This is the second part in my series on self-care. As I explained last week, I completely neglected my self-care last spring semester. We’ve already talked about how to take care of your mental health, but what about taking care of our bodies too? Physical self-care is just as important as mental self-care, and it can be especially important when you’re stressed. I’ve found that stress tends to be my excuse to skip a workout, eat junk food, and stay up too late. Unfortunately, this only ends up making my mind and body feel much worse. Here are some ways to practice bodily self-care throughout the semester:
1. Exercise
Whether it’s a trip to the KAC, a bike ride down the Gap trail, or even just an intentional walk across campus, exercise is a great way to practice self-care. It gets your blood pumping, it works your muscles, and it releases endorphins. I also want to emphasize that a workout doesn’t need to be crazy hard in order for it to be effective. Self-care is all about doing what is best for your body and what makes you feel good, so if that’s simply 15 minutes on the elliptical, that’s okay too.
2. Try yoga or meditation
Meditation is not only an opportunity for you to ground your body and give it a break, but it also allows your mind to rest as well. Yoga can also be a very calming experience. This practice allows you to sync your breathing with your movements, and it gives you the opportunity to practice intentional movements that increase blood flow and flexibility.
3. Dance
Again, one of the best ways to show your body some love is to shake it around! Put on your favorite jams and let yourself get groovy in your room. There is nothing more freeing than allowing yourself the chance to dance without fear of others judging you. If you aren’t sure where to start, there are a multitude of dance workouts and tutorials on YouTube—check them out!
4. Eat healthier (or, really, just eat)
Even though sugary and salty junk food may seem more appealing when stress hits, those choices may end up being much more detrimental to your health. Junk food is filled with simple sugars—although they may provide a great sugar rush, they also provide a pretty terrible sugar crash. Fruits, veggies, and other whole foods will fill you up and make you feel healthier, happier, and more energetic.
I would also like to mention that, although some days can be really difficult and busy and long, that is not an excuse to starve our bodies. I spent my summer working long hours, and I often put off eating until I was dying of exhaustion and hunger. Don’t do that! Take it from me, it makes getting work done substantially harder when you don’t have the food to fuel your day.
5. Take ten deep breaths
Sometimes we don’t need to do a super involved self-care routine—or there simply isn’t time to do something extensive. Taking a moment to just breathe can be incredibly powerful. I would suggest sitting up straight, then breathing in for seven seconds—hold the breath for four seconds, and breathe out for six seconds. Taking time to breathe will bring more oxygen into your body and help you feel refreshed.
6. Drink water
We all get dehydrated sometimes, and, honestly it can be even more difficult to stay on top of your water consumption when your days run long. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that our bodies are mainly made up of water, so it’s important that we drink enough every day! Pro tip: if you feel thirsty, that means that you’re already super dehydrated, so try to drink enough water that you never feel that “thirsty” feeling.
Self-care isn’t always easy, but it’s incredibly important—especially when it comes to taking care of your body. It’s the only one you’ve got, so treat it right, and you’ll feel great!
Image credits: self.com, reference.com