants in Germany answered a questionnaire about their sleep habits during the first lockdown period, which began in March 2020, and afterward. The study was published in the Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being journal in early June.

High Levels of Stress Led to Poor Sleep Quality

The participants answered questions about the following subjects to gage their relationship between stress and sleep:

Overall sleep quality

Changes in sleep variables

Positive affect and self-care

Stress levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Self-care behaviors were measured using the Hamburg Self-Care Questionnaire, which asks participants about their specific mindful behaviors. Some questions ask participants to measure if they have allowed themselves times of rest and relaxation or if they've arranged their day in a way that makes them feel good.

People reported experiencing higher levels of stress during COVID-19 due to restrictions, fear that other people will contract COVID-19, reports from the media, uncertain economic development, and more.

The researchers found that "higher COVID-19-related stress was associated with lower self-care, positive affect, and poorer overall sleep quality."

What is Positive Affect?

"Positive affect" is a person's ability to experience positive emotions and interact with others and challenges in a positive way.

Women experienced higher levels of stress, lower overall sleep quality, and higher positive affect. People in relationships had a better sleep quality, as did those with higher levels of education.﻿﻿

"I think the findings of this study make a lot of sense," Nicole Avena, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai Medical School, tells Verywell. Avena was not involved with the study. "I think that a positive mindset and behaviors that promote self-care would help with stress and therefore, help with sleep."

How Stress Affects Women's Sleep

Previous research demonstrates that chronic stress can interfere with women's sleep, especially for middle-aged women.

A 2015 study published in the Sleep journal found that life stressors over a 9-year period resulted in a range of sleep disturbances for middle-aged women, affecting their sleep quality.

"Women characterized by high chronic stress profiles had lower subjective sleep quality, were more likely to report insomnia," the researchers wrote. Higher levels of stress had a greater impact on sleep than moderate levels of chronic stress.﻿﻿

Avena says that the way women process and express emotions could also impact their stress levels, and in relation to that, their sleep.

"It is theorized that women may possibly experience and express more emotions than men due to the different social roles that women take on," Avena says. "Women may have been more likely to admit that they were having sleep issues or were stressed about the pandemic."

How to Improve Your Sleep

Self-care can help people manage many different parts of their health, even beyond sleep. For example, a 2020 study found that spiritual self-care practices helped improve quality of life for stroke survivors.

While more research needs to be done to further demonstrate the cause and effect between self-care during times of increased stress and better sleep, engaging in self-care practices could be helpful.

"As I tell my patients, sometimes we are not sure of the causality, but certainly implementing positive behaviors, including self-care, would always be of benefit to the patient," Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, tells Verywell.

Self-Care Measures You Can Take

Self-care to improve sleep, just like other forms of self-care, is not one size fits all. Avena recommends that people tune into their emotions to help manage their stress levels.

"Keeping a journal and writing down how you may be feeling on a specific day, or what you may be thinking could help you become more aware of your emotional and mental state," Avena says. "It is important to understand that self-care does not have a cookie-cutter definition."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that people keep a sleep diary if they want to develop better sleep habits. They recommend documenting your sleep schedule, as well as substances you may consume like medication or alcohol.

"Exercise, time with friends and family, as much as possible with COVID restrictions, meditation, eating healthy, and having downtime away from work are all beneficial habits," Dimitriu says.

When You Should See a Doctor

Brushing off not sleeping well because of added stress can be easy. However, if sleep interferes with someone's life, seeing a doctor is a good step.

"Whenever sleep issues begin to impact daily functioning, it's time to get help," Dimitriu says. "The same is true for stress. Many patients often ask me about stress and anxiety, 'When is it a problem?' The answer is, when it gets in the way of life, work, love, or sleep."

What This Means For You

In addition to self-care, there are other steps that people can take to address insomnia and other sleep disturbances during periods of high or low stress. The CDC recommends that you set a specific time to go to bed and wake up each day. You should also create a good sleeping environment by making sure your room is dark and relaxing around bedtime.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.

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Practicing Self-Care Helped People Sleep Better Early on in the Pandemic

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A study from Germany found practicing self-care helped people sleep better during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chronic stress may cause people to develop sleep issues, especially for women. Engaging in some self-care, like journaling or making time for rest, can improve your sleep.

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Seleni - Maternal Mental Health Institute

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Truly easy ways to pay more attention to what's happening right now

Mindfulness is a major buzzword these days, representing a state of living in the moment that many of us aspire to even as we berate ourselves for spacing out, forgetting something, or wasting time on our phones. We tend to think of mindfulness as a difficult pursuit requiring time, commitment, and maybe even new clothing or a special cushion. But none of that is necessary. Mindfulness is possible for all of us, even if we can't take two weeks off for a silent retreat.

The first step is to understand what's meant by mindfulness: It's about choosing to pay attention to the present moment in a curious and nonjudgmental way. Mindfulness calls on us to notice when our thoughts have drifted to the past or wandered into the future, and when we are regretting, fantasizing, or worrying rather than engaging with what is right in front of us. Each time we are able to step away from the pinball game in our mind and focus on the present, we give ourselves the best possible chance to make the best possible choice, whatever that may be.

And the best thing? When we (inevitably) forget to pay attention, it doesn't mean we've failed. There is no way to fail at mindfulness, which is one of its many gifts. What it does mean is that we have another chance to step back into the present moment, but only if we notice that our mind has wandered in the first place.

The most effective way to get better at noticing when you've left the present moment is to practice mindfulness in small ways as often as you can. Here are six simple tips to get you started:

Start when it's easy. Many people get interested in mindfulness as a way to deal with stress or difficult situations, and this is a great idea. However, trying to be mindful for the first time in the middle of a crisis is a lot like trying to score the game-winning goal when you've never gone to a single practice. Don't make it harder for yourself! Start with the pleasant moments, and you'll be ready to deal with life's challenges when they come your way.

Pay attention to something you do every day. A great way to start is to pick one or two activities you do every day - such as brushing your teeth, riding the bus to work, or reading a book to your children at bedtime - and get in the habit of paying attention to what you're doing. Your mind will wander, possibly within a few seconds, but don't sweat it. Just bring your attention back to your teeth or the book.

Approach situations with curiosity. If you're not sure how to respond to a situation, or if you're feeling frustrated in ways that aren't helpful, try getting curious about what is happening instead. You can't be angry and interested at the same time. It just doesn't work that way. Not only will your curiosity help you get out of a difficult headspace, but it will likely help you gain a little more clarity so you can make the most informed choice about how to move forward.

Remember the four T's. Those stand for: transitions, teatime, toilet, and telephone. I've expanded on this idea from Meena Srinivasan, author of Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom. Each time you are moving from one activity to the next, drinking tea or coffee, using the bathroom, or checking your phone, take a couple deep breaths and come back to the present moment.

Breathe whenever you can. Breathing is a key mindfulness practice because it is something we always do out of necessity, and it's also a good way to bring our awareness back to the here and now. Taking three or four deep breaths (and paying attention to them) at any given moment can help you calm down and focus.

Ground yourself physically. If concentrating on your breathing isn't quite enough, sit down and notice how the chair feels under your body. Put your hands flat on the counter or a table, and notice how the hard, cool surface feels. Keep a small stone handy and run your fingers across it. These and similar actions will bring your awareness into the present.

As you practice moments of mindfulness on a regular basis, you will notice that they come more naturally and easily to you. You'll be more likely to slow down at critical moments in the day, and you'll find it much easier to take a few deep breaths so you can respond thoughtfully rather than react hastily to a fussy child or difficult colleague.

Don't get me wrong - you'll still forget to be mindful more often than you'd like, and you'll still have moments that you wish you had handled differently. But you'll also be able to get back on track more quickly and let go more easily than before.
Here are a few of my favorite mindfulness resources:
Books
* Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program by Sharon Salzberg
* 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works - A True Story by Dan Harris
* Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment - and Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

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6 Simple Steps to Being More Mindful - Seleni - Maternal Mental Health Institute

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Mindfulness is a major buzzword these days, representing a state of living in the moment that many of us aspire to even as we berate ourselves for spacing out, forgetting something, or wasting time on our phones. We tend to think of mindfulness as a difficult pursuit requiring time, commitment, and maybe even new clothing or a special cushion.

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Physical self-care includes basic nutrition, hydration, and exercise practices. A healthy body responds to the unavoidable stress in life better than an unhealthy body (Davis et al. 2008 ). Nutrition and hydration self-care practices include eating a healthy amount of nourishing foods and engaging…

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Physical self-care is often what comes to mind when thinking about self-care. Keep reading to learn what physical self-care really means and how it relates to spiritual and emotional self-care.

If you're ready to dip your toes into the world of self-care, physical self-care is a great place to start. In fact, you are probably practicing physical self-care without even realizing it in one way or another.

A holistic self-care practice for wellbeing

Before we dive into physical self-care, it's important to address one thing. When we begin a self-care journey, it's easy to fall into the belief that self-care is a lavish and exclusive lifestyle left only for those with enough time on their calendar for a weekly massage. But, I'm here to say - that's not true.

Self-care focuses on tending to our needs through physical self-care, emotional self-care, and spiritual self-care.

When we combine these three different types of self-care, we are setting ourselves up for a life that feels satisfying and grounded. We begin to feel cared for by ourselves and don't rely on others to fill up our cup. It's a beautiful gift to feel content and full on our own, allowing us to give our love freely to others as they deserve.

What is physical self-care?

If you're curious about the idea of physical self-care but aren't really sure what it means, don't worry. It's a pretty straightforward concept and is one of the most well-known forms of self-care.

Physical self-care is any positive action we take to care for our physical body and its needs.
Carley Schweet

Physical self-care includes - but isn't limited to - the food we eat, how much water we drink, going to doctor's appointments, moving our body, and getting enough sleep. Physical self-care can also look like having a skincare routine, taking a hot bath, and getting outside in nature.

Keep in mind; there is a difference between physical self-care and basic hygiene. While things like brushing your teeth and taking a shower may feel like physical self-care, they are basic hygiene practices and something everyone should make time for in their day, no matter how busy they feel.

Five physical self-care ideas to try today

If you're curious about how to begin your physical self-care journey, I'm sharing five ways to help you get started. If you feel like you don't have enough time for yourself, I challenge you to start small and start where you can, all while remembering that self-care isn't selfish.

1. Eat nutrient-dense foods

I like to think that food is a powerful form of self-care. It's a lot of small decisions throughout the day that all have the power to make me feel my best.

Keep in mind; the word "best" is subjective depending on who you are and your nutritional needs. For some, feeling your best looks like maintaining healthy blood sugar, and for others, it looks like eating enough protein throughout the day.

Eating well doesn't mean that you have to become a total health nut, but adding some leafy greens, high-quality protein, and healthy fats can make a drastic difference in your day. Also, I've found that the mindset of "how can I add more vegetables to this meal?" is a great way to get as many nutrients as you can throughout the day without added pressure.

Something important to keep in mind - healthy fats are your friend. Some quick and natural sources are avocados, extra virgin olive oil, salmon, flax, and chia seeds.

If you choose to fuel yourself with food that makes you feel nourished and taken care of 80% of the time, the other 20% you can enjoy life's treats without any guilt or frustration. Eating well doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing mindset, nor is your worth determined by the food you eat.

2. Move your body daily

Getting your blood flowing is a really impactful way to practice physical self-care. When we move our bodies, we release endorphins that help make us feel good. There really are so many benefits of regular exercise - every bit of movement counts!

When I do workouts that made my body feel awesome - horseback riding, pilates, and walking - I enjoy the physical activity so much more. Permitting yourself to let go of workouts that leave you feeling exhausted and burnt-out is, in fact, a form of caring for yourself. I challenge you to find a movement that works for you.

If you want to start working out but haveno ideawhere to get started, check out the tips below:

Go on a 15-minute walk in your neighborhood

Park the car further away than usual and enjoy that walk across the parking lot

Opt for the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator

Find a local gym or studio and sign up for some classes that might interest you

3. Create a peaceful space

By creating a peaceful home, you are giving yourself a calming space to unwind and relax. When you love the space you live in, taking care of yourself doesn't seem stressful because you're not preoccupied with worrying about needless clutter or chaos.

Here are some simple steps to create a zen-like space:

Organize and clean the counter

Open the windows to let in fresh air

Donate items you no longer use

Taking pride in your surroundings can help you fall back in love with what you already have, which is certainly something we need to remember to practice with ourselves.

4. Prioritize quality sleep

Carving out enough time to get as much rest and sleep as possible is an essential physical self-care practice. When we rest, we allow our body to do its natural work like detox, digest our food, and balance our hormones.

Getting enough rest at night is not the only thing you need to consider. Creating space within your busy life to disconnect from the working world and take a breather has the potential to improve your overall wellness.

It's easy to get caught up in the rat race and feel like we have to be onall the time to be productive, but sometimes, being productive means ultimately slowing down.

If you're someone that has trouble getting enough rest, check out this nighttime routine for better sleep.

5. Drink enough water

While it may seem like a trivial act, drinking an adequate amount of water throughout the day can help your mind and body function at their best. When we become dehydrated, we can experience dizziness, headaches, sleepiness, low blood pressure, and more.

Aim to drink 60-80 ounces of water per day or at least half of your body weight. This small act of physical self-care can really pay off and help keep you feeling your best.

More physical self-care ideas

If you're looking for more ideas to help jumpstart your physical self-care routine, I've curated a list of my personal favorite self-care rituals to help you on your journey. Make sure to check out the one on dry brushing - it's one of my favorite practices.

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Five Simple and Fulfilling Physical Self-Care Ideas

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If you're ready to dip your toes into the world of self-care, physical self-care is a great place to start. In fact, you are probably practicing physical self-care without even realizing it in one way or another. Before we dive into physical self-care, it's important to address one thing.

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Cooking As Part of Your Self-Care Routine

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Cooking As Part of Your Self-Care Routine

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Do you find yourself in the kitchen during times of stress or when overwhelmed? Maybe it's not such a bad idea. Sinking your hands into some cooking is a great way to gain emotional resilience and well-being.

Did you know that our brains are designed to feel satisfaction and joy when both physical effort and challenging thought process come together. In other words, you'll be happier when you prepare something.

Engaging the effort-driven rewards circuit

You've probably felt this feeling before when you put together a piece of IKEA furniture on your own, when you finally mastered that complicated step in your cardio dance class, or when you've spent hours preparing a meal to find that it is indeed delicious.

As the areas of the brain that control movement, emotion and thinking are interconnected, doing activities that involve a number of these components fully engages the effort-driven rewards circuit. According to Kelly Lambert, Ph.D., the lack of this effort-reward system in our modern age leads to feelings of dissatisfaction and depression. In her book, Lifting Depression, she states, "Growing, harvesting, hunting, and preparing food have been replaced by driving through pickup windows, sitting down in restaurants, and 'nuking' prepared meals." Therefore, reintroducing simple tasks like cooking and creating (i.e. crafts, gardening, woodworking, art) can make us less stressed, happier and more fulfilled.

Finding peace and happiness in the kitchen

Creating things that are tangible - things you can see, touch and enjoy - lends pleasure and meaning to those who create it. Scientific research confirms that when humans reshape their environments with their hands, it results in dramatic changes in the brain's landscape. So next time, rather than pushing a button to order your meal, why not try cooking?

Cooking or baking will stimulate your brain and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It will also help you prepare for the week ahead (hello, meal prep!) and ensure you stick to your goals and stress less.

Spend your Sunday meal prepping

Stimulate your brain with a meal prep session. It doesn't matter what day you do most of your prep, all that matters is that you do it. We like Sundays because it's a great #SelfCareSunday activity that calms you down before a busy week begins.

We recommend keeping 3-4 days worth of prepared meals in the refrigerator each week. Here are our fav picks for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert too. Search for them in the 8fit app and add them to your weekly meal plan.

Breakfast

Breakfast is one of the easiest (and cheapest) meals to prepare, but we often find ourselves grabbing something unhealthy on our way to work or school. Spend a little time preparing overnight oats or 8fit's Breakfast Egg Muffins on Sundays, so Monday you can wake up, grab them and go.

Lunch/dinner

Prepping lunch and dinner in bigger batches might prevent you from stopping at the drive through window or hot bar on the way home. Find some of our favorites below. Vegetarians can swap chicken and beef for tofu or roasted chickpeas.

Snack

Preparing snacks ahead of time will prevent you from reaching for something unhealthy. In addition to prepping some of the snacks below, make sure you always have fruit on hand and chop your veggies ahead of time.

Dessert

Sometimes, there's nothing more satisfying than baking some sweet treats. Here are 3 of our favorite healthy cookie recipes. Make a big batch to enjoy in moderation during the week or cook them on Sunday and savor with loved ones.

Add these meals to your 8fit app and share the final products with us on social media!

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Food for Thought: Cooking As Part of Your Self-Care Routine | 8fit

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Do you find yourself in the kitchen during times of stress or when overwhelmed? Maybe it's not such a bad idea. Sinking your hands into some cooking is a great way to gain emotional resilience and well-being. Did you know that our brains are designed to feel satisfaction and joy when both physical effort and challenging thought process come together.

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10 Smart Ways To Make Self-Care A Part Of Every Meal

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No matter how fancy or even selfish the term may sound, self-care is crucial for your health. And the best way to incorporate it into your life is to adopt simple self-care habits that you can practice daily. Read on to learn about ten smart eating habits that’ll make you healthier and happier.

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Insomnia self-care: 26 tips for a healthy sleep routine

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Insomnia self-care strategies may help make it easier to go to sleep consistently, without the need for medical treatment. Learn more here.

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Check in and talk about it.

Roxane is here to be a guide on your mental health journey, wherever you're starting. She'll pop up from time to time in your Sanvello home feed to work on ways to check in, show up for yourself, and feel a little better.
Watch a preview

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Sanvello | On-demand help for stress, anxiety, and depression

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Roxane is here to be a guide on your mental health journey, wherever you're starting. She'll pop up from time to time in your Sanvello home feed to work on ways to check in, show up for yourself, and feel a little better. Watch a preview

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Practice your daily meditation and mindfulness exercises from any device.

Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life.

We suggest 10 minutes a day.

What are you waiting for?

DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!

Our App

A daily mindfulness and meditation guide at your fingertips

#1 Apple Health & Wellbeing App 2018 - Australia

Downloaded over 8.3M times

100% evidence based

FREE Programs for children and adults

We suggest 10 minutes a day

What are you waiting for?

DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!

TRY SAYING:

"Hey Google, talk to Smiling Mind"

"Hey Google, do a sleep meditation with Smiling Mind"

"Hey Google, use Smiling Mind to do a relax meditation"

"Hey Google, help me focus with Smiling Mind"

Indigenous Languages Program

We worked with NPY Women's Council to develop a mindfulness program aimed at providing accessible and engaging mental health tools for Aboriginal people of the NPY region. These meditations have been scripted and recorded by senior Anangu women in Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra. Thanks to nib foundation for funding this work.

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Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life. We suggest 10 minutes a day. What are you waiting for?

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Aloe Bud is your self-care companion.

Aloe Bud's self-care pocket companion supports the highly connected human through small daily victories; like taking a breath or a moment to refuel or refresh.

Reminders from yourself, to your future self.

Aloe Bud is your self-care companion.

It's not your parent(s), partner, or friend or a random person on the Internet telling you what to do. Aloe Bud is your future self, reminding you to put your present self first.

Aloe Bud brings awareness to the major activities of daily life, using encouraging push notifications, rather than guilt or shame. Helpful reminders from yourself, to yourself; kept within Aloe Bud so you can do you.

Simple and Effective. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Simple and Effective Aloe Bud is a simple but effective app geared towards improving and managing one's mental health. The breathing activity is automatically included as a pre-set. Breathing exercises have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. They can also act as a way to look inward and be aware of one's breathing patterns. They reduce fight or flight response and improve focus. The app also has activities such as medication reminders. I think this would be very beneficial for anyone who has to take medication for their depression, anxiety, or anything else. It keeps everything relating to your mental health in one place.

Maddie Clark

Motivate

You haven't given up, and we've noticed. Fast or slow, we all grow every day. Keep writing your story, bud!

Breathe

Breathe in for 4.
Hold for 4.
Exhale for 4.
Repeat.
This too shall pass.

Hydrate

Similar to flowers and plants, water helps us grow. Have you watered yourself today? Just like plants, we need water to thrive. Let's hydrate!

People

You are loved and deserve to be here. Reach out and say "Aloe" to a friend or loved one soon.

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Aloe Bud is your self-care companion. Aloe Bud's self-care pocket companion supports the highly connected human through small daily victories; like taking a breath or a moment to refuel or refresh. Download now Reminders from yourself, to your future self. Aloe Bud is your self-care companion.

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We all know how important is for keeping us physically healthy. But did you know that exercise can also help keep you mentally healthy?

Research shows that people who exercise regularly have better mental health and emotional wellbeing, and lower rates of .

Taking up exercise seems to reduce the risk of developing mental illness. It also seems to help in treating some mental health conditions, like and . For example, for mild-moderate depression, research suggests physical activity can be as effective as antidepressants or psychological treatments like . Exercise can also a valuable addition to other treatment options.

Why does exercise make us feel better, mentally?

Often, people who exercise regularly do it simply because it makes them feel good. Exercise can boost your mood, concentration and alertness. It can even help give you a positive outlook on life.

The link between exercise and mental health is complicated. Inactivity can be both a cause and a consequence of mental illness, for example. But there are lots of ways that exercise can benefit your mental health, such as:

The levels of chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, stress hormones and endorphins, change when you exercise.

Regular exercise can help you sleep better. And good sleep helps you manage your mood .

Exercise can improve your sense of control, coping ability and self-esteem. People who exercise regularly often report how good achieving a goal makes them feel.

Exercise can distract you from negative thoughts and provide opportunities to try new experiences.

It offers an opportunity to socialise and get social support if you exercise with others.

Exercise increases your energy levels.

Physical activity can be an outlet for your frustrations.

Exercise can reduce skeletal muscle tension, which helps you feel more relaxed.

The physical benefits of exercise are also important for people with mental illness. It improves your cardiovascular health and overall physical health. This is important because people with mental health issues are at a higher risk of suffering from chronic physical conditions such as , , and .

Exercising for your mental health

If regular exercise is not already a part of your routine, you might be wondering how much you need to do to give your mental health a boost.

The really good news is exercise doesn't have to be strenuous or take a long time. Studies show low or moderate intensity exercise is enough to make a difference in terms of your mood and thinking patterns.

recommend adults should be active most days, aiming for a total of 2.5-5 hours of moderate physical activity per week, such as a brisk walk or swimming. Alternatively, they recommend getting 1.25-2.5 hours of vigorous physical activity per week - such as jogging, fast cycling, or a team sport. Or, you can combine both moderate and vigorous activities.

However, any exercise is better than none. Going for a leisurely walk, or activities like stretching and yoga, can also have huge benefits on your mind and body. Even doing housework like sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming can give you a mild work out.

How to get started with exercise

It can be intimidating to start exercising if you haven't done it in a while, but a plan can help you start and stick with it.

Your new exercise plan has a better chance of success if you:

choose an activity you like, or have enjoyed in the past, that suits your fitness levels and abilities

start small - build up your activity gradually. Ideally, vary your activities so you don't get bored

write your plan in your diary or on your calendar, so it's part of your schedule

regularly revisit your exercise plans, and try something different if it's not working out for you.

Exercise outdoors

For even greater benefits, try exercising outdoors.

Some recent studies have found people report a higher level of vitality, enthusiasm, pleasure and self-esteem, and a lower level of tension, depression and fatigue, after they have walked outside. People who exercise outside also say they are more likely to exercise again than those who stay indoors.

And, people who exercise outside do it more often, and for longer, than those who work out indoors.

How to be more active every day

Make exercise part of your everyday activity. Try walking or cycling instead of using the car. Get off a tram, train or bus a stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. Or spend some time walking your kids to school. Get active around the house by doing some gardening, washing the car or cleaning the windows.

can give you more information. The important thing to remember is to try to move more and sit less every day.

Where to get help

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Research shows that people who exercise regularly have better mental health and emotional wellbeing, and lower rates of mental illness.

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The yoga boom wasn't confined to lockdown, according to a new report.

The collective shift towards embracing a slower pace of life was reflected in our workout choices as lower impact exercises reigned in the homes of thousands of Brits.

Without weights and gym equipment at home, many switched to mat-based modes of fitness.

Even if it was reluctant at first, some of us have come round to it, adopting slowness and gentleness more fully - these things don't have to come at the cost of getting fit.

The pattern is showing in fitness membership brand ClassPass' studies, which revealed their spa and wellness services were up 74% in July 2021, when compared to the same time in 2020.

Classes that focus on 'finding your zen' have also been on the up.

In a move away from high intensity workouts, people are turning to holistic classes that are connected more directly to mental wellbeing.

Yoga, Pilates and stretch classes in particular have been popular, and ClassPass say these types of workouts have 'proven to be effective stress busters'.

These types of workouts can include 'relaxing techniques such as guided breathwork and meditation', making them an experience truly for the body and mind.

Across ClassPass' top 10 booked appointments, in-person yoga takes the second spot while livestream yoga comes in ninth - in fact, people new to ClassPass are most likely to make this exercise their first booking.

How to do Firelog pose for a low-key, self-care workout pose

This trend for self-care is feeding into post-workout after-care too, which people are engaging with and investing in more.

Interest in cryotherapy, used to treat body tissue, has been particularly high in London.

The treatment shocks the senses and encourages lymphatic drainage, reducing inflammation and swelling.

Other treatments with a restorative edge, such as acupuncture and cupping, are also on the rise as they help with muscle recovery and healing.

'Cupping helps to relieve muscle tightness and strengthens the immune system while acupuncture is important for reducing joint pain and inflammation - as well as many other benefits like improving sleep and reducing migraines and menstrual pain,' they say.

No longer opting for a quick half-hearted stretch and leaving it at that, research shows Brits are thinking about their entire workout process more holistically.

For the first time in the brand's history, massage is one of the top 10 reservation types on ClassPass.

The pandemic brought us a mix of weird and wonderful trends - here's one that hopefully sticks.
Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : The typical yoga poses people get wrong - and how to fix them

MORE : Try these hip-opening yoga moves to release stuck emotions and reduce anxiety

MORE : The ultimate beginner's guide to yoga

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What is a self-care workout? Try this one at home

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The yoga boom wasn't confined to lockdown, according to a new report. The collective shift towards embracing a slower pace of life was reflected in our workout choices as lower impact exercises reigned in the homes of thousands of Brits. Without weights and gym equipment at home, many switched to mat-based modes of fitness.

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There are a lot of things in the world that make me sad- especially right now. But one thing that makes me sad and angry is how diet-culture has co-opted exercise/movement and distorted the bejeesus out of it. Here's the truth: so much about American exercise and fitness culture is really disordered.

Using exercise to "burn" or "earn" food isn't healthy. Exercising when you're not adequately nourishing your body is unhealthy, nor is feeling guilty for missing a workout. Pushing through pain or an injury and risking further injury isn't healthy. It actually just puts more stress on the body which- newsflash- doesn't exactly improve health outcomes.

But Rachel, exercise is supposed to be used to maintain a certain weight or physical aesthetic. Can I let you in on a secret? There is so much research that supports that exercise actually has a negligible impact on long-term weight loss/maintenance. Fitness companies don't actually want you to know this though because that would mean they would make less money. And, also newsflash- diet and fitness companies don't actually care about your health. They want your money.

I could do a deep dive into the research on the exercise and weight management relationship but I'm actually not going to. If you want to learn more about that, I highly recommend you read this book. What I want to draw attention to is the fact that our culture has made exercise/movement about appearances and beauty ideals, which I'd argue has made us sicker, not healthier. It is so frustrating to me that it's almost impossible to attend a class at the gym without an instructor making a comment about body size or weight. Why? Because the assumption is that all people are attending that class to get thinner (which- let's just be real- is really just about being more socially acceptable). And honestly, this is so harmful. And has contributed to increased rates of disordered eating/eating disorders/compulsive exercise. Ask any eating disorder therapist you know right now. We all have waitlists.

But this doesn't mean we should just boycott gyms and never move our bodies again. See, we were made to move. I'm very pro-movement. Movement is how our bodies discharge stress, anxiety, and even trauma. Movement has so many benefits that have nothing to do with slimming down or buffing up or toning your arms. The #fitspo hashtag on Instagram is seriously so annoying, parading images of mostly white, thin women, promoting the idea that there is only one healthy or acceptable body size. Which is total BS.

Here are a few benefits of movement that have nothing to do with physical appearance:

Releases endorphins to boost your mood

Helps decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression (*unless you're exercising for self-punishment/from a place of self-hatred. Then you're going to be left with MORE anxiety...)

Boosts feelings of self-esteem / self-competency

Improves sleep

Increases creativity (*seriously, some of my best ideas come to me when I'm walking!)

Reduces the risk of injury

Increases longevity

Increases productivity

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Exercise: Self-Care or Self-Punishment? - Rachel Sellers

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There are a lot of things in the world that make me sad- especially right now. But one thing that makes me sad and angry is how diet-culture has co-opted exercise/movement and distorted the bejeesus out of it.

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What is self-care and why is it important?

Often, we tend to focus our energy outward; we jam-pack our schedules with long work hours, appointments, and activities, and use our spare time to take care of our friends and family. But, when it comes to ourselves, we maintain that we do not have the time to focus inward and struggle to give ourselves a break. Due to this, self-care and how to practice it has become a largely discussed topic. Self-care can be a broad term that incorporates hygiene, nutrition, lifestyle, environmental factors, and socioeconomic factors (1).

While the stress we feel from our daily routines may not immediately impact our health, ignoring our individual needs and not managing the continued strain on our bodies may contribute to health problems in the future. Read: it is important to practice self-care. Self-care can be what people do for themselves to establish and maintain physical, mental, and emotional health, and to prevent and deal with certain illnesses (1). The intent behind self-care is to recognize your own needs and to put your health first, so that you may ultimately be able to help others.

There is no standard for self-care- we all practice self-care in different ways. For some it may be pampering yourself with a trip to the spa, taking a bubble bath at the end of a long day, meditating, checking in with yourself, eating a healthful diet, or engaging in daily exercise. No matter what self-care means to you individually, it is about focusing on yourself and your overall well-being.

Nutrition and self-care

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Often, we tend to focus our energy outward; we jam-pack our schedules with long work hours, appointments, and activities, and use our spare time to take care of our friends and family. But, when it comes to ourselves, we maintain that we do not have the time to focus inward and struggle to give ourselves a break.

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We often hear about the benefits of nutrition as it relates to physical appearance or meeting specific health goals-but what about the relationship between nutrition and brain health, mental health, emotional balance, and more? Considering what you eat and how it can affect all areas of your life can make a big difference in your holistic health.

Is Healthy Eating Self Care?

While face masks and pedicures offer fun times, expand your definition of self care beyond what we put on our bodies to include what we put in them. It only makes sense that what we use to fuel our bodies would have a major effect on our health, our energy levels, our ability to fight disease and illness, and how we show up in our daily lives.

Eating healthy doesn't have to be a chore; it simply takes some exploration to find nutritious foods that you find enjoyable to eat. You can even take it a step further and develop a mindful eating practice, in which you bring aspects of meditation to your meals and take time to listen to your body's response.

Types of Nutrition and Nutrients

Though there are two types of nutrition-autotrophic and heterotrophic-what most people mean when they talk about nutrition are the types of nutrients that you can consume. Read on to learn more about all of these categories!

Autotrophic Nutrition

Autotrophic nutrition refers to the way in which plants and bacteria are able to produce their own food via photosynthesis, a process that uses solar energy to turn something like water into food.

Heterotrophic Nutrition

On the other hand, heterotrophic nutrition refers to everything else-in other words, anything that can't use photosynthesis to produce its own food, placing humans very squarely in this category as heterotrophs.

Macronutrients

In order for our bodies to run properly, we need large amounts of macronutrients. Carbohydrates (sugar, fiber, and starch), fats, and proteins (which are made of amino acids) are all examples of macronutrients and all help give us energy.

Micronutrients

As you might expect from the name, micronutrients are needed in smaller doses than macronutrients. They're still essential in a healthy diet, but not as much of them are needed for sustained health. Examples of micronutrients are potassium, calcium, and magnesium, all of which you can get through food or supplements.

Vitamins and Antioxidants

The last category of nutrients we'll cover includes vitamins, which we also need in small amounts, and antioxidants. Examples of vitamins are the B-complex vitamins and Vitamin D. Antioxidants refer to anything that helps the body get rid of, or fight, free radical damage, which makes them great to include in your regular diet.

Nutrition and Stress: What's the Connection?

Have you ever consumed too much caffeine after lunch and then tossed and turned all night as a result? If so, you know firsthand that stress and eating have a reciprocal relationship; one directly affects the other, and vice versa.

Stress Eating

When you're stressed, this can affect your nutritional choices. Most of us turn to comfort foods-like baked goods, fried foods, or salty snacks-when we're feeling burnt out or overwhelmed. However, making conscious decisions about what to eat can actually help relieve or assuage your stress. Read evidence of the connection between stress and food: eating plenty of fresh, whole foods is associated with lower anxiety, depression, and associated conditions.

Emotional Eating

Emotional eating refers to any dietary choices made at least in part because of an emotional state. Though this is usually understood to be interchangeable with stress eating, emotional eating can involve any feeling. If you celebrate wins, achievements, or feeling good with junk or comfort food, that's also a form of emotional eating with potentially undesirable consequences.

Mindfulness can be helpful with both stress and eating from an emotional place. If you feel a strong urge to reach for a food that you know may not be the healthiest choice, tune in to what's going on with your feelings. Is there a healthier choice you can make, or a different way you can cope with that feeling?

Nutrition and Mental Health: Listen to Your Gut

We mentioned there's research supporting the fact that a healthy diet can lead to lower levels of anxiety and depression. According to Harvard Medical School, what you eat directly influences your brain and mood-pretty powerful stuff! Specifically, studies have shown that following eating routines like the Mediterranean diet (which is full of Omega-3s, nuts, and the like) can lead to that reduction in mental health conditions.

Choosing foods that give you the most bang for your bite (see what we did there?) can have a huge positive impact on your life. Conversely, consuming a lot of not-so-great things like refined sugar can cause inflammation and negatively affect your brain and body processes.

Again, it's important to tune in to your body and pay attention to how certain foods make you feel. You may be surprised to find that your favorite treat causes you to crash a couple of hours later, or that a green juice in the morning perks you up faster than your sugary coffee drink of choice.

Food for Brain Power

So then, if nutrition and brain health are linked, and the foods we choose have a direct impact on all areas of our health-including mental and emotional-what types of foods should we incorporate into our daily diet?

Essentially, steer clear of refined and processed foods and gravitate more toward whole foods. You also may want to spend some time learning how to read food labels. Some people recommend shopping the perimeter of your grocery store to get an idea for what this looks like in practice, as most of the processed stuff is located within the inner aisles.

Below are some of our favorite healthy picks. Look up recipes that include one or more of them so you can get some ideas for how to start experimenting with them.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Berries and dark, leafy greens are both full of antioxidants. And there are so many different types you can choose from. You can even grow your own greens! Try throwing different fruits or a handful of spinach into your morning smoothie, or swap your favorite baked goods for some fresh-cut fruit and yogurt.

Probiotics or Fermented Foods

Speaking of yogurt, you can get prebiotics and probiotics directly from food sources like kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt. You might even try growing your own kombucha at home!

Salmon and Other Oily Fish

Fish like salmon, anchovies, and Atlantic mackerel are a great source of Omega-3s, which may play a key role in generating serotonin, also known as the "feel-good chemical." If you are a fish-eater, opt for wild-caught varieties and try to incorporate them into your diet once or twice a week.

Nuts and Beans

Again, so many options to choose from here! Whip up a bean salad, make a trail mix with different kinds of nuts, or sprinkle a handful of roasted chickpeas on your salad or soup. Like oily fish, nuts are high in Omega-3s, while beans are high in fiber.

Water

This one may not seem as fun as the others, but we can't let you go without recommending you stay hydrated! Guidelines differ on how much water you should be drinking, but one rule of thumb we like to follow is 11.5 cups for women and 15.5 cups for men. This may sound like a lot, but it includes all the water you consume. Everything from fruits, veggies, and other foods count, so don't feel overwhelmed.

Make Smart Nutritional Choices to Take Care of Yourself

It's crucial to choose foods that nourish you from the inside out in order to truly take care of yourself. Being thoughtful about what you eat can help you handle and regulate stress, process your emotions, maintain your mental health, keep your energy levels up, and feel good in your body.

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Nutrition as Self Care: Good for Your Body, Mind, and Spirit | Skillshare Blog

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We often hear about the benefits of nutrition as it relates to physical appearance or meeting specific health goals-but what about the relationship between nutrition and brain health, mental health, emotional balance, and more? Considering what you eat and how it can affect all areas of your life can make a big difference in your holistic health.

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When you get on an airplane and the safety message comes over the intercom, what do they tell you is the most important rule when oxygen masks come down? Put your own mask on first before anyone else. If you don’t, it is a lose/lose situation. This is because we cannot take care of anyone else unless we have taken care of ourselves first. Fair enough! In that hypothetical situation it is easy to comply, but what about in our everyday life?

For a lot of us, we put so many things above our own well-being. Work, kids, spouse, other loved ones, and all the other responsibilities that come along with being adults. These are all very important things, don’t get me wrong, but if we don’t take care of ourselves then we are in no shape to give our best to any of these other responsibilities.

It is important to say, “my well-being matters.” It is vital to take time for ourselves and listen to our bodies to figure out what each of us need to be happy and healthy, so we can pursue what it’ll take to make that happen. This is called self-care. Self-care is so much more than just keeping up with our beauty routines; self-care is any activity that we deliberately do to take care of our physical, mental, and emotional health. It is a universal practice that all of us can pursue, no matter our life situation.

You may be thinking that taking time away from responsibilities and giving it to yourself is selfish, but it is actually very SELFLESS. Self-care will put you in a better place to give the best of yourself to whatever your responsibilities are. It will allow you to perform better at work, have more patience and be more attentive with your kids and/or spouse, and perhaps be a better person to strangers.

We all have stress, no matter who we are or where we are in life. Stress is a unifying factor amongst us all. No matter where your stress is coming from, the body responds the same and so should our response back. We are all going through something difficult and some of us might be having a harder time than others. The reason, no matter big or small, doesn’t negate the need for self-care. Self-care is not something only available to people with expendable incomes that can afford to enjoy the spa. Self-care is a deliberate act of taking care of not just our physical health, but our mental and emotional health too.

Those around me right now know the thing that is causing me the most stress is my upcoming wedding. At this moment I am just 20 days away from the big day. My fiancé and I really wanted a casual and intimate destination wedding with only immediate family attending and I thought that planning a wedding with such a small size would be relatively stress free. I thought, “How hard could it be for 20 people?”

Let me just say that planning a wedding is stressful no matter how many people attend, either 20 to 200. I am not by any means a party planner and decided not to hire one either, thinking it wasn’t necessary. Ladies, get a wedding planner, especially if you are having a destination wedding. That is my one piece of wedding advice! In fact, when my sister gets married that will be my wedding present to her. I unknowingly added additional stress to my plate by having a destination wedding. It turns out it is hard to plan something when the location is 4,000 miles and 4 times zones away. There are so many logistical thoughts and plans on my mind that your head would spin.

A couple weeks ago I found myself getting really carried away with the stress and anxiety with the upcoming trip. It was at that point that I reminded myself that I needed to focus on my own self-care. For me, one of the most important parts of self-care involves food and my diet because when I am stressed it is usually the thing that affects me daily and the biggest thing that I can control.

There are certain foods that make the biggest impact on my health and sense of well-being and for me it is making sure I get LOTS of fruits and vegetables. For the last couple weeks during my times of most stress, I have made a smoothie every morning PACKED with fruits and veggies. There are so many great benefits of fruits and vegetables that should not be overlooked.

One of the most inevitable things that happens when we have chronic stress is getting sick. Fruits and veggies are vital for preventing this because vitamins and minerals are the nutrients that help our body fight viruses. In my case, unfortunately I didn’t avoid getting sick, but my nutrient packed smoothies lessened the severity of my cold. I can honestly say that even though I had the typical cold symptoms, I still felt pretty fantastic. I had energy, an extra pep in my step, and had a high sense of well-being. Plus, my cold symptoms went away faster than normal. This would not have happened if I was not getting the adequate amount of vitamins and minerals from my smoothies.

Now, if you want to avoid colds completely you have to get enough vitamins and minerals (and sleep!) weeks before the cold hits. Since we aren’t fortune tellers and don’t know when a cold will happen, it is just as important to keep up with the daily recommendation of fruits and veggies all the time. Women, you need 2 cups of fruits a day and 2 ½ cups of vegetables. Men, you need 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables.

When I really focus on getting the right amount of fruits and vegetables I feel the effects and benefits quickly, even on day one. One great added benefit besides fighting sickness is blood pressure regulation. Potassium is the mineral responsible for this. It is no secret that during times of stress, our blood pressure increases, both chronically and with acute spikes. Potassium helps regulate these fluctuations, so it is important to eat foods high in the mineral (unless your doctor has told you otherwise!). We all know that bananas are high in potassium, but there are so many other fruits and vegetables that actually have more potassium than bananas; potatoes and sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans (specifically white, black and soy beans) and coconut water (this one is particularly enjoyable in my smoothies).

For the past two weeks here is what I have put in my smoothies:

At least 3 cups of greens (spinach, spring mix, and/or kale) and 2 cups of fruit. I went to the store and bought frozen blueberries, strawberries, mango, pineapple, peaches. I also got fresh apples, pears and bananas. Each day I picked one or two different ingredients and blended them together with the greens. Some of my favorite combinations are apple pear ginger and spinach and pineapple, mango, banana and kale.

I don’t put dairy in these smoothies because I actually prefer the taste without it, but you can! I recommend low-fat vanilla yogurt, low fat milk, or even soy milk would be a good and healthy addition.

I also add in a plant-based protein, right now I am using a plant-based protein powder if you don’t know which one to buy or just don’t want to add that to your grocery bill, silken tofu is a great and inexpensive option and actually blends nicely in the smoothie (you really can’t even tell there is tofu in there!). With certain smoothies, nut butters such as peanut butter, are a delicious option. I like the combination of apple, banana, vanilla yogurt and peanut butter and cinnamon, I call it a “Flying Elvis” (TM pending).

Or you may not even have to worry about adding protein to these smoothies, lately I haven’t been because I have been eating boiled eggs with my breakfast, as long as you are getting your protein from other sources throughout the day.

These smoothies are great and fit into my busy life so easily. It takes 15 minutes max to blend it and I am out the door with my delicious and healthy breakfast on the go. Since my smoothies are packed with fruits and vegetables I get my full daily recommendation for fruit, and almost the full recommendation of veggies. This goes a long way to starting my day off right, because by the time I am done with breakfast I already feel accomplished and now I don’t have to stress about getting my fruits and veggies the rest of the day. It is one less thing to worry about especially if I know I am going to have a busy day running around.

Smoothies work very well for me and I highly recommend trying it, but if smoothies really aren’t your thing or if you are looking for other foods that can help during times of stress here are some other things to try.

Sipping warm beverages like tea

Creates a calming effect that can lower hormones that trigger stress

Slow down and enjoy the beverage and don’t consume anything else so your body can just focus on the warm beverage

Make sure you watch how much sugar you add to these beverages, but ultimately these are meant for you to take time to enjoy them.

Carbohydrates

Increase levels of serotonin which elevate our mood and help us focus

Focus on healthier forms of carbohydrates like sweet potatoes and whole grains

Whole grains will give you fiber, keep you fuller longer, and regulate digestion. Digestion can become unregulated during times of stress.

Foods high in omega-3

These foods help reduce stress by aiding in brain function and reducing inflammation and are linked to reducing anxiety from stress

These foods include fish (tuna and salmon) Walnuts, flax and chia seeds.

A lot of what we talk about in Nutrition Education are health strategies that revolve around food because that’s what we are passionate about and experts on. Not to mention it plays such a huge role in our health, but there are so many self-care practices beyond just eating well. So many that this blog could easily be a book. The stressful holidays are upon us and will be gone even faster and self-care should not end when holidays end so with that said stay tuned because next month I am going to talk about other non-diet self-care practices that work well for me during times of stress.

In the meantime, just remember that self-care is all about making yourself a priority and taking the time to do something you enjoy. So, make it a point to take a little more time for yourself and nourish your body this holiday season and as often as you can in the New Year.

By: Hannah Sims- Nutrition Educator, Houston Food Bank

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NUTRITION ED: Eating For Self-Care. How Food Can Keep You Balanced During Times of Stress

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When you get on an airplane and the safety message comes over the intercom, what do they tell you is the most important rule when oxygen masks come down? Put your own mask on first before anyone else. If you don't, it is a lose/lose

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Every year at this time, the word "self-care" becomes quite buzzy. From manicures to meditation, it seems like everyone's talking about ways to take care of yourself. As women and business owners, this is incredibly important as it's not uncommon for us to neglect our own needs in favor of our work or loved ones. But how often does good nutrition get looped into the story? We all know that what we eat has a huge effect on both our personal and professional lives, yet, growing a good relationship with food isn't often the first thing that comes to mind when we think about self-care. As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, my philosophy revolves around the notion that good nutrition is the ultimate form of self-care. And while it may not feel like a deep tissue massage, its benefits on your stress, mood, digestion, and overall health absolutely compliment every other beautiful self-care practice you do for your mind and body. Sounds pretty good, right? Read on for my thoughts on why real good nutrition needs to be considered as an integral part of any good self-care routine. Spoiler alert: no quick fixes or miracle potions here.
Check in on your stress.
One thing that I always have my patients check in with is their stress levels. We all know that high stress levels take a toll on our health, but have you ever taken a deeper look at the science of stress? While some degree of stress on the body isn't a bad thing, as it helps maintain our body's homeostasis and overall survival, long-term exposure has been shown to cause harmful physiologic changes in terms of memory, cognition, mood disorders, hormones, and the immune system. (1) But perhaps the most significant effect that I see in my practice is the effect of stress on digestion. Chronic stress has been well-studied for its negative effect on appetite, hydration, and the overall functioning of your gastrointestinal (GI) system. (1) Stress (particularly mental and emotional types) affects how well you digest and absorb nutrients, and it may actually lead to GI inflammation by either reactivating or accelerating inflammation and causing IBS-like symptoms. (1) Stress can also cause your body to reabsorb less water from your intestines, which lends itself to poor hydration and possibly feelings of fatigue or lagging. (1) This all affects not only our current nutrition status, but also your future status in terms of the choices you make in terms of nutrition and exercise and how those choices make you feel. If you don't feel good, you're less likely to go for something that's good for you, right? We've all been in that cycle. So controlling your stress is one of the building blocks for forming a good nutrition practice, and likewise, poor or undernutrition is a building block for stress. That's why good nutrition is an essential facet of self-care. Read on...
Ditch the diet.
In terms of self-care, I'm a firm believer that best thing you can do for your body is to nourish it rather than restrict it. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, self-care can be defined as "the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress." Now, tell me: When did a diet ever actually make you happy? Or protect your well-being? Or make you less stressed? The notion of dieting, cleansing, detoxing, "giving up," and the like inevitably brings about feelings or actions related to restriction, guilt, and yes, more stress. And since when were the words "restriction and guilt" ever associated with good self-care? Exactly.

When I talk about good nutrition and self-care, it never means dieting. It means properly fueling and actually feeding your body the basic things it needs to function: high-quality protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates (yes, I said it). I'll use juicing as an example. Your body is excellent at naturally detoxifying your body through a three-phase fundamental metabolic process in the liver and GI tract. Research shows that this natural detoxification is actually increased with adequate intake of calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates (I said it again). (2) Fad diets and cleanses, such as juicing, certainly don't provide adequate nutrition for these processes to occur, and thus the detoxification that you were promised or expecting is insignificant and you're left feeling hungry, deprived, and miserable. That's not self-care. In fact, it perpetuates the stress cycle that I explained above. Let's talk about ways that you can actually incorporate good nutrition into your life without having to stop eating real food.
Balance it out.
The thought of ditching a diet is a scary notion for some people to absorb, and that's ok, but it also doesn't mean throwing everything you know about healthful eating aside either. Good nutrition is self-care because your relationship with food has the ability to create a better sense of balance in your life. This reflected in how balanced and varied your nutrition is and how well your food is serving as your fuel. Here are my tips on upping your nourishment:

Get colorful: The more color the better when it comes to nutrition. Not only does it lend itself to more diversity of immune-boosting and inflammation-fighting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, I'm also convinced that more color in your day is a mood-booster. This isn't totally off, as a 2013 study found that diets rich in fruits and vegetables were associated with daily feelings of well-being. (3) So, toss some frozen beets in your smoothie, stew some stone fruit for your oatmeal, or make rice with purple cauliflower, and have some fun with it knowing that your body will thank you. Don't forget brown is a color, too, so go for those wonderful whole-grains for B-vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and protein.

Eat regularly: This likely won't come as a shock to you by this point, but I'm in the camp of eating regularly throughout the day. If you go hours without eating, you're not properly fueling your system, your metabolism goes all out of whack, and things like fatigue, low energy, brain fog, and the dreaded "hangry" feeling can start to set in. When you finally do eat, it's not uncommon to ignore your satiety cues, overeat, and feel guilty or physically uncomfortable afterwards. Not to mention, your body isn't going to get the full benefit from exercise without proper nutrition before and after. My advice? Avoid skipping meals and grab a Three-Part Snack in between: something with high-quality lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber from carbohydrates to stay full and satisfied.

Don't be afraid of fat: Something I look for when analyzing someone's nutrition pattern is whether they consume enough fat or not, specifically omega-3 fatty acids. Found in fish, olive oil, avocado, and nuts, these healthy fats have been shown to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and promote brain health. If that's not enough self-care for you, omega-3's are also linked to reducing depression and anxiety as well as improvements in mood.

The 80/20 Mindset: Adopting an 80/20 mindset can be a way to introduce more equilibrium into your nutrition. This mindset revolves around sticking to your nutrition-related goals and feeling totally "on it" 80% of the time while indulging mindfully during the remaining 20% of the time. The problem with having a 100% mindset is that it leaves no room for being human, which again inevitably leads to stress and guilt. So let your body have a little balance with what you eat, and trust me, your mind, heart, and soul will thank you.

Another tangible way to find balance with good nutrition to support self-care is with a mindful eating practice. According to The Center for Mindful Eating, this practice is intended to bring about an awareness of our actions, thoughts, feelings, motivations, and insight into the roots of health and contentment. It makes you more aware of your internal and external environments surrounding the activity of eating, and it brings about a balance between pleasure associated with food and good nutrition in order to benefit the body's overall metabolic processes. If that sounds a little woo woo for you, there are really concrete ways to incorporate a Mindful Eating practice to reap the benefits. Trying to acknowledge your responses to food without judgement and using your awareness of how hungry or satisfied you are to guide your eating decisions are ways to start. The key here is to listen to your body. This takes practice, so try to avoid beating yourself up if it proves to be more difficult than you thought it would.
Take your time and set yourself up.
How many of us eat our lunch in front of our computer or phone and finish before we even know what we ate? When you're eating while distracted or on the go, you're not doing much for yourself in the way of self-care. My advice? Unplug, slow down, and chew your food. This allows you to optimize the digestive process, reduce that uncomfortable "too full bloat" feeling, and actually listen to your hunger and satiety cues to avoid over-eating and mindless snacking. Removing distractions also allows you to enjoy your meal, which research shows may help you absorb nutrients more effectively. That's what I call self-care.

Part of having good nutrition practices is also not ignoring your appetite. Eating when you're hungry... a novel idea, right? If self-care is about protecting your well-being, then taking the time to make sure you're properly nourished and fueled throughout the day goes right along with that. Whether that starts with meal planning, meal prepping, grocery shopping, cooking, or again, taking the time to eat a meal in peace, it all lends itself to better energy, a better mood, less stress, and better health. In fact, going one step further, a 2017 study showed how a healthful diet plays a huge role in treating major depressive episodes. (4) The power of good nutrition is amazing, isn't it?

To make sure you're set up for success, I recommend stocking your kitchen with essentials so it's easier to make a nourishing meal even when you're tired (which, as business owners, we usually are). Think brown rice, whole wheat pasta, no-sodium added canned beans, tomatoes, and tuna, oats, whole grain crackers, frozen fruit and veggies, broth, and frozen lean protein. Again, this does wonders when it comes to stress reduction and making sure you stay on track with your goals for good nutrition.

As women in business, let's take the time to prioritize ourselves with a little more self-care. Along with all the ways we do this, I encourage you to listen to your bodies, be kind with the way you speak to it and the way we feed it, and take time to give it some love with sustainable, balanced practices that promote good nutrition. And know that seeking external support for this does not reflect a lack of ability, but rather a strong sense of self-awareness of the type of self-care that you personally need.

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Good Nutrition is Good Self-Care. - Real Good Nutrition

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As we inch our way toward summer, I know schedules start to really fill up and it can be hard to make sure you're still doing something for you amidst the chaos. This is especially true as plans for travel and get-togethers can truly throw off your nutrition game.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait to use these!
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2020

Wonderful cards. Can't wait to start using them personally, with staff members and students. Love that there are different areas of focus. They are beautiful and came in a sturdy box.

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Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2020

But, I mixed them up and was going to do them nightly before bed. I pulled a card, and it told me to spend the day thinking about a particular thing. I pulled another, and it directed me to do a series of exercises. They are thoughtful and nicely laminated, but I think they are really for waking and direction for the day, not for before bed contemplation.

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2020

As someone who has been to therapy regularly, these cards are great! Therapy requires appointments and that is not always something you can do based on time constraints, or if you're just looking to handle something in the moment. These cards give super helpful tips on how to be a better you!
I think these would be a great practice. I've been doing 'a card a day' for about a week now to see if it helps improve my mindset and it totally does.

Would definitely recommend

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2020

I definitely needed more mindfulness in my life, which is why I got these cards. The size and thickness is perfect. The box they come in is also perfect. The lid comes completely off, so there is no wear and tear on flaps like a regular deck of cards box. I really appreciate that because I do one card every day in my journal, so that represents a lot of opening and closing of the box. The reason why I deducted a star is because I think there are a few too many cards that are all about breathing. They all say pretty much the same thing. Breath slow and deep for about 3-4 breaths while thinking about such and such. Its just too much breathing and not enough mindfulness on a large variety of things. They still have some excellent cards in the deck, so I'm not disappointed that I got them. I just wish that there was a little more variety outside of breathing.

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2020

I like these cards because they’re compact, but larger than standard playing cards with clear objectives and thought-provoking prompts to get my head back to a positive and sane place.

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2020

These mindfulness cards are a beautiful gift to the soul. Each card brings you a new opportunity to learn and grow and change. The cards are perfect for anyone who wants to live life more mindfully, from the beginner to the more experienced. If you struggle with finding ways to fit mindfulness into your busy schedule, these cards are perfect for you and can be enjoyed by the whole family. These mindfulness cards can help you take one small step towards living a more peaceful, balanced life and I highly recommend them.

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2020

Wonderful cards. Can't wait to start using them personally, with staff members and students. Love that there are different areas of focus. They are beautiful and came in a sturdy box.

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait to use these!
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2020

Wonderful cards. Can't wait to start using them personally, with staff members and students. Love that there are different areas of focus. They are beautiful and came in a sturdy box.

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2020

As a therapist I love how the cards help my clients open up and give examples if they are stuck. They are not too big, a little bigger than playing cards, but it comes in a convenient magnetic box. Great cards.

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2020

I love the content and the way it makes me slow down and really think about the details.

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52 Mindfulness Cards - Stress Less, Mindful Meditation, Gratitude, Kindness, Self Care & Relaxation

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Buy 52 Mindfulness Cards - Stress Less, Mindful Meditation, Gratitude, Kindness, Self Care & Relaxation: Card Games - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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Breathe Like a Bear is a beautifully illustrated collection of mindfulness exercises designed to teach kids techniques for managing their bodies, breath, and emotions. Best of all, these 30 simple, short breathing practices and movements can be performed anytime, anywhere: in the car to the grocery store, during heavy homework nights at home, or even at a child's desk at school.

Based on Kira Willey's Parents' Choice GOLD Award-winning CD, Mindful Moments for Kids , this one-of-a-kind book is sure to help kids find calm, gain focus, and feel energized during the day, and encourage families to establish a fun and consistent mindfulness practice, whether at home or on the go.

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Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere (Mindfulness Moments for Kids)

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Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere (Mindfulness Moments for Kids) [Willey, Kira, Betts, Anni] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.

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Self-care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting our own well-being, pursuing happiness, and having the ability, tools, and resources to respond to periods of stress so that they don't result in imbalance and lead to a health crisis. Self-care means asking yourself what you need, and following through on the honest answer, it can be as simple as getting to bed earlier on a work night.

Why Is Self-Care Important?

Self-care can be an intervention tool that keeps you from being completely sucked into the vortex, saving you when you find yourself standing on the precipice gazing into the dark abyss.

A Self-Care Plan is a fail-safe, created by you, and filled with your favorite self-care activities, important reminders, and ways to activate your self-care community. Here's why it's important to create your own Self-Care plan:

1. Customizing a Self-Care Plan is a preventative measure. By designing a roadmap that is unique to you, in moments when you're NOT in crisis, you're directing your best self to reflect on what you may need (and have access to) in your worst moments. The reality is that only YOU know how intense your stress levels can get and what resources are available to you.

2. Having a plan takes the guesswork out of what to do and where to turn in moments of crisis. From a mindfulness point of view, it helps you respond instead of react to the situation at hand. When you have a plan in place, you'll feel more in control of your circumstances and life won't feel quite as chaotic.

3. A Self-Care Plan helps you stay the course. You'll find it far easier to stick to your personal care strategy and avoid falling into the trap of making excuses. Having a plan helps you establish a routine, ensuring that you and your self-care partners don't wind up in isolation.

The 7 Pillars of Self-Care

1.Health literacy - includes: the capacity of individuals to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

2.Mental Wellbeing - includes: knowing your body mass index (BMI), cholesterol level, blood pressure; engaging in health screening.

3.Physical activity - practicing moderate intensity physical activity such as walking, cycling, or participating in sports at a desirable frequency.

4.Healthy eating - includes: having a nutritious, balanced diet with appropriate levels of calorie intake.

5.Risk avoidance or mitigation - includes: quitting tobacco, limiting alcohol use, getting vaccinated, practicing safe sex, using sunscreens.

6.Good hygiene - includes: washing hands regularly, brushing teeth, washing food.

7. Rational and responsible use of products, services, diagnostics and medicines - includes: being aware of dangers, using responsibly when necessary.

Self-Care Practices to Use Every Day

1. Stick with my normal, daily meditation practice. It's easy to lose track of time when the days blend into one another, but self-care is important now more than ever. Throw away the excuse "I don't have time" -all you seem to have is time, you just need to remain disciplined.

2. Maintain contact virtually by creating a schedule. Now is a great time to make sure that you check on the ones who matter to you, and those who you rarely get to see in person. However, it's very easy to lose track of time-especially across time zones-so having a set schedule of times to check in, hang out and even eat "dinner" together can help to restore some social structure to the day.

3. Get outdoors. If you are blessed to live in a place where there are parks or waterfronts (that are not closed during the pandemic) and you can access them with walks, runs, and bikes, it's a blessing that should not be squandered. Each day commit to getting outdoors and moving for at least an hour, including taking a barefoot walk on grass.

4. Give yourself permission to cry. This is actually a important point on the usual Self-Care Plan, which seemed appropriate to migrate over in these times. You will inevitably feel sad, disheartened, or downright hopeless at times, but also know that giving yourself permission to feel these emotions fully and turn towards your suffering, will help release any pain or tension and help see the sun through the clouds once again.

5.When all else fails, ask myself: "What do I need at this moment?" This should be your default question-the one you immediately ask yourself when you sense that you are not feeling right, physically or mentally. Just pause, take a long, slow deep breath and ask yourself this question. In this space between, you should always find the answer.

6. Be a friend to yourself. As corny as that may sound, it's a trick which is incredibly useful. When you notice you're being hard on yourself over a problem, imagine a dear friend coming to you with the same problem. How would you respond? How would you offer support? What would you say? How would you regard your friend? Now try giving these responses to yourself.

MINDFULNESS MULTIPLIER EFFECT™

At the heart of Ivy Child's mission, we believe that when you provide any individual access to learn and practice mindfulness, it not only enhances their direct well-being, it also ripples out to benefit all of those in their outer world.

Everything begins from self, from the inside, you are the epicenter. How your emotional energy, thoughts, words, and actions may affect those whom you interact with, and in turn how that shifts their emotional energy, thoughts, words, and actions, and how that continues to spread outward with each person whom they interact with, and so on.

Seven Days Seven Ways of Practicing Self Mindfulness

Day 1: Notice Breathe Allow Act

This simple mindfulness practice, helps us notice, breathe, allow, and take positive action. Follow along to widen the gap between the impulse to react and choosing how you want to respond.

When we experience unpleasant feelings or thoughts-we feel stressed or anxious or uncomfortable in some way-instead of just reacting or trying to push those thoughts or feelings away, we have another option. We can notice the feelings and the thoughts, breathe into them, and allow them to be there. We may feel unsettled, but by allowing our discomfort, stress, anxiety, or whatever our experience is to be exactly as it is, we let go of any unnecessary tension and allow the experience to pass more quickly. We also give ourselves more space to choose how to respond.

This is the technique: Notice the fact that you are stressed and how it is showing up in your body, mind, and emotions. Take a breath to clear your mind, relax your body, and gather yourself. Suggest to yourself that this experience will not last forever, so welcome it while it is here. Allow your mind to think its thoughts, your body to feel its feelings, your emotions to move. Then, ask what is your next best action? What do you need?

Day 2: Smile Bath Meditation

Many people enjoy bathing as a time to de-stress and relax. Visualization can help bring you to a state of relaxation and mindfulness by focusing the mind. To enhance your feelings of relaxation in the tub, use this concept targeted to your various senses to focus your mind and heighten your bathing experience.

Sight

While in the tub, close your eyes or leave them open (whichever works for you). Visualize a water scene that is relaxing to you. Maybe sitting on a beach, floating in a pool, lounging by a lake. Imagine you are in that scene; delight in all that you see as you are transported to that place.

Hearing

What sounds bring you peace in your imagined scene? The crashing of waves, birds singing, the gentle rustle of leaves, people laughing. Call them forth as you shut out the noisiness of the day.

Smell

Your tub serves as the conduit to bring your thoughts into your present surroundings. Allow your mind to recall the pleasing smells that permeate your senses, the salty air, or maybe barbeque on the grill as you sit poolside.

Touch

As you picture your water scene, imagine the tactile sensations, the coolness or warmth of the water, the sand touching your skin, the grass beneath your feet, or the feel of the sun on your face.

Day 3 Bumblebee Breath

Anxiety is commonly associated with short, tight upper-chest breathing whereas relaxation, on the other hand, comes with slower breaths that originate from the diaphragm. Lengthening exhalation relative to inhalation reduces the 'fight or flight' impulse and maintains a healthy level of carbon dioxide in the blood, which helps you relax.

For anxiety, Bumblebee Breathe technique, also known as brahmari, Sanskrit word that means "bee, is an excellent technique. The practice is named for the humming sound that bees make. The sound is soothing for a spinning mind, and the practice lengthens the exhalation without excessive strain.

Bumblebee Breathe can be used as a regular daily practice to encourage relaxation or as an on-the-spot remedy. It works on calming the nerves and soothes them especially around the brain and forehead. The humming sound vibrations have a natural calming effect.

The longer you sustain the humming exhalation, the more relaxing the Bee Breath is likely to be-but forcing the breath beyond your capacity can have the reverse effect, causing even more stress. So don't force yourself to maintain any particular speed. Inhale whenever necessary, and let the buzzing sound last as long as it is comfortable. Finally, spend a few breaths sitting quietly and noticing whether there are any changes in your breath or mood.

Day 4 Mood - Food Mindfulness

Ever feel down and just don't know why? Do you know the TYPE of food you eat, and HOW you eat, directly affects your physical and emotional well-being? Research shows a clear connection between the food you eat and the gut microbiome, your inner eco system that governs your mood.

Mood - Food Mindful eating is maintaining an in-the-moment awareness of the food and drink you put into your body. It involves observing how the food makes you feel and the signals your body sends about taste, satisfaction, and fullness. Mindful eating requires you to simply acknowledge and accept rather than judge the feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations you observe. It can extend to the process of buying, preparing, and serving your food as well as consuming it.

Mood - Food Mindful eating isn't about being perfect, always eating the right things, or never allowing yourself to eat on-the-go again. And it's not about establishing strict rules for how many calories you can eat or which foods you have to include or avoid in your diet. Rather, it's about focusing all your senses and being present at that moment

Eating mindfully can help you to:

Slow down and take a break from the hustle and bustle of your day, easing stress and anxiety.

Examine and change your relationship with food-helping you to notice when you turn to food for reasons other than hunger, for example.

Derive greater pleasure from the food you eat, as you learn to slow down and more fully appreciate your meals and snacks.

Make healthier choices about what you eat by focusing on how each type of food makes you feel after eating it.

Improve your digestion by eating slower.

Feel fuller sooner and by eating less food.

Make a greater connection to where your food comes from, how it's produced, and the journey it's taken to your plate.

Eat in a healthier, more balanced way.

Day 5 - Starfish Meditation

Starfish meditation is a way to build resilience to stress, anxiety and anger. Since all these reactions can impair not only our health but also our judgment and skills of attention. Several researchers & practitioners suggest that practicing starfish meditation is an effective way to deal with difficult feelings.

Starfish meditation technique is also known as "5-Finger Breathing". To attain mindfulness, our first exercise focuses on the process - as you breathe in and out, you have to trace around your fingers.

Basically what you have to do is:

Choose a hand to be your starfish. Extend this hand, palm out, with fingers spread like a starfish.

Use the pointer finger from your other hand to trace the starfish as you breathe. Start at your thumb, and as you breathe in, trace up your thumb to the top. Do this carefully, so your movement matches your inhale.

Now, with your out breath, trace down the inside of your thumb. Again, move slowly paying attention to keeping the breath and movement together.

Continue breathing up and down each finger, matching your movement with your breath. As you breathe and trace, notice the sensations of movement in your body - your chest and belly moving in and out and your finger moving up and down.

When you come to the base of your wrist below your little finger, rest for a moment. Check in with yourself. Notice how you are feeling without overthinking or judging.

Try this again with your other hand.

Day 6 Jelly Arm Breath

Jelly Arm Breath technique is part of Kundalini yoga and is meant to move energy through the body. It is based on the concept that energy at the base of the spine (also known as the root chakra) needs to be released through the seven chakras of the body and then out through the crown chakra above the head.

This process of releasing energy from the body has the purpose of creating a system of communication between your mind and body to relieve mental, physical, and spiritual issues. This system of bringing awareness to your body by connecting with your breath is intended to facilitate being present, establishing a new rhythm, and communicating with a higher version of yourself.

It's a method to rejuvenate after a stressful day, manage stress in the moment, and/or counteract tiredness. It also aims to help balance your energy and calm your mind so that you're acting with purpose rather than just reacting to your thoughts and environment.

Day 7 - Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing is a yogic breath control practice. In Sanskrit, it's known as nadi shodhana pranayama. This translates as "subtle energy clearing breathing technique."

Alternate-nostril breathing doesn't just belong to yoga, though. It's often used in mindfulness and relaxation methods to help calm the body and the mind.

As the name suggests, alternate-nostril breathing is the focused practice of breathing through alternate nostrils, one side at a time.

How to Do Alternate-Nostril Breathing

If you want to try alternate-nostril breathing, here's what to do:

Sit quietly somewhere you don't need to give any tasks your full attention.

Bring your right hand up to your nose and move your forefinger and middle finger out of the way. Place your thumb on your right nostril.

With this nostril covered, close your eyes and exhale fully and slowly through your left nostril.

Once you've exhaled completely, release your right nostril and put your ring finger on the left nostril.

Breathe in deeply and slowly from the right side. Make sure your breath is smooth and continuous.

Once you've inhaled completely, exhale through your right nostril.

Release your ring finger and close your right nostril with your thumb again. Breathe in fully and exhale fully from your left nostril.

Repeat the full process two or more times.

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Self-care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting our own well-being, pursuing happiness, and having the ability, tools, and resources to respond to periods of stress so that they don't result in imbalance and lead to a health crisis.

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Your Headspace Mindfulness & Meditation Experts

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Self-Care Ideas That Stick, Even When You’re Busy - Headspace

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How do we practice self-care regularly when life gets in the way? Learn to turn self-care ideas into a personal routine that sticks with Headspace.

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Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement and More - For Kids

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Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement and More - For Kids

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Mallika Chopra is a mom, media entrepreneur, author and public speaker. She is the author of the Just Be Series - Just Breathe, Just Feel, and Just Be You - a trilogy of illustrated how-to books for children (and the adults in their lives). These books provide simple tools to understand and support social and emotional knowing, resilience, meditation, mindfulness and self reflection.

In Living With Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace and Joy, Mallika shares insights she gained while seeking meaning and balance as a mom and entrepreneur who felt she was overwhelmed by work, family and too many responsibilities.

Mallika has taught meditation to thousands of people, and is currently a mindfulness consultant for the animated series, Stillwater, on Apple TV+. She enjoys speaking to audiences around the world about intention, balance and living a life of purpose.

Mallika has a BA from Brown University, an MBA from Kellogg Business School, and an MA in Psychology and Education with a mind body spirit concentration from Teachers College, Columbia University.

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Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More (Just Be Series)

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Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More (Just Be Series): Chopra, Mallika, Vaughan, Brenna, Chopra MD, Deepak: 9780762491582: Books

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Calm the mind and find peace with these simple mindfulness meditations

Mindfulness is an evidence-based method for reducing stress, enhancing resilience, and maintaining mental well-being. Even short meditations can turn a bad day around, ground us in the present moment, and help us approach life with gratitude and kindness.

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Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health, and Find Peace in the Everyday

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Amazon - Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health, and Find Peace in the Everyday: Sockolov, Matthew: 9781641521710: Books

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If you're not considering sleep-care as self-care, we need to talk! For starters, let's look at the benefits of sleep: improved mood, energy, performance, recovery... the list goes on. The benefits are clear, yet, our society still deems sleep a luxury. In fact, some even boast about their lack of sleep. That's right - we're living in a culture where bragging about being overworked, busy, and even sleep-deprived is a thing (why!?). There's a common belief that being tired + sleep-deprived + stressed = success. You've probably heard the saying "I'll sleep when I'm dead," but please hear us when we say busyness is not a metric of success. And lack of sleep is certainly nothing to brag about!

Yet, here we are. According to the CDC, more than one-third of adults don't get enough sleep, not to mention the poor quality of sleep that 60% of Americans report.

As a society, we're so quick to throw around the term "self-care", but are we really listening to our own advice? When we think of self-care, images of facemasks and spa days often appear in our minds, but self-care is truly anything that benefits the mind and body. And, it starts with one thing: sleep.

So, are you ready to leave behind the sleep-deprivation culture and start prioritizing a slumbersome snooze? Let's deem sleep-care as self-care and ditch our overly packed schedules and sleepless nights, shall we?

The Importance of Sleep

If you've noticed yourself nodding off throughout the day, more irritable than usual, or lacking in energy and motivation, you may be suffering from a lack of sleep. When it comes to health, sleep is the quintessential element. Sleep loss can contribute to everything from weight gain, to energy loss, to lack of productivity (more on this below). Sleep is a time to recharge, repair our bodies, restore our energy, and prepare for the day ahead. As you can see, prioritizing sleep-care as self-care is the foundation of health!

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

Developing A Healthy Sleep Routine

Speaking of disturbance-free sleep, developing a healthy sleep routine is one of the best ways to ensure a restful night's snooze. Research suggests sleep irregularities are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and anxiety. But, by developing a consistent evening routine, we can positively impact both our health and quality of life - it all starts with sleep-care as self-care!

So, now that you understand the importance of sleep, it's time to say goodbye to your "busy is better" mindset and embrace a new mindset all about rest and recovery.

Read on to discover why you should prioritize sleep-care as self-care.

The Top Reasons Why Sleep-Care as Self-Care Is Key to Optimal Health

#1 Extra Zzz's Boost Productivity

The irony of sleep deprivation is we're usually wasting our precious hours of beauty rest trying to be productive (when we're not binge-watching Netflix, that is). While we have good intentions, research suggests maximizing your sleep time is more beneficial for productivity. Maybe you're skimping on sleep to study for an exam, respond to emails, or catch up on work - whatever the case, it can (and should) wait!

Studies confirm the benefits of sleep-care as self-care, indicating increased sleep boosts productivity by improving memory, attention, and performance, while decreased sleep is significantly tied to procrastination.

#2 Increase Your Sleep, Increase Your Immunity

Boosting your immune system could be considered the ultimate act of self-care, as it promotes many healthy lifestyle habits: taking daily vitamins, prioritizing immune-boosting foods, and limiting stress, to name a few. But, while you're prioritizing these areas, don't forget to pay extra attention to healthy sleep habits.

Recent research suggests sleep and immunity are directly related, which is why sleep-care as self-care is vital. Studies show sleep-deprived people are more likely to catch a cold or flu, whereas improved sleep has been shown to reduce the risk of infections as well as improve symptoms once infected.

RELATED: 6 Immune-Supporting Eating Habits

#3 Snooze Your Way To Less Stress

Stress reduction is the ultimate goal of most self-care practices, which is just another reason to support sleep-care as self-care.

Research suggests even partial sleep deprivation has a significant effect on stress and mood. Lack of sleep is associated with increased feelings of stress, anxiety, and overall mental exhaustion, and could even increase emotional stress by up to 30%. The solution? Catch some Z's!

#4 Improve Exercise Performance

If you're crushing it in your workouts, you want to reap all the benefits from your hard work, don't you? Well, your body needs adequate time to recover and repair, and sleep is a huge factor in this. According to research, athletes who slept less than 8 hours per night were almost twice as likely to sustain an injury compared to those who slept 8 hours or more. And, not only will you reduce your risk of injury, but boosting sleep can speed recovery too! Studies show a direct benefit of increased sleep on recovery as seen by increased protein synthesis, faster recovery time, and improved exercise-induced muscle damage.

Plus, if you're exhausted and lacking energy, you're more likely to skip out on your workout in the first place! So, think of sleep as a part of your fitness routine and get snoozing.

#5 Wake Up With Healthier Thoughts

Self-care goes beyond physical health. It's the act of investing in yourself - mind, body, and soul. This means equal emphasis on mental and emotional health, too. Ever notice how self-awareness practices such as meditation, journaling, and gratitude are always trending as self-care methods? Well, it's because they work!

The mind and body are intimately connected, which is why sleep-care as self-care may be more powerful than you think. A recent study suggests a healthy sleep cycle can repair functional brain activity and improve the regulation of emotions. When we neglect healthy sleep habits, research suggests we're more likely to have negative thoughts. As you can see, those extra hours of sleep are crucial for both your mind and body.

Make Your Bedroom Your Sleep Sanctuary

Embracing a fast-paced life of constant stimulation, excessive work, and lack of sleep is a recipe for burnout. Sleep should be considered the pillar of health, which is why it's time to give sleep the attention it deserves. You'd be amazed how slowing down and nourishing your mind and body can improve your health. So when you're feeling tempted to work through the night or jam one more thing into the end of your day, remember this. A healthier, happier you starts with sleep-care as self-care!

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Here's Why Sleep-Care is the New Self-Care

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If you're not considering sleep-care as self-care, we need to talk! For starters, let's look at the benefits of sleep: improved mood, energy, performance, recovery... the list goes on. The benefits are clear, yet, our society still deems sleep a luxury. In fact, some even boast about their lack of sleep.

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Conferences

Russ Glass, Chief Executive Officer, Headspace Health John Legend, Multiplatinum Recording Artist, EGOT Recipient, and Philanthropist Moderator: Arianna Huffington, Thrive

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Brainstorm Health 2022 - Self-Care Starts With Legendary Sleep

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Russ Glass, Chief Executive Officer, Headspace Health John Legend, Multiplatinum Recording Artist, EGOT Recipient, and Philanthropist Moderator: Arianna Huffington, Thrive

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Self-care is something that we need to do for ourselves in order to take care of our mental and physical health. There are many different strategies people can use in order to keep themselves healthy. Creating a nightly self care routine is one way to remove stress, restore balance, and reenergizes you after a long, hard day.

What is a self care night routine?

Self care bedtime routines are a sequence of steps you can take to relax and unwind from your day to help lower your blood pressure and calm your mind. Think of it as a dedicated portion of your day where you spend quality time with yourself.

When starting out, create a list of things to do each and every time, so your body can start building habits. Include items like herbal tea, a skincare routine, a warm bath, or a great book. The end goal is to get your mind and body prepared for a night of sleep. And not just any sleep - a night of high-quality sleep.

This bedtime routine can be modified based on whatever you need at that moment. If your body feels achy, then a massage might be perfect for you. Or if you've had a stressful day, then maybe upbeat music won't help you calm down. However, in the end, it's all about building habits and a set routine that will get your mental state wind down and get ready for bed.

Once you've built that habit, you can start adding new things that you'd like to try or experiment with. Just remember, most everything should happen within the hour before bed.

What if I don't follow a self-care routine?

When you skip out on your consistent night routine, you will find that your body starts to build up cortisol (the stress hormone) instead of calming down and relaxing before bedtime. This can lead to poor quality sleep that leaves you feeling groggy and tired in the morning.

If you go to bed late, then your self-care time can be shortened. Just make sure you're still getting those good habits in on a regular basis. Doing something special like making tea or writing in your journal is a nice way to treat yourself and set the mood for sleep. Here are some easy examples you can incorporate into your daily life.

Take a warm bath or shower

Taking a warm bath or shower before going to bed can help relax your muscles and prepare for sleep. Getting a nice soak in the tub can help your body and mind wind down from the day.

Watch what you eat and drink

Eating or drinking things with caffeine in them can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night. This includes the cups of coffee you have throughout the day. You should seriously limit your caffeine intake several hours before bedtime. That truly is a form of self care.

Both alcohol and smoking are sedatives, which may help you feel tired enough to fall asleep, but can actually disrupt your sleep schedule later on in the night. Try avoiding these close to bedtime as they can cause you to wake up throughout the night.

Eating too close to bedtime can also make it difficult for your body to fall asleep easily because the digestive process will keep you awake. Try eating dinner earlier in the evening and then avoid eating after 8pm so that you don't wake up from indigestion. It's all about balancing your blood sugar and regulating your blood flow when it comes to sleep and maintaining a calming mood.

Drink herbal tea or hot cocoa

As always, drinking a cup of some kind of warm beverage can help soothe your nerves as well as prepare for sleep time. Sipping on some chamomile tea or hot cocoa or even warm milk before bed is a perfect way to help yourself relax.

Practice some mindfulness activities

Mindfulness can be a great way to relax and wind down. Try some breathing exercises or yoga as part of your routine before bed for an extra soothing experience.

Meditate before bed

Calming meditation and breathing techniques before bed can be a wonderful way to get some perspective on what's going on in your life as well as relax your mind before bed.

If you've been having problems sleeping, taking some time every night to just be still and breathe deeply can help clear any mental hurdles that have been distracting you from falling asleep.

There are plenty of books about meditation you can pick up to learn more about how to master this practice that will also outline the benefits of meditation. The practice helps calm your mind and will give you a chance to reflect on the day's events. It's also been shown to reduce stress levels, which in turn make it easier for you to fall asleep when your head hits the pillow.

This is a great strategy for stress, especially for those who have a creative mind or an anxious mind. If you're a beginner and don't know where to start when it comes to meditating, try looking up some videos on YouTube that can help you learn the basics. There are plenty of great meditation tips for beginners that can lead you in the right direction.

Set your intention for the next day

Set your intention before bed for the next day to help set your mood. This can be anything from an affirmation to yourself (such as "I am capable and I believe in myself"), or a goal you want to accomplish.

This helps get your mind thinking about something positive, which in turn makes it easier for you to go back to sleep once you wake up in the morning.

Adult coloring books
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Adult coloring books are a great way to get lost in thought and enjoy some artistic creativity before bed. Try filling out just a few pages of your favorite coloring book to help clear your mind and soothe any additional stress in your life.

Related: 7 Adult Coloring Books To Help Calm The Mind

Write in a journal

Writing out what you're grateful for, or anything that is on your mind can help calm down and get some perspective. This can help clear your head of all those 'what ifs' as well as set your mind straight to fall asleep faster at night. Choose a journal that matches your style.

Related: How To Use A Sun Gratitude Journal And Why It's Worth 5 Minutes A Day

Read a book

Reading can be a great way to relax your mind and body as you wind down for the night. Try reading a few pages of your favorite book and get lost in another world. Please note, it doesn't have to be poetry or self-help-focused. It could be smut! As long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

Stretch or do yoga

Taking some time to stretch or do gentle yoga can help your muscles relax and get into a more restful sleep. Yoga is essential to calming the mind because it engages all the chakras.

There are so many benefits to yoga, including relaxation of the mind and body, calming of emotions, an increase in energy, decreasing tension, stress, anxiety...and much more!

Use essential oils

Using essential oils can be a wonderful way to help your body relax. Try using some calming scents like lavender or sandalwood before bed for a better night's sleep. Other essential oils that are known to calm: Lavender (all forms), chamomile, bergamot, frankincense, and ylang-ylang.

Related: Essential Oils In The Shower - Shower Aromatherapy

Take a melatonin supplement

Melatonin is a hormone that your body produces on its own to help regulate sleep/wake cycles. It's also available as a supplement if you're having trouble with insomnia or other sleeping issues. This is especially helpful if you are someone who works night shifts or has jet lag since it helps bring your internal clock back to normal faster. Talk to your doctor before taking any supplements like this because there could be negative side effects or interactions.

Incorporate crystals into your routine

As always, crystals can be a great way to use natural energies to create more balance in your life. Try putting some calming stones like serenity or amethyst on your nightstand as part of your self-care routine to help bring you into a calm and relaxed state before bedtime.

Crystals Known to Calm: Serenity, amethyst, blue lace agate, Angelite, chrysocolla, moonstone.

Crystal recommendations for naps:: Aventurine (takes away anxiety), blue lace agate (soothes frayed emotions), citrine (boosts energy).

Tidy up your space

Making sure your bedroom is as tidy as possible and removing anything that may be distracting you from falling asleep can help prepare you for bedtime.

Set up your room with all the items that will help you sleep more soundly, such as a diffuser with oils or some music to listen to. Make sure there are no lights or screens around that can keep you up so that your room is as dark and relaxing as possible.

Related: 15 Things You Can Clean In 10 Minutes - Speed Cleaner Tips

Use aromatherapy

Using aromatherapy in your bedroom right before bedtime can help you relax even more. Try lighting up some candles with calming scents like lavender, vanilla, sandalwood, or jasmine to help yourself wind down at night.

Don't feel discouraged if you have a hard time falling asleep right away, especially if it's been an unusually tiring day for you. Your body needs to know what to expect before bedtime and slowly getting into the good habits of self-care can make it easier for you to sleep soundly.

Taking some time away from social media and having a relaxing evening with yourself can help wind down your mind. It's important to unplug at night so that you can focus only on relaxation and getting a better night's rest.

Related: 75 Daily Things To Do Instead Of Social Media

How often do I need to take a self-care night?

This really depends on the person and their emotional well-being. The extra time you spend caring for yourself could happen every day, multiple times a week, or just on nights you feel you need it most.

If you are feeling highly stressed, or experience insomnia, then participating in a self care night routine on a regular basis might be best. It can help you break patterns of negative stress and start to build those good habits that produce better sleep. How you define your routine for anxiety is entirely up to you.

Remember, this isn't about building up a beauty routine, it's more about a calming self-care routine. People can spin the bubble bath and the skin exfoliating anyway they want - but it's really about winding down and honoring yourself, unplugging from the stresses of the outside world, and just being alone with your thoughts. You deserve that.

If you have more time available, like if you're retired or have extra days off work, then it could even be every day. You might not want to do everything on the list every day, but you can pick a few things speak to you.

Consider this a daily practice, even if just for 5 minutes before bed. By doing so, it helps your body and mind get more restorative sleep during the night. We benefit most from healthy sleep. The last thing we need to feel is anxiety before sleep!

What Makes a Good Self Care Routine?

Creating a routine and sticking to it is an important aspect of maintaining your mental health. A good self care routine is one that has more to do with maintaining a healthy lifestyle rather than putting on fancy masks or lotions. They usually consist of little things that make you feel good and help you recharge your batteries mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Having a self care routine is essential because it shows that you are taking the time to relax and focus only on yourself for once. Scheduling out time just for yourself is important because if you don't give yourself any 'me' time what will happen? You'll end up stressed out and unable to handle your day-to-day life as well as having no energy left over in the long run.

How do you start?

The first step towards creating your own self care routine is to sit down and try to identify all the things that are important to YOU when it comes to taking care of yourself.

Doing this can help you create more balance in your life because you'll be able to show yourself how much you really matter, so take some time out of your day tomorrow and write down everything that pops into your head when thinking about what makes up a good self-care regimen for you.

Some questions you might think about:

When do I feel most relaxed?

When am I at my best?

What daily tasks make me feel good about myself?

Do I need to schedule more time for myself?

Do I always get enough sleep?

Do I feel like I have good energy levels throughout the day?

Once you've written down your answers, try creating a nightly routine that can help you achieve some of these goals. Keep it simple and think about what would be easiest for you to put in place first.

For example, if sleeping well is important to you then start by setting yourself a bedtime so that you know when to crawl into bed at night. Make sure that your room is dark and quiet, turn off your screens (mobile phone, TV etc.), set out any lotions or perfumes that will help you relax, and make getting early night part of your daily routine.

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How To Set Up A Self Care Night Routine For A Better Night's Sleep

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Self-care is something that we need to do for ourselves in order to take care of our mental and physical health. There are many different strategies people can use in order to keep themselves healthy. Creating a nightly self care routine is one way to remove stress, restore balance, and reenergizes you after a long, hard day.

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According to a 2020 poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 72 percent of Americans feel tired several days a week. In this era of uncertainty, we're increasingly reaching for sleep aids, apps, and the advice of sleep consultants. That's turned the sleep-care business into a multibillion-dollar industry.

"There's a big misconception that sleep is wasted time. But it is so important for the rest of our lives," says Dr. Anne D. Bartolucci, who practices at Atlanta Insomnia & Behavioral Health Services and is the author of Better Sleep for the Overachiever. "If you're trying to lose weight and you are sleep deprived, your fullness hormones get thrown off. With exercise, you need sleep in order to build muscle. It's impossible to live a truly healthy life if you're not getting enough sleep."

For better sleep (ideally, seven or eight hours of it), she offers these recommendations: Avoid caffeine after lunch, don't go to bed hungry or full, and wake up at the same time every day. She also suggests being mindful about when you exercise. "Research says the best time to exercise is in the morning," she says. "But if your only time is in the evening and it doesn't affect your sleep, then it's better to do it at the wrong time than not at all."

What about naps? "For people who don't have sleep problems, a 20- to 30-minute nap can refresh the brain," she says. "If you wake up sluggish, it's probably not doing you any good."

She also suggests adjusting expectations about sleep. "We all seem to think we can just hit the bed and fall asleep. But we need transition time," she says. "Make sure you wind down for 60 minutes with no screens. Only go to bed when you're sleepy. If you're lying there, awake, get up and do something relaxing. Be strict: The bed is for sleep and sex, only. You don't want to associate your bed with sleep anxiety. And if you wake up when you roll over, it's okay. Take it as a reset."

Oh, and don't wear your fitness watch. "There's no way that thing can tell you when you're in REM sleep. It's not reading your brain, and it can cause more anxiety."
This article appears in our November 2021 issue.

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Sleep-care is the new self-care. Here's how to get better rest.

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"There's a big misconception that sleep is wasted time. But it is so important for the rest of our lives," says Dr. Anne D. Bartolucci, who practices at Atlanta Insomnia & Behavioral Health Services. "If you're trying to lose weight and you are sleep deprived, your fullness hormones get thrown off.

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Maintaining a steady routine of self-care is important for your mental and physical health, especially during these tough times. It all starts with getting plenty of sleep. If we don’t get our recommended 7-9 hours of rest each night, it might lead to problems such as increased stress, impaired cognitive thinking, poor attitudes, and the inability to focus.

Creating a bedtime routine and sticking to it can go a long way in helping you get a good night’s sleep, namely because it will signal your body that it’s time to rest. Having a comfortable sleep environment and taking time to relax as you get ready for bed can set the stage for restorative sleep, and can result in you feeling alert, well-rested, and ready to take on the upcoming day.

Of course, no one bedtime routine is the same as people have different needs and preferences. While some self-care tips apply to folks of any age, such as creating a comfortable sleep environment, each age group also has tips that address their specific sleep needs.

Children: Children need the most amount of sleep, between 9 and 16 hours depending on age.

Teenagers: Without adequate sleep, teens are at increased risk of mental health problems.

College students: As they transition from kids to adults, college students need a good night’s rest to maintain strong mental health.

Adults: Getting a good night’s sleep helps promote long-lasting good physical and mental health.

Parents: Self-care that includes relaxation tips and stress relievers goes a long way in helping parents get restorative sleep.

This guide will review important information for each of these age groups, and provide tips on how they can achieve healthy and restorative sleep.

Children

Talk about their emotions. To help promote healthy sleep, it’s important for children to express their thoughts and emotions. The Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis recommends talking with your children about their feelings on a daily basis so they see it as a normal part of their day. Having these types of conversations is especially important these days when the uncertainty of COVID-19 might be taking a toll on your little ones. Ask things like, “what has been a highlight of your day and why?” or “you seem down today, what has you feeling sad?” Really listen to what they have to say, and respond thoughtfully in a way that encourages them to keep talking.

Try children meditation apps. Apps can be a handy tool to help calm children as they prepare for bed. For instance, “Stop, Breathe & Think” offers mindful sleep stories and meditation activities to help ease the mind. “Smiling Mind” features meditation techniques to help children sleep better, while “Sleep Meditation for Kids” provides mediation stories to help children relax.

Go outside. It’s no secret kids have a lot of energy, so it’s important to allow them time to expend that energy before bedtime. Let them go outside and play in the afternoon, but limit exercise within four hours of bedtime, per Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Otherwise, they could become over-stimulated when their bodies should be winding down.

Limit screen time. While electronic devices have become a normal part of most kids’ lives (especially with online schooling), they should not be a part of any child’s bedtime routine. In fact, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, screens in the bedroom are accompanied by insufficient sleep that affects 30% of toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children. Therefore, eliminating screen time at least one hour before bedtime can help set the tone for a more restful night’s sleep. In the current times, it’s also important to set a boundary between screen time that occurs for the purpose of school and for the purpose of fun.

Set expectations. Another way to help prepare kids for a good night’s sleep is by setting expectations for bedtime. Remind them of the evening schedule, such as finishing homework after dinner followed by a bath and story time before bed. Even if COVID-19 has disrupted your family’s normal routine by making you alternate between online learning and in-person schooling, establishing a regular schedule is important to give your kids stability and comfort.

Prepare for tomorrow. Encourage children to prepare for the next day by picking out their clothes for school and packing their lunch (if they’re still attending in-person classes). This will help them take ownership in their daily routine. While this school year is quite different from a normal school year, you can provide some regularity by still asking your kids to complete their regular chores. For example, instead of having them pack their book bag the night before school, you can ask them to feed your pets each night instead.

Teenagers

Encourage a routine. Like younger kids, teens need a routine to help them feel settled. For instance, they have to finish their homework before playing video games, or no more electronics past a certain time. By providing them with this kind of structure, they will feel more accomplished and proud of themselves each day, even if they aren’t leaving the house to go to school.

Limit caffeine. Many teenagers start drinking more caffeinated beverages, such as coffee and energy drinks, which can be overstimulating for them. As such, their daily caffeine intake should be limited to one cup of coffee, one or two cups of tea, and no more than three cans of soda, per the American Academy of Pediatrics. They should not have any caffeine within an hour of bedtime.

Relax somewhere other than your bed. While it’s tempting to text friends or watch TV in your bed, this should be avoided. Otherwise, your teen might have trouble drawing a line between relaxation time and sleep time, which can disrupt their sleep schedule. Climbing into bed should be a signal that sleep is on the way, so encourage your teenager to keep their bed as a “sleep only” spot. We know that this might be difficult since many teens are spending more time in the bedrooms these days, but having this sort of separation can do wonders for their mental health.

Take a hot shower or bath. Many teens jump in the shower first thing in the morning, but research from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin found that taking a warm bath or shower one to two hours before bedtime can significantly improve sleep. Water should be between 104 and 109 degrees Fahrenheit for the best results.

Get regular exercise. Just as kids need exercise to expend energy and maintain good health, so do teenagers. Getting in the habit of exercising at a younger age can help ensure teens maintain this healthy routine, which will lead to better sleep.

Talk to them. The teen years can be extremely stressful as kids transition through young adulthood, experiencing a new range of emotions and situations. Encourage them to voice their feelings and their stressors so they won’t stay up all night thinking about them. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry recommends teaching them assertiveness training skills so they can state their feelings in polite, firm and not overly aggressive or passive ways. They might not openly express it, but COVID-19 could be causing them to be upset if they feel like they’re missing out on time with their friends or at school. Gently ask them how they feel about these changes and figure out ways to help them get their social time (safely).

College students

Maintain open communication. College can be a huge transitional period for young adults, so it’s important to keep the lines of communication open. If you’re a college student that has had to move back home because of COVID-19, you’re probably feeling additional stress and sadness about missing out on college experiences. Even at your parents’ house, you should aim to maintain your independence while still respecting their home. Build on the talks you have had with your parents through the years, and tell them how you are feeling. Remember that discussing your feelings go a long way in helping you sleep well.

Create a care package for sleep. Put together a sleep kit with your favorite sleep mask, earplugs, aromatherapy scents, white noise machine or soothing music. Dig into this kit anytime you need to reset your body for a good night’s sleep.

Use “do not disturb” mode. Young people today are more plugged in than ever, and it’s important to unplug at least an hour before bedtime each night. Turn your phone on “do not disturb” so you can tune out your friends’ text messages or late-night notifications from your apps.

Set up a spa night. Stress plays a key role in disturbing your sleep, so it’s important to de-stress often. Take time to unwind with your friends by indulging in a little pampering, like applying face masks or giving one another pedicures. These are a great way to wind down and reset your body’s stress levels.

Plan your day. Planning out your next day’s schedule during times of busyness or stress can help you feel in control of what you need to do. Amherst College suggests planning out your day by writing down what you have to do with deadlines so you have a handle on what needs to be accomplished when.

Try journaling. Writing down your feelings goes a long way in helping you process and sort through what you are experiencing. For instance, writing out a frustrating situation or something you’re stressed about and then destroying that piece of paper can help you let go of the negativity you feel about it.

Adults

Set aside time for a bedtime routine. It’s easy to feel too busy for a bedtime routine, and, instead, just fall into bed when you’re exhausted. However, bedtime routines are essential for good sleep, so, if necessary, build it into your schedule. Don’t be afraid to set a reminder of when to start your bedtime routine, so your body will know it’s time to start winding down.

Substitute your nighttime wine for tea. Although wine could help you feel sleepy, it may actually disrupt a good night’s sleep. Trade it out for a caffeine-free tea that promotes sleep. A few good choices include:

Type of Tea | Specific Benefits
Chamomile | Chamomile contains certain antioxidants that can help you feel sleepier. Studies have shown that chamomile improves the quality of your sleep as well.
Lavender | Lavender has been found to help you relax and fall asleep more easily. Research shows that it can help you sleep more deeply and feel more awake in the morning.
Lemon balm | Lemon balm is often used to reduce stress levels and promote drowsiness. Studies have found that it might also help people with insomnia.
Yogi Bedtime Tea | Yogi Bedtime Tea contains several ingredients that help promote healthy sleep, including chamomile and passionflower extract.

Practice good skin care. While removing your makeup and applying moisturizer is a great way to maintain healthy skin, it also can help your body relax as part of your bedtime routine. It’s one more signal to your body that rest is on the way.

Meditate. Meditating before bedtime helps you achieve a sense of inner calm that can lead to more restful sleep. It also can help reduce cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. To help you implement meditation in your bedtime routine, you can try a meditation app such as:

Calm

Buddhify

10% Happier

Simple Habit

Read a book. It’s often said you can get lost in a good book. By doing so, you escape the stress of everyday life. In fact, according to the University of Minnesota, reading can relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. Per a 2009 University of Sussex study, reading also can reduce stress by up to 68% and works faster than drinking hot tea or listening to music.

Set goals. Listing your goals for the next day, whether personal or work, sets the stage for a productive day. Write out at least three goals, but make sure they are realistic so you aren’t stressed about getting them done. It’s also worth mentioning that COVID-19 has dramatically changed how many of us live and work, so try not to feel frustrated if it takes you longer to achieve your goals than you would like. Move at your own pace, and don’t take on too much if it doesn’t feel right.

Get out of the house. This is arguably one of the most important tips on this list. When you’ve been home for long periods of time, the stress can accumulate and start to feel overwhelming — especially if you’re working from home. Therefore, it’s important to get out of the house and enjoy a change of scenery before you start your bedtime routine. Take a walk around the block, spend a few minutes in the backyard swing, or play with the dog. You’d be surprised by how much a little bit of time away can help your mindset.

Parents

Raising kids can take a toll on parents if they don’t make time for themselves. Include one or more of these self-care tips in your bedtime routine to promote better sleep.

Try aromatherapy. The essential oils used in aromatherapy have been shown to help reduce anxiety and promote calm. Using sleep masks and pillows infused with scents such as lavender, chamomile or jasmine can help you relax, per the Mayo Clinic.

Write down wins and struggles. Expressing your achievements and difficulties in writing helps you sort through and process your thoughts and emotions, which can reduce stress. With the uncertainty of our times, it’s more important than ever to be vulnerable with yourself and accept your feelings — even if they’re unpleasant.

Shower in low lighting. Taking a warm shower before bed can promote relaxation throughout your body. Turning the lights down can further aid this relaxation.

Indulge in adult coloring books or puzzles. According to the Cleveland Clinic, spending time coloring relaxes the brain, diverts attention from your worries and increases pleasure, all of which reduce stress. Focusing on an adult puzzle can also help clear the mind.

Get intimate (singles and couples). A healthy sex life promotes good health from lower blood pressure to decreased anxiety to, yes, better sleep. Even individuals can benefit from self-intimacy.

Enjoy a massage (self massage or couples). Massages have been shown to reduce fatigue and improve sleep because it relaxes the muscles and calms the brain. It also improves blood flow, reduces stress and boosts serotonin, which promotes sleep.

Listen to audio therapy. Although loud noises like listening to the TV are not conducive to a good night’s sleep, listening to soothing music or a white noise machine can relax your mind and promote sleepiness. Incorporate this technique into your bedtime routine by turning on the music or white noise 30 to 45 minutes before you want to fall asleep.

Look at old photo albums of good memories. To reduce anxiety and refocus your mind, take a stroll down memory lane by looking at photos of favorite vacations, special occasions and fun moments throughout the years. The emotions of these memories will boost your body’s dopamine production, which makes you feel good and more relaxed. Especially during these challenging times, reminiscing on your favorite trips and memories could help you feel more positive about the future and give you something to look forward to when things return to normal.

Journal with your spouse. Just as writing down your own thoughts and feelings can help you process your emotions, journaling with your spouse can help you work through problems together, reaffirm your love for one another, and lead to deeper intimacy. These processes can reduce stress and improve your sleep. Over the past year, day-to-day life has changed drastically, so try to be as honest as you can about how COVID-19 has impacted you and how you’re feeling.

Incorporating self-care into your bedtime routine will go a long way in improving your sleep as well as your overall health. In our busy world, that can be difficult, so it’s imperative that you make time for a consistent bedtime routine every day.

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34 Self-care Tips To Do Before Bedtime | Slumber Yard

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This guide is to help readers incorporate self-care into their bedtime routines to help with their sleep as well as their overall health.

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Incorporating Self-Care into Your Bedtime Routine

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Incorporating Self-Care into Your Bedtime Routine

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With the current state of the world, it's no surprise that our attention spans are shorter than ever , burn-out is painfully prevalent , and we are having a harder time creating healthy boundaries between our work and home lives .

There are multiple ways to interpret the term "self care." The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as " the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider."

However, self care is a broad concept that does not solely apply to your physical health. Self care can also refer to anything you do to take care of your mental and emotional wellbeing. As licensed psychologist Marni Amsellem, Ph .D., says, " self care is anything that you do for yourself that feels nourishing ." This can mean anything from taking a long bath to going for a run in the morning-whatever makes you feel more empowered, centered, and joyful.

Contrary to some first impressions of the term, self care does not equate to being selfish. The implementation of acts of self-compassion is linked to a longer lifespan, better stress management, and an overall increase in happiness. Taking time out of your day to focus on not only improves your general wellbeing but can also improve your relationships. Self care encourages you be the best version of yourself and allows you to transfer those good feelings to others.

Here are a few ways to combine self care with your bedtime routine - which will not only improve your evenings but your mornings as well.

When you start winding down for bed, force yourself to step away from work and prioritize relaxation. Set a bedtime and honor it instead of staying up late to catch up on emails, scroll through social media, or binge-watch a new show.

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of self care; it affects your mood, motivation, and livelihood. Therefore, y our nightly self care routine should not only focus on the winding-down aspect, but also on sleep itself.

A successful bedtime routine involves giving yourself enough time to relax and get some deep, restorative ZZZs. Try setting an alarm to signal that it's time to start your nightly self care routine. It's important to give yourself a decent amount of time to wind down-your routine should take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, or longer if possible.

To really reap the benefits of self care and a healthy bedtime routine, you need to be consistent. Starting your routine at the same time every day and getting into bed around the same time each night will set you up for success. Maintaining a routine makes it easier for your brain to start shutting down when it's time to snooze. Repeated routines help to put your mind and body on "autopilot" allowing you to more easily relax and unwind.

You're probably of hearing how bad blue light can be for your sleep. Unfortunately, it's the truth! One study showed that blue light notably decreases the production of melatonin, the hormone your body produces to make you sleepy. One of the best things you can do for your self care bedtime routine is to keep electronic devices like TVs, laptops, and cellphones out of your sleep space. You can even take this tip a step further by going device-free earlier in the evening to give your brain the chance to wind down from work, social media, and texts. Blue light-blocking glasses are also a good option to try if you enjoy winding down to Netflix.

Try putting your devices into Night Shift mode in the evening and switching to Airplane mode before bed. If you want to go nuclear, you can always unplug your WiFi router before bed to make sure you don't fall into the trap of late-night doom scrolling.

Your bedroom should be a safe and inviting place of rest and relaxation. To create a relaxation-worthy atmosphere, try dimming the lights and lighting some candles or using a soft amber night light for a warm and inviting glow. Turning your thermostat down to a hibernation-inducing temperature, between 62 and 75 degrees , can help send a signal to your body that it's time for rest. To complete your sleep oasis, make sure your bedding is cozy and comfortable. If you tend to sleep hot, consider bedding made from or , which can prevent you from overheating in bed.

Experts say to avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. However, you can still treat yourself to a delightful drink! Instead of that nighttime glass of wine, try sipping some warm, decaffeinated tea before going to sleep. Chamomile, lavender, valerian root, and lemon balm are some of the top choices for bedtime tea.

A warm shower or bath is proven to help make you sleepy and is the perfect place to recharge alone after an exhausting day. Try dimming the lights and lighting some candles, using luxurious bath products and relaxing scents, listening to soothing white noise , guided meditation, or your favorite audiobook. For a positivity boost, envision the water washing away the stress of your day. This visualization technique can do wonders for your mood and help to put you in the right headspace for a good night's sleep.

Reading is a wonderful way to wind down and help you drift off into dreamland. Try choosing a book that doesn't involve a lot of effort or thought (yes, we mean boring.) Or go for something positive and inspiring and read something that gives you joy and puts you into a positive headspace before bed. Reading is an effective way to distract from the urge to pick up those pesky electronic devices.

Writing out your thoughts can help prevent that dreaded bedtime anxiety and gives you the opportunity to let go of stress before climbing into bed. Keeping a notepad and pen on your bedside table is a fantastic way to encourage yourself to engage in some healthy self-expression before hitting the hay.

Invoke a sense of calm with relaxing aromatherapy. From essential oil diffusers and pillow sprays to candles and incense, there are a variety of ways to include scents in your nighttime self care routine. You can even try out an essential oil-infused pillow . , , and peppermint are some of the most popular scents for sleep and relaxation, but you can always mix and match to find the perfect sleep smell for you.

Extend your evening self care into the following day by getting prepared. That can mean jotting down a "To Do" list to help reduce anxiety, tidying up your space for peace of mind, or setting goals or intentions to keep you on track. Before bed, try doing whatever small steps help you feel ready to tackle your daily tasks so you don't end up lying in bed, anxious and overwhelmed about the day to come.

Just like scents, sounds are an excellent way to let your brain know that it's time to wind down. Consider creating a pre-bedtime playlist filled with relaxing songs, podcasts, guided meditations, or ASMR soundtracks. There are plenty of guided meditations available on Youtube, and there are even specific apps that can help you get your Zen on.

White noise machines are also an excellent option for filling your evening space with relaxing audio. You can even schedule a timer on your Dohm Connect , so that it turns on at your preferred time, keeping you on track for your nightly routine.

You might also want to think about changing your alarm tone and setting it to something you actually want to hear. Instead of jarring noise, try nature sounds or a song that puts you in a positive mood.

Giving your muscles a nice stretch is a terrific way to relieve tension in your body and calm your mind before bed. A variety of bedtime yoga routines are available on Youtube, or you can try out a few simple stretches to relax your muscles while listening to some soothing sounds. Foam rolling is similar to giving yourself a massage and can help increase blood flow while providing relief for muscle soreness.

Taking some time to reconnect with your partner, family members, or friends can help put you in a positive headspace. From a short phone call to journaling, meal prepping, massages, or engaging in deep conversations, a sense of connection might be just what you need to feel centered.

When creating your bedtime routine, only choose activities that you actually enjoy doing. If you enjoy doing them, you'll want to do them. This will make sticking to your routine that much easier in the long run. Not into exercise? Try gentle stretches in bed. Does tea gross you out? Try some hot chocolate. Your self care should be personalized to you, your lifestyle, and your goals. Don't feel the need to copy someone's routine-choose the ideas that resonate with you and leave the rest.

Are you excited to start incorporating self care into your nighttime routine? Let us know on Instagram!

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your sleep or your baby, please contact your healthcare provider.

What Your Sleep Routine Says About You
35 Ways to Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep

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17 Ways to Incorporate Self Care into Your Bedtime Routine

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With the current state of the world, it's no surprise that our attention spans are shorter than ever , burn-out is painfully prevalent , and we are having a harder time creating healthy boundaries between our work and home lives . There are multiple ways to interpret the term "self care."

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20s - When you're in your 20s, your body is strong and resilient. This is the perfect time to build a foundation of fitness. Develop exercise as a habit. Make it a regular part of your life. That will make it easier to keep it up as you get older. Play sports with friends, such as tennis or racquetball. Go hiking or biking. Your options are endless. You should try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Remember also that, as you age, you lose muscle and bone strength. So be sure to include strength training as part of your routine now. That way losing a little muscle mass down the road won't hurt you. Aim to include muscle-strengthening exercises in your routine 2 to 3 days a week.

30s - In our 30s, our body first starts to lose muscle because of age. That makes weight training especially important during this time. Join a gym and start lifting weights. Or you can get some resistance bands and look up videos on the internet. Our bones start to weaken as we get older, too. This is a good time to start focusing on bone strengthening. Make sure weight-bearing activities are part of your routine. This could include brisk walking, jogging, or doing yoga. This is also a good time to experiment with different kinds of workouts. Doing something new helps you challenge new muscle groups. It also helps keep your workouts from getting boring. If you normally walk for exercise, try taking an aerobics class. Are you an avid biker? Try swimming or dancing instead. Mix it up to keep things interesting and your workouts well-rounded.

40s - This is the time of your life when it is most important to have an exercise routine. Our bodies naturally start to decline in middle age. Our muscles begin to lose mass and elasticity. This slows our metabolism and makes it easier to gain weight. During this time, both men and women start experiencing dropping hormone levels. This also makes it easier to gain weight, especially around the abdomen. This kind of weight increases your risk of developing health problems. These could include high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Exercise is the best way to fight all these changes. Keep up with your cardio workouts, 3 to 5 times a week. If you have pain in your joints, switch to low-impact activities. These could include biking or swimming. But keep in mind that weight-bearing activities, such as walking or jumping, are important during this time. They can help you maintain strong bones and fight age-related bone loss. Be sure to keep up your muscle-strengthening routines, as well.

50s - In your 50s, you may start to experience more aches and pains on a daily basis. Don't let this stop you from exercising. Just adapt your exercise program. Low-impact activities such as walking, biking, or swimming generally go easy on your joints. You may also be even sorer after vigorous workouts. Try reducing the intensity and exercise more often instead. During this time, you'll also have to fight your body's natural tendency to curve forward. Strengthen your core by focusing on the muscles in your abdomen and your back. This will help your body stand up straighter and fight the curve.

60s - This is the time when you can start focusing on preventing falls. Continue your aerobic exercise regimen. Try to get 30 minutes of activity 5 times a week. Lift weights or use resistance training 2 to 3 times a week to keep muscles and bones strong. And start working on balance. The National Institutes of Health recommends daily exercises to help you improve and maintain your balance. These include standing on one foot, leg raises, and walking heel to toe. Practice these things now to fight balance problems later on.

70s+ - In your 70s and beyond, you need to maintain your strength and flexibility. This will give you more years of being able to function and be independent. Continue getting aerobic exercise every week, whether it be water aerobics, walking, or dancing. Use resistance bands to keep muscles strong. Continue doing balance exercises to keep from falling. Devote extra time to warming up and cooling down so you don't hurt your muscles. And remember to stretch every day to maintain your flexibility.

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Sports and Exercise at Every Age - familydoctor.org

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20s - When you're in your 20s, your body is strong and resilient. This is the perfect time to build a foundation of fitness. Develop exercise as a habit. Make it a regular part of your life. That will make it easier to keep it up as you get older.

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Do you wish you had more drive to exercise physically? Are you struggling to achieve your full potential due to your mental health? Do you struggle with motivation in your daily life? If you want to make positive and lasting changes, then keep reading.

According to data from Mental Health America, In the year 2021, 17% of the American population are suffering with their mental health. This equates to 47 million people in the United States alone.
We've all heard of the benefits exercise can have on a person's mental state. This doesn't mean implementing it into our lives is easy... At least at first.

In this book, you will discover the benefits of goal setting, along with examples and ways to set attainable goals for the short term and the long term.

You will discover how you can build your own workout plans, catered around your own fitness level and built around things you enjoy!

You will discover ways to track your progress, and why this will ensure you are forever moving forward.

You will discover how to find an extra drive within yourself. A drive maybe you didn't know was there.

This book is easy to understand, follow and digest. Even if you are brand new to exercise with absolutely no experience, the principles and methods in this book are things you CAN implement into your life. Importantly, all of the benefits are something you can achieve too!

You can achieve happiness, clarity and freedom, even if other methods haven't worked for you in the past.

If you want to achieve a happier life, full of clarity and positivity, while also improving your physical health and fitness, then scroll up and click the add to cart button to get your book instantly.

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Exercise Your Way to Mental Wellness: Use Exercise to Improve Mood and Daily Mental Health. Conquer Self Imposed Limitations.

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Exercise Your Way to Mental Wellness: Use Exercise to Improve Mood and Daily Mental Health. Conquer Self Imposed Limitations. [Patrick, Benjamin] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Exercise Your Way to Mental Wellness: Use Exercise to Improve Mood and Daily Mental Health. Conquer Self Imposed Limitations.

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I'm a total geek for the relationship between nutrition and mental health and a big believer in the gut-Brain connection. Growing research has found that there is bi-directional communication between the brain and the gut, commonly referred to as the gut-brain axis, meaning that what we eat literally fuels our mind (energy, alertness, focus, mood).

If you've been following along on my Instagram or the blog for some time, you know I've been preaching this for a while now. Over a year ago I wrote more about 5 reasons why I truly believe what you eat can improve your mental health. And since many of you have been asking follow up questions about this topic, I thought I'd gather some of the same resources that have helped inform my own journey!

So today I'm sharing with you some of the books about nutrition and the brain that expanded my perspective on holistic mental health care and have led to considerable changes in my lifestyle. I've also included the descriptions for each book so you can see what interests you! Enjoy!

I love this book because it makes a clear connection between how food biologically impacts the brain in a way that you can read and understand at a basic level while still doing the science justice. Dr. Uma also gives very practical tips on which foods to include on your plate for optimal brain health and how to combine them into different recipes. So if you're looking for something both educational and applicable then "This is Your Brain on Food" is a great place to start! Plus I've gotten to know Dr. Uma more personally this past week and she's a wonderful, kind, and brilliant woman who you can tell is passionate about her work and genuinely cares for those around her.

You can listen to my latest podcast conversation with Dr. Uma for more on this topic here!
Watch my latest Instagram Live conversation with Dr. Uma on "This is Your Brain on Food" here!
Book Description: A triple threat in the food space, Dr. Uma Naidoo is a board-certified psychiatrist, nutrition specialist, and professionally trained chef. In This Is Your Brain on Food, she draws on cutting-edge research to explain the many ways in which food contributes to our mental health, and shows how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues. Packed with fascinating science, actionable nutritional recommendations, and delicious, brain-healthy recipes, This Is Your Brain on Food is the go-to guide to optimizing your mental health with food.
This was one of the very first books I read when I was beginning my journey to understanding food's impact on mental health. One of the main things I love about this book is that it clearly identifies some of the essential nutrients for our brain such as Omega 3, Vitamin B, Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin D, Vitamin B and so many others that Americans tend to be deficient in, which contribute to our brain's mental wellbeing! He also expounds on the system of modern-day food processing and the common American diet that's playing a role in many nutrient deficiencies that bring down our mental health. I recently grabbed his recipe book Eat Complete, which combines all of these essential nutrients into meals you can start including in your lifestyle. So I always recommend The Happiness Diet! Dr. Drew Ramsey is also someone I've gotten to chat with more personally and you can tell He is very committed to expanding nutrition-based solutions in the mental health field. I have a feeling he's just getting started!

Book Description: Using data from the rapidly changing fields of neuroscience and nutrition, The Happiness Diet shows that over the past several generations, small, seemingly insignificant changes to our diet have stripped it of nutrients-like magnesium, vitamin B12, iron, and vitamin D, as well as some very special fats-that are essential for happy, well-balanced brains. These shifts also explain the overabundance of mood-destroying foods in the average American's diet and why they predispose most of us to excessive weight gain. After a clear explanation of how we've all been led so far astray, The Happiness Diet empowers the reader to steer clear of this way of life with simple, straightforward solutions, including:
* A list of foods to swear off
* Shopping tips and kitchen organization tricks
* A compact healthy cookbook full of brain-building recipes
* Practical advice, meal plans, and more!
What I love about this book is that it takes another perspective on this topic from a GI (Gastrointestinal) doctor who is looking at the impact on mental health from the workings of the gut. I felt like he also laid out the connection of communication between the gut and brain very clearly and gave me that initial lightbulb moment where I first began to literally understand how food and the brain impact each other. He talks more in-depth about the microbiome, which is the collection of bacteria that keep our gut healthy and therefore the production of neurotransmitters and signals to the brain healthy. I would say this book is definitely a must-read in collection to getting a full understanding of the gut-brain connection.

Book Description: In The Mind-Gut Connection, Dr. Emeran Mayer, executive director of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress, offers a revolutionary look at this developing science, teaching us how to harness the power of the mind-gut connection to take charge of our health. The Mind-Gut Connection shows how to keep the brain-gut communication clear and balanced to: * balance the microbiome by consuming fermented foods and probiotics, fasting, and cutting out sugar and processed foods * boost immunity and prevent the onset of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's * generate a happier mindset and reduce fatigue, moodiness, anxiety, and depression
* prevent and heal GI disorders such as leaky gut syndrome, food sensitivities and allergies, and IBS, as well as digestive discomfort such as heartburn and bloating, and much more.

I was led to this book after hearing a fascinating lecture from Dr. Cortright about neurogenesis, the ability to produce new brain cells. So this mainly comes from the perspective that certain dietary and lifestyle habits contribute to more brain cell growth which optimizes your brain and helps improves mental health and brainpower, among a host of other health benefits. I would recommend this for another perspective on the food and mental health connection that's very fascinating and does far more justice than this summary.

Book Description: The Neurogenesis Diet and Lifestyle brings together the latest in neuroscience research to present a new and proven view of brain health and aging. Only recently has it been discovered that the brain produces new brain cells throughout our entire lives, a process called neurogenesis. The rate at which we form new brain cells has a profound influence upon every aspect of our life. When the rate of neurogenesis is low, we see cognitive deficits and memory problems, anxiety and stress, depression, and lowered immunity. Life is difficult. This book presents the latest neuroscience discoveries to increase brain power, enhance memory, increase brain fitness by seeing what kinds of brain exercises actually work, and build a better brain. It contains dietary recommendations for brain food, brain vitamins, brain supplements, memory vitamins and memory supplements.
I was originally led to Max Lugavere from an interview he gave on one of my regular podcasts listens " Broken Brain" with Dhru Purohit. Max Lugavere has recently been one of the leading voices on nutrition choices and their impact on brain health in the online world and directly aims to clarify misinformation in the food industry. This is another read that really helps tie in the holistic perspective of how certain dietary choices can help or hurt overall mental wellness and help you think more critically about the food industry at large.

Book Description: Discover the critical link between your brain and the food you eat and change the way your brain ages, in this cutting-edge, practical guide to eliminating brain fog, optimizing brain health, and achieving peak mental performance from media personality and leading voice in health Max Lugavere.
In Genius Foods, Lugavere presents a comprehensive guide to brain optimization. He uncovers the stunning link between our dietary and lifestyle choices and our brain functions, revealing how the foods you eat directly affect your ability to focus, learn, remember, create, analyze new ideas, and maintain a balanced mood. Weaving together pioneering research on dementia prevention, cognitive optimization, and nutritional psychiatry, Lugavere distills groundbreaking science into actionable lifestyle changes.

I hope you found these recommendations helpful! Have you been interested in the mind-gut connection? Are there any other books on the relationship between food and mental health that you'd recommend? Be sure to drop them in the comments below!

Your friend,

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The 5 Latest Books I've Read about Food & Mental Health That Will Change Your Life

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I'm a total geek for the relationship between nutrition and mental health and a big believer in the gut-Brain connection. Growing research has found that there is bi-directional communication between the brain and the gut, commonly referred to as the gut-brain axis, meaning that what we eat literally fuels our mind (energy, alertness, focus, mood).

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Eating Your Mood | Christy Grenon | TEDxUBCO

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The science is clear: practicing mindfulness is good for you. Just as you can exercise the body for better performance, the mind too can be trained, honed and sharpened. Mindfulness has been shown to break negative thought patterns, reduce stress and anxiety, and sharpens focus.

Perhaps knowing all of these benefits, you tried meditation. Yet, for whatever the reason, the practice of meditation-sitting still, quietly, focusing on a single object, just isn't working for you. Maybe you even judge yourself for your inability to meditate.

If you are struggling with making meditation part of your daily practice, or it just isn't your cup of tea, there are many other mindfulness practices you can still incorporate into your day.
When to practice mindfulness
Just to be clear, every moment of your life presents an opportunity to be mindful. You do not need to sit on a meditation cushion or visit a meditation center or an ashram to practice mindfulness. That's the beautify of mindfulness-your entire life is a laboratory where you can experiment.

However, knowing that you can (or should) be mindful 24/7 is very different than actually being mindful throughout the day. For this reason, I've found it useful to have some cues that will remind me to return to center, to intentionally bring a bit of mindfulness to what I am doing and to pay attention to what is actually happening in the moment, rather than be trapped by the internal chatter.
Adding mindfulness cues into your day
You can use any activity or event in your day as mindfulness cues. When I teach mindfulness to high-achieving professionals, I find that there's a preoccupation with doing mindfulness "right." I include myself in this camp. As a lawyer, I work in an occupation that's constantly focusing on right and wrong, so perhaps it's no wonder I was so fearful of doing it wrong.

Here's the interesting thing: Your thoughts can also become part of your mindfulness practice. When I became more mindful, I started to notice the constant stream of thoughts, the constant negative inner chatter. Including the preoccupation with "failure" and doing things "correctly." Now, after many years of practice, I am better about noticing these thoughts as simply that- thoughts. I can have more space between my thoughts and see the situation more clearly, with a bit more objectivity.
Simple mindfulness practices
1. Mindful walking. If sitting meditation isn't your thing, you can try walking meditation. This is a common practice at meditation retreats, where you'll often alternate between a period of sitting meditation and walking meditation. You can read this article for details on how to practice walking meditation.

When you get up from your desk to go to the bathroom, talk to a colleague or get a cup of coffee, rather than mindlessly walking, trapped in your thoughts, bring your attention to the physical movement of talking. Notice your feet on the floor, the weight of your body shifting from one leg to the other. Feel your arms swing. Notice the temperature in the room. Pay attention to whatever your senses can notice.

2. Mindful eating. How often do you sit down to eat, completely distracted? Perhaps you're checking your email, Twitter or Facebook, or just spaced out.

Try this: when eating, simply eat. No digital device, book, newspaper, etc. Try eating alone. Pay attention to what you're eating, the sensory experiences-taste, smell and texture. Notice the color of the food. You can even spend a moment being grateful for the food you're consuming.

3. Mindful speaking & listening. One unexpected benefit of mindfulness is that I've become a better listener. Rather than thinking of my response (or rebuttal), simply listening, fully and noticing my own internal dialogue has been an interesting experiment. I find that I am much better able to see the other person's perspective and be more thoughtful in my response. I can also create more spaciousness in the conversation because I'm not rushing or waiting to add my two cents.

Listening is perhaps one of the most valuable gifts we can offer to others. Offer it generously whenever possible and bring your best intentions. Especially in bitterly heated negotiations, or contentious situations, I've found that bringing a mindful attitude leaves everyone feeling heard and tends to deescalate charged emotions.

4. Mindful showering and washing. During my first mindfulness class at Stanford University, our instructor, Mark Abramson, D.D.S., assigned "mindful showering" as our first homework. We often miss moments of pleasure and enjoyable sensory experience due to constant distraction and busyness of the mind.

Rather than going through your day's to-do list, worrying about that meeting you have later in the day, feeling angry after reliving some argument you had 10 years ago or whatever may be distracting your mind, simply pause and feel the shower. Notice the warm water, all the delightful scents, and give a moment of gratitude for the privilege of clean water.

5. Practice yoga. It's rather unfortunate that yoga as it's often practiced is simply seen as "exercise." The practice of yoga is much more than that. It's the perfect place to practice mindfulness. During your next yoga class, really bring all of your awareness to what is happening. I like to start each yoga practice by taking a minute or so to simply notice the sensation of my feet on the yoga mat. On the days where I can't make it to the studio, I still practice. I really enjoy Yoga with Adriene for short practices I can do at home or when I'm traveling.

What are your favorite off-the-cushion mindfulness practices? Let me know in the comments below.

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Five Simple Mindfulness Practices For People Who Hate To Meditate

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The science is clear: practicing mindfulness is good for you. Just as you can exercise the body for better performance, the mind too can be trained, honed and sharpened. Mindfulness has been shown to break negative thought patterns, reduce stress and anxiety, and sharpens focus. Perhaps knowing all of these benefits, you tried meditation.

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Mindful Movement and Meditation from 1N5

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Mindful Movement and Meditation from 1N5

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Check out the 1n5 YouTube channel for more mindfulness meditations :)

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The Mindfulness Awareness Research Center

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UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC)
The mission of the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) is to foster mindful awareness across the lifespan through education and research to promote well-being and a more compassionate society. Mindful awareness (mindfulness) can be defined as paying attention to present-moment experiences with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is. Mindfulness can be trained systematically, and it can be implemented more fully in daily life by people of any age, profession, or background. MARC offers classes, programs, trainings, and events to UCLA, the Los Angeles community, and to a wider global community through virtual and in-person learning, web resources, and our free app with guided meditations, "UCLA Mindful"
https://uclahealth.org/programs/marc
Specialty Care: Education/Research - Integrative Medicine | UCLA Health

UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
740 Westwood Plaza, Rm. 17- 468
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Formore information,please contact us at [email protected]

Join Diana Winston, director of mindfulness education at the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC), and learn the science behind mindfulness, as well as practical, scientifically-proven techniques for reducing stress and cultivating well-being.

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UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) The mission of the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) is to foster mindful awareness across the lifespan through education and research to promote well-being and a more compassionate society. Mindful awareness (mindfulness) can be defined as paying attention to present-moment experiences with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is.

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Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise - TED Talk

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Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise - TED Talk

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Wendy Suzuki: The brain-changing benefits of exercise

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What's the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory -- and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

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The MyPlate Plan* shows your food group targets - what and how much to eat within your calorie allowance.

Your food plan is personalized, based on your:

To get started, click on the "Start" button. You can also find out your MyPlate Plan in Spanish.

Get the MyPlate Plan widget to post or share on your blog or website!
Get the Widget

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The MyPlate Plan* shows your food group targets - what and how much to eat within your calorie allowance. Your food plan is personalized, based on your: To get started, click on the "Start" button. You can also find out your MyPlate Plan in Spanish.

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Jeff Iliff: One more reason to get a good night's sleep TED Talk

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Why You Should get a Good Night's Sleep - TED Talk

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Why You Should get a Good Night's Sleep - TED Talk

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Jeff Iliff: One more reason to get a good night's sleep

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The brain uses a quarter of the body's entire energy supply, yet only accounts for about two percent of the body's mass. So how does this unique organ receive and, perhaps more importantly, rid itself of vital nutrients? New research suggests it has to do with sleep.

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Screen time can disrupt circadian rhythms and affect the quality of our sleep. These tips can help separate sleep time from screen time.

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Mindfulness is the state of active, open attention to the present. It is achieved by purposefully focusing your attention to the unfolding of your experience in the present moment, with a gentle and open mind. It means becoming aware of what is happening in the here-and-now, both internally, and in the external world around you. It allows you to observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them to be "good" or "bad." When you're mindful, you are living fully in the present moment, instead of letting life pass you by.

The Mindfulness Toolkit was designed to introduce you to the concept of mindfulness, share the most current information regarding its benefits and applications and provide you with practical tools for beginning to incorporate mindfulness into your everyday life. As you begin to explore the ideas and tools within the Mindfulness Toolkit, know that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to begin practicing greater mindfulness. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles always begins with a single step.

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Mindfulness is the state of active, open attention to the present. It is achieved by purposefully focusing your attention to the unfolding of your experience in the present moment, with a gentle and open mind. It means becoming aware of what is happening in the here-and-now, both internally, and in the external world around you.

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By now there's a good chance you've heard the term "mindfulness." It seems to be everywhere-touted as the new yoga, the answer to stress, the alternative to Xanax. But beyond the buzz, what is it? Jon Kabat-Zinn, the scientist and widely recognized father of contemporary, medically based mindfulness-over 30 years ago he developed a therapeutic meditation practice known as Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)-defines mindfulness simply as "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally."

That's the short version. To expand on that just a little, mindfulness is a meditation practice that begins with paying attention to breathing in order to focus on the here and now-not what might have been or what you're worried could be. The ultimate goal is to give you enough distance from disturbing thoughts and emotions to be able to observe them without immediately reacting to them.

In the last few years mindfulness has emerged as a way of treating children and adolescents with conditions ranging from ADHD to anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, depression and stress. And the benefits are proving to be tremendous.

But how do you explain mindfulness to a five year-old? When she's teaching mindfulness to children, Amy Saltzman, MD, a holistic physician and mindfulness coach in Menlo Park, California, prefers not to define the word but rather to invite the child to feel the experience first-to find their "still, quiet place."

"We begin by paying attention to breath," she says. "The feeling of the expansion of the in-breath, the stillness between the in-breath and the out-breath. I invite them to rest in the space between the breaths. Then I explain that this still quiet place is always with us-when we're sad, when we're angry, excited, happy, frustrated. They can feel it in their bodies. And it becomes a felt experience of awareness. They can learn to observe their thoughts and feelings, and the biggest thing for me is they can begin to choose their behaviors."

In her private practice, Saltzman, and her Still Quiet Place CDs for Young Children and Teens, teaches mindfulness to children and adolescents with a variety of challenges. "I work with kids individually with ADHD, with anxiety, depression, autism, anger management issues. The lovely thing about working one-on-one is you get to tailor what you offer to them."

Saltzman also conducted a study in conjunction with researchers at Stanford University showing that after 8 weeks of mindfulness training, the fourth through sixth graders in the study had documented decreases in anxiety, and improvements in attention. They were less emotionally reactive and more able to handle daily challenges and choose their behavior.

As a teacher at The Nantucket New School where every student gets instruction in mindfulness, Allison Johnson has learned first hand what a difference it can make for kids. So she tried it at home. "I have a six-year-old son with ADHD," she says. "I brought a chime home. We use it most nights before bed. 'Cause he doesn't love going to sleep. We sit on the floor facing each other, we close our eyes and we ring the chime. Sometimes we incorporate a visualization-like he's floating on a cloud. We go on this little journey. And we ring the chime again and we say 'when you can no longer hear the chime it's time to open your eyes and come back to focus.' And now if he gets in trouble and gets sent to his room, I can hear him upstairs doing it himself. Or when he's getting unusually rowdy he'll say 'okay lets do our mindful breathing now.'" Johnson says since Curren started practicing mindfulness she's seen subtle but noticeable differences in his behavior. "He's more able to bring his focus and attention back to where they were-remembering to raise his hand and not move around so much."

While the research on children and adolescents is really just beginning to gain real traction, there are several small studies showing that for kids who suffer from anxiety and ADHD, mindfulness can be especially helpful. Diana Winston, author of Wide Awake and the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, started taking teens with ADHD on retreats for what she calls "mindfulness intensive camp" back in 1993. Twenty years later the program is still going strong.

" Teens benefit tremendously," she says. "Kids talk about their lives being transformed. I remember one girl with ADD who'd been very depressed and I didn't think we were reaching her. On the last day of class she came in and said, 'everything is different. I was really depressed. My boyfriend broke up with me and it's been so hard but I'm finally understanding that I'm not my thoughts.' That concept is huge-the non-identifying with the negative thoughts and having a little more space and freedom in the midst of it."

Stress reduction and self-acceptance are two of the major perks of mindfulness, benefits Winston says are particularly important during the drama and turmoil-filled teen years. "Emotional regulation, learning how to quiet one's mind-those are invaluable skills."

Randye Semple, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, has spent her career developing programs to teach anxious kids how to quiet their minds. "When I look at childhood anxiety I see an enormous problem and a precursor to other problems in adolescents and adults," she says. "So I figured if we could manage the anxiety we could head off a lot of the other problems." Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Anxious Children, the book she co-authored, is based on the program she developed. A study she and her co-author, clinical psychologist Jennifer Lee, conducted from 2000-2003 showed significant reductions in both anxiety and behavior problems in 8- to 12-year-olds in Harlem and Spanish Harlem who participated in the program.

Teaching mindfulness to children and adolescents is a growing trend-in private practices as part of therapy and increasingly as part of the curriculum in both Special Ed and General Ed classes throughout the country. "We're at the beginning of a movement," says Megan Cowan, co-founder and executive director of programs at Mindful Schools in Oakland, California. "Jon Kabat-Zinn's work really set the stage for mindfulness to be visible on a mainstream landscape. I think we all have the sense that society's a little out of control. Education is a little out of control. We're all looking for a way to change that. This is meaningful to almost everybody."

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The Power of Mindfulness - Child Mind Institute

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Learn how mindfulness techniques can help combat stress and alleviate mental health and learning disorders. Child Mind Institute explains the benefits of mindfulness for children.

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All it takes is 10 mindful minutes | Andy Puddicombe TED Talk

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All it takes is 10 mindful minutes | Andy Puddicombe | TED

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Mindfulness Activities for Children and Teens

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Mindfulness Activities for Children and Teens

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25 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children & Teens (+Tips!)

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Fun mindfulness activities for kids to teach them about mindfulness. Enjoy!

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The Power of Journaling and Getting Started

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The practice of writing in a journal, a diary, or just scribbling notes to ourselves on pieces of paper, has both a rich history and present-day appeal. The famous 20th-century novelist and diarist Anaïs Nin believed writing serves "to heighten our own awareness of life...to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection." She was on to something. Writing has a remarkable way of shifting our awareness-keeping a journal can be an accessible way to experience that shift.

As a hobby, journaling is inexpensive, portable, and can brighten our quality of awareness, making sense of our thoughts, feelings, perspectives, our own developing story line as it happens. It gives us a chance to slow down, breathe, turn to a fresh page, and "get real" about what we're thinking and feeling-also referred to, particularly in therapeutic settings, as expressive writing. Although we refer here to writing, journaling is not only about putting words on paper. Visual journals filled with sketches, doodles, or any form of art you desire, vastly expand the options and the accessibility of journaling practice. You don't have to erase your doodles, correct your grammar, or worry about garnering Likes and emojis from a virtual fan club. In other words, expressive journaling is expressing yourself, for yourself.

Writing to Be Well

Scientific research conducted over the past two decades also finds that expressive writing can offer a multitude of mental and emotional health benefits. Journaling can decrease stress, help to level out your most turbulent emotions, and increase your sense of gratitude and optimism. A 2001 study found that college students who took up expressive writing about their troubles had fewer intrusive, stressful thoughts, and even improved their working memory. Researchers think that writing about difficult experiences or ruminations helps the brain to process them, freeing up mental resources.

Journaling has also shown promise as a way to help ourselves deal with anxious thoughts. In a 2018 study, people struggling with anxiety were asked to do a reflective writing practice online for 15 minutes per day, three days per week for 12 weeks. Others were assigned to a control group with their usual anxiety treatment. Within the 12 weeks, those who did the writing practice (compared with the control group) reported lower levels of anxiety and mental distress, less perceived stress, greater resilience and self-reported social integration, and fewer days on which pain prohibited their usual activities. Other studies have reported even more possible benefits, including improved markers of immune health, blood pressure, and ability to cope with grief and trauma.

How do these benefits come about? Zindel Segal, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto and a pioneering specialist in the use of mindfulness to treat mood disorders, explains that "the very act of writing takes information, that is often only dimly perceived, such as quick judgments, fears, worries, and concretizes by putting them in written form on paper. It requires that they are formed in language and also, once seen 'on the page,' they may be experienced with less of an emotional charge than when they were only 'in the head.'"

Segal notes that programs such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction incorporate elements of expressive writing, which can help participants to externalize their experience, so that it becomes more available for mindful investigation. "Whether it involves writing about pleasant or unpleasant moments in MBCT or journaling in MBSR, the goals are the same: Make that which is fleeting more vivid and bring a kind curiosity to what is revealed," Segal says.

Being You, for You

A mindful journaling practice also provides an opportunity to let go of judging yourself, to freely explore what you notice, what you feel, what makes you tick. Amy Spies, a meditation teacher and writing teacher based in Los Angeles, says that mindfulness and expressive writing share "the concept of finding a way to not be attached to self-criticism and doubts-to not suppress them, but let them float around you, as you stay in the present." Spies teaches that meditating for even five or ten minutes before you write can inspire kind-hearted awareness.

It doesn't matter what you end up writing, or how many pages you fill, or how messy it looks. Remember, this is for you.

No matter what you end up writing, or how many pages you fill, or how messy it looks, this is by you, for you. The gift of fearless self-expression also blooms into self-compassion. Mindful journaling allows the space to show up for your own emotions-contentment, anxiety, hunger, exhilaration, even sheer boredom -and just hang out with them for a little while. As with any consistent mindfulness practice, this opening-up with kindness for yourself can't help but spread to those around you.

By the Book

The multitude of notebook styles at your local bookstore will offer plenty of notebook possibilities. Consider what you want to get out of your journaling practice. Are you hoping to ground yourself with a structured, daily practice? Record your dreams, or insights that come to you? Sort out your quagmire of thoughts? Any blank, lined, or dotted pages may strike your fancy. You may want to peruse different sizes of notebooks, different types of bindings (spiral binding? sewn-in pages? soft faux-leather covers?). An abundance of guided journals help you to hone in on cultivating gratitude, or mindfulness, or on a particular experience, such as a travel journal or a parenting journal.

Let yourself stay open to where the writing process leads you. As Hayley Phelan, a journalist who began her expressive writing practice while going through major life shifts, wrote for the New York Times, "Writing in your journal is the only way to find out what you should be writing about." If you feel yourself getting lost, come back to your breath and your underlying intention to be honest and kind with yourself. Spending this quality time with what is present for you, and holding compassion for it all, is at the heart of mindful journaling.

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How to Start a Mindful Journaling Practice - Mindful

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The practice of writing in a journal, a diary, or just scribbling notes to ourselves on pieces of paper, has both a rich history and present-day appeal. The famous 20th-century novelist and diarist Anaïs Nin believed writing serves "to heighten our own awareness of life...to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection."