As we know, the human body is constantly changing. Whether your hair is shedding, nails are chipping, or pimples are appearing, something is always going on inside of the body. Maybe I’m biased, but I think that the changes a woman’s body goes through are a little more severe than a man’s—if anything, it is definitely more noticeable. As we’re coming of age, one of the more important things that they don’t really teach you in school is getting to know YOUR body apart from anyone else’s. We all function and react differently to different things. Adding the stress of a job, school, and your personal life can be contributing factors. One of the most rewarding things that can be done to help soothe fluctuations is keeping tabs on what it is that’s fluctuating. There are a few things to pay close attention to daily:
Tiredness
Often times, people think that being sleepy all the time just come from a busy schedule. Obviously, if your day starts at 8 am and doesn’t end until 11 pm, then you’re going to want to sleep! If you find yourself feeling extra tired/fatigued then check your stress level and water intake. Fatigue and dehydration don’t have to be extreme to the point of landing you in the hospital—sometimes the two are subtle.
Missing/Late Monthly Cycle
Easily one of the more important things to keep track of, but also the hardest to remember to track! Instead of mourning the loss of blood, patience, and self-control around all things chocolate, all girls with periods should be monitoring their cycles. Something about it could be abnormal and your doctor could totally help you manage. If you need to ask yourself the “Is this normal?” question then it wouldn’t hurt to look into it!
Hair/Skin/Nails
Possible the first things about your appearance that people notice, hair, skin, and nails all deserve their own upkeep. All need to be moisturized and groomed in order to stay healthy looking and feeling. Yes, even your nails. It’s not even about being on fleek, necessarily! Simply making sure that you are using the right products and using them often enough, is the majority of people’s struggle. You can’t use what everyone recommends; if you don’t see it benefitting you then try something else!
My favorite thing about learning my body is being able to tell when something is wrong! Gaining weight is awful, but if I’ve consumed more alcohol than usual or skipped out on the veggies then I can tell exactly why. Usually the consequences of not taking care of yourself sucks, but that’s your body’s way of speaking to you. I think because we walk around in the same skin 24/7, we forget to maintain ourselves! Well, this has been your reminder, no excuses!
HCXO!