As women, we can sometimes fall into the pattern of taking care of everybody else before ourselves. I know I’m guilty of it. We’re also busy! We manage households, we run businesses, we take care of our families and children. When there’s already not enough time in the day to check off our to-do lists, our own needs tend to no longer be a priority.
But here’s the thing, practicing self-care isn’t the same thing as being selfish. In fact, if you’re down and out mentally or physically, how are you going to take care of the kids, your parents, and everyone else in your life? It’s time to listen to what flight attendants have been telling us for years; put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others with theirs.
Here are my top self-care tips that are easy enough to follow with even the busiest of schedules!
Tip 1: Eat Healthy & Stay Hydrated
Food fuels us — both physically and spiritually. I mean, who doesn’t love a yummy treat after dinner!? But it’s important to make sure your body is getting the right kind of fuel.
The biggest tip I can give when it comes to trying to make better dietary choices is awareness. Educate yourself on what ingredients and additives are going into the food you eat. Slowing it down when you’re eating, focusing more on integrating whole foods into your diet, and making sure your body is getting the right kind of fuel to keep you in top shape.
I also cannot stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated. There are so many wonderful things our bodies do without our knowledge, like regulating our body temperature, and flushing bacteria from our bladders. So, in order for our bodies to keep functioning properly, we need water, water, and, you guessed it, more water!
Find a reusable water bottle that you love and keep it by your side at all times, even if you’re not thirsty. If you’re not used to drinking the recommended amount of water we need each day, I get it! It can be a tough habit to form. But eventually, it’ll become second nature to reach for that water bottle.
Help your body help you and stay well-fed and hydrated! You’ll think clearer and feel better.
Tip 2: Integrate Exercise Into Your Daily Routine
I get that not everyone has the ability to exercise every single day, especially when you have young kids. It’s hard to find the time to squeeze in a workout when you’re a busy parent.
It’s time to start taking advantage of at-home workouts! My new favourite way to exercise has to be through Instagram Live. Some of my favourite fitness gurus have started posting real-time videos of themselves working out at home so that you can too.
Also, don’t hesitate to combine playtime with exercise and get your kids involved! In my house we’ve turned our Instagram Live workouts into an activity for the whole family. I love seeing my kids getting involved, which is awesome for setting them up for healthy habits in the future.
It’s more than just integrating exercise into your daily routine, it’s about finding ways to live an active lifestyle. Take advantage of naptime and go for a stroller jog or go on big, long walks with your dog—they’ll love it and so will you!
Tip 3: Get a Good Night’s Sleep
The next tip of my “survive and thrive” list is sleep — and I’m talking about the yummy REM stage of sleep! This is the type of sleep that can really help your brain and strengthen your immune system. A lack of REM sleep can have some pretty negative implications for your physical and mental health. So how do you achieve it?
Be as protective of your sleep as you are of making sure you don’t miss this week’s episode of your favourite show on TV.
Avoid blue light for at least an hour before you go to bed. The blue light that’s emitted from our phones and television screens can really take its toll on our bodies’ natural processes, including resetting our internal clocks and increasing our alertness. Darkness triggers your pineal glands to secrete melatonin, which is the hormone that tells your body it’s tired and ready for sleep. Blue light inhibits this process.
When I can’t turn off my busy mind or am having difficulty sleeping, I wear a sleep mask to make sure no light is coming in. I also use my Jamieson Vitamins Melatonin Sleep Spray to help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. You want to aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, so these little tips can help you increase your sleep time.
Tip 4: Support Your Body With Vitamins and Supplements
I’ve always been really good about taking the vitamins that I need as I believe that they are the foundation of building a self-care routine. There are two kinds that I believe everyone should incorporate into their life: multivitamins and probiotics.
So let’s get real. In a perfect world we’d be getting all the vitamins and nutrients we need from the food that we eat. In reality, the majority of us can’t get these recommended amounts from food alone. That’s where vitamins and supplements come in. Introducing a good multivitamin into your routine like Jamieson Vitamins 100% Complete Multivitamin for Women ensures that your body is getting all of the vitamins you need on a daily basis.
Probiotics keep your gut healthy. I like Jamieson Vitamins Probiotics Complex for Women. If your belly is happy, then you’ll be happy — trust me. This kind of bacteria that is good for you and having the right gut bacteria is linked to so many health benefits like supporting your digestive system. In my family, probiotics are a staple of our everyday lives.
Other staples I use are tailored to my specific needs. For me, this has included vitamin D. I had to go into my doctor’s to find out where my vitamin D levels were at. I highly recommend you also take the time to find out which vitamins and supplements will benefit you and your family. Being aware of your levels is really important in understanding what you need.
Tip 5: Spend Quality Time with Loved Ones
This is probably the most simple tip, yet the easiest one to ignore; spend quality time with your loved ones. Surrounding yourself with people you love and who love you can do wonders to improve your mood and mental health.
10 years from now I want my kids to be able to look back at their childhood and remember the dance parties, at-home school adventures, laughter, snuggles, deep talks… the list goes on.
Hope you took away some helpful tips from this article.
Now you can live outward and help everyone around you!
From my family to yours, we wish you the best.
Cheryl
Cheryl Hickey
ET Canada, Host
Twitter: @CherylHickeyETC
Instagram: @cherylhickey
As host of Entertainment Tonight Canada, Cheryl Hickey delivers breaking news coverage, in-depth profiles and behind-the-scenes exclusives to viewers each night. Cheryl graduated from London's Fanshawe College with a Broadcast Journalism degree, working in a variety of radio and television roles before joining ET Canada for its launch in 2005.
While busy interviewing the most powerful celebrities in Hollywood including Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Swift, Brad Pitt, and Oprah, Cheryl still finds the time to give back, working closely with Sick Kids and Plan International Canada. In 2019, Cheryl was named as host of HGTV Canada’s new feel-good renovation series Big Family Overhaul.
