I've created short, follow-along exercise video series, like the Recommended Daily Activity series, to make taking care of yourself an easy time investment for your daily routines!
Most of us spend the majority of our days thinking outwardly about work, family, friends... life in general outside of our own bodies. It isn't until we're hurting or ill that we start to listen to the inward messages telling us that something might be wrong. To make a habit of self-care, we can use tools like the Wellness Check On-the-Spot to develop better awareness of our physical and mental health from day-to-day (PDF doc. attached below). Awareness of our current tendencies and consistent effort toward the desired outcome are crucial requisites for building new behaviors, habits, and skills or creating psychological and physical change.
We can also use the Wellness Check On-the-Spot whenever we feel something's off. If we're feeling fatigued or lethargic... we've got a headache... we're feeling emotionally frazzled. Whenever stress levels are beginning to tip the scales and we feel we're losing control or not on top of our game, it can be transformational to take just a few moments in reflection to reassure ourselves that we're taking care of the essential factors that are most within our control. Much like a survivalist goes through a checklist of the most important resources needed in life and death situations, we should continuously check our bodies and behaviors to ensure we're proactively and preemptively caring for our health. To improve chances of getting the most out of life and living a successful, thriving, and healthful life lifestyle, consider a daily check-in with yourself that covers the following key factors:
Breath: Accumulate multiple rounds daily of 15-30 continuous, deeper, and slower breaths through the nose and into the lower belly.
How we breathe may be the most influential factor in our immediate state of well-being; shortness of breath can be a sign of anxiety or other psychological stress, and deeper breathing patterns may have tremendous beneficial effects on our health.
Hydration: Drink a minimum of 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water per day spread evenly across the day.
Hydration plays a massively important roles in all physical and cognitive functioning. Fatigue and headaches are two of the less-known signs of dehydration. Individual recommendations are to drink half our body weight (lbs.) in ounces of water daily; for example, a 180 lbs. individual would need 90 oz. of water daily.
Electrolyte balance: Regularly ingest good sources of minerals throughout the day, especially when taking on any vigorous physical activity.
Electrolytes keep our bodies hydrated and moving and our hearts beating regularly. Signs of electrolyte imbalance can be dizziness, cramps, irregular heartbeat, or mental confusion. Some of the best sources of electrolytes include nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables and leafy greens, meats, and dairy products like yogurt.
General nutrient balance: Include regular, well-balanced meals of wholesome proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that are minimally processed highest in vitamins and minerals with a variety of probiotics.
Nutrition is the fuel we burn and the raw materials we repair and restore our bodies with. Preparation and time investment are often key to being successful with healthy nutritional habits. Cross-reference a healthy caloric intake balance with daily activity levels.
Sleep, Rest, & Recovery: Besides affording ourselves sufficient sleep, building in active rest periods or breaks throughout the day enhances attention, focus, energy, and mood.
Rest is perhaps the most vital component of overall well-being. Sleep deprivation can have detrimental effects on both cognitive and physical performance after just one night's loss of sleep. Similarly, the best practice for daily health and performance levels is to give ourselves periodic breaks from whatever task we're currently engaged in.
Mindfulness & Meditation: Schedule periodic times daily to practice mindfulness and meditation to improve mental and physical well-being.
Meditation is another fundamental component of wellness that can bring about feelings of calm, peace, and balance or increase attention and focus. Some examples include breath work, body scanning, quiet walking outdoors, prayer, affirmations, mantras, or focusing our thoughts on the emotions of gratitude, kindness, or love.
Movement: Increase the frequency of daily activity with multiple bouts broken up throughout the day to ensure caloric balance, chemical homeostasis, and physical fitness.
One of the easiest ways to change our state of mind is to get up and move. Physical activity, especially that which challenges the body beyond its levels of everyday functioning, releases chemicals that will reshape the body, brain, and mood.
Need more structure, guidance, or motivation to invest in your self-care routine? Subscribe to my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@AaronWyantMS
And check out my quick, no equipment needed exercise routines at: www.AaronWyant.com/onlineprograms