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0 By Al
Before I went on holiday, I ate relatively clean and exercised everyday for an hour. I lost around 7lb and was motivated by the desire to look good in my pictures. My skin routine was consistent and I was moisturised within an inch of my life.
After I came back, the motivation was gone. Slowly working my way through more cake than I care to mention and I’m sure at this point my blood is more Cola than plasma.
Focusing on my health and feeling like I looked good really made me feel alive.
I had more energy, more enthusiasm, more confidence and was a lot more motivated. It’s been about a month and a half since I got home and I just feel in a constant state of what can only be described as “meh”.
I’m losing concentration (it took 10 hours to write my last blog post!) I feel tired all the time and I can’t be arsed to do anything. It’s a miracle I’ve kept up with posting.
While I support the use of medication for depression and anxiety if needed, I also think self-care is a very important factor that helps keep us balanced.
I am on antidepressants and while I wouldn’t say I feel depressed, I do feel a little more flat and tired than before I went away.
Today, I’m going to look at self-care and the secret to feeling good.
What is self-care?
“Self-care is something we do to look after ourselves emotionally, mentally and physically.”
It doesn’t have to be a huge lifestyle overhaul. A small change can go a long way.
Examples
. Healthy eating .
. Exercising .
. Cleaning your teeth .
. Showering .
. Getting the right amount of sleep .
. Drink plenty of water .
. Doing something you enjoy .
. Relaxing .
. Keeping tabs on your mental health .
. Spending time around others .
. Treating yourself once in a while .
. Living in a clean environment .
. Taking you medication regularly .
Why do we need self-care?
Self-care is an important part of our lives, that can easily be forgotten. Whether battling a mental issue, spending long hours at work or just not feeling like you have enough time, it is sometimes put to the back of your mind.
Keeping active and doing things you enjoy will release endorphins and activate the reward system in your brain.
Healthy eating, drinking plenty of water and taking your medication helps your body to function properly, giving you energy.
Setting these little goals for yourself and achieving them can give you a huge sense of accomplishment and that can really help in taking bigger steps towards improving your mental health in the future.
I decided to start running before I went away and getting out and doing it, even if I didn’t feel like it showed me that I can motivate myself and push forward. I think it has helped me with persevering with these bigger goals of going out to new places and meeting new people.
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Now I’m not saying that it will completely change your life, but it will give you the self-esteem and the knowledge that you can do what you set out to achieve.
In conclusion
Whether it be taking the stairs instead of taking the lift, letting your doctor know that you aren’t doing so well or getting outside in the sun to do some painting. Do something to make you feel good.
You deserve to.
Reproduced with permission, originally posted here: lifewitha.health.blog
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