-New Urban Health- Making Self-Care A Priority In Your Life for the New Year
For many folks, the events of the past year may have made it a stress-inducing one, to be sure: from watching international political & humanitarian dramas playing out on the global stage, to traversing the changing trajectories many are experiencing in their personal lives at home. In a variety of ways, 2017 may have felt like one of the more intense periods in recent times, leaving a lot of folks feeling world-weary in its wake. Now more than ever, the once quaint and provincial concept of "self-care" has become a necessary and crucial buffer against the crazy pace of a 24/7 Digital Access-World-Seemingly Gone Mad - particularly as we are now aging, and moving towards new, uncharted territory and life changes in the next phase of life as maturing women. More than just a catch phrase and not to be mistaken for willy nilly psychobabble, today NUY 40+ is taking a closer look at the concept of self-care, and why it should be a priority in our ever-increasingly frenzied world. To begin, let's start with a general definition of what self-care is and is not, in order to clear up any confusion or misrepresentation:
What Self-Care IS:
What Self-Care IS:
Self-care is essentially making intentional effort to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. It may sound simple enough in theory, but simple-sounding activities like making sure you hydrate, having quiet time to pray, meditate or simply think, getting enough sleep, or paying attention to proper diet are often easily overlooked in the day-to-day rush of life. Self -care simply means setting time aside for yourself to do one, a few, or all of the above activities in your life as needed. Self-care is an important tool in preventing burn-out, reducing anxiety, as well as giving you the strength and energy you need to be present, productive, and temperate for the family, friends, and colleagues around you.
What Self-Care ISN'T:
Simply put: self-care is not something that we force ourselves to do out of a misguided sense of duty, or something we don’t even enjoy doing in the first place. If you decide to adopt a new fitness program for yourself, for example; perhaps there may be a day where you're going to be on the road so much that trying to squeeze in a workout simply isn't compatible with your children's football schedule, or getting ready for that dinner party with friends later in the evening. You don't want to get yourself in such a frenzy to get to to your workout that you end up speeding through town or running red lights, feeding off of and into feelings of angst; it's completely counterproductive to lowering the blood pressure you wanted to reign in with exercise in the first place. So always remember that self-care is something that aims to refuel and replenish you, rather than something that depletes you or leaves you in a state of panic or worry. There will be some days where it is just fine to replace that full-on workout with a short 10 minute walk down the street & simply get some fresh air in your lungs instead.
Simply put: self-care is not something that we force ourselves to do out of a misguided sense of duty, or something we don’t even enjoy doing in the first place. If you decide to adopt a new fitness program for yourself, for example; perhaps there may be a day where you're going to be on the road so much that trying to squeeze in a workout simply isn't compatible with your children's football schedule, or getting ready for that dinner party with friends later in the evening. You don't want to get yourself in such a frenzy to get to to your workout that you end up speeding through town or running red lights, feeding off of and into feelings of angst; it's completely counterproductive to lowering the blood pressure you wanted to reign in with exercise in the first place. So always remember that self-care is something that aims to refuel and replenish you, rather than something that depletes you or leaves you in a state of panic or worry. There will be some days where it is just fine to replace that full-on workout with a short 10 minute walk down the street & simply get some fresh air in your lungs instead.
Even though the word "self" is in the phrase, it' s very important to recognize that self-care is not about selfish acts, relentless consumerism, or being a dismissive, non-nurturing person. It is simply taking stock of your needs, and knowing what to do to take care of yourself so that your battery is recharged, at fuller capacity, subsequently allowing you to take better care of those around you. Knowing when to stop during a fast paced day and take a moment to nibble off of a healthy snack, for example, can be just what you need to keep you from being that hangry gal (i.e. hungry + angry) at your next group meeting, or when hurriedly negotiating with family members on remaining plans for the day. Keeping yourself well-hydrated and well-nourished can make world of difference in your energy levels, ability to concentrate, and yes, even your level of patience and kindness in dealing with others when you don't have a growling stomach or low blood sugar to throw you off-balance.
So speaking of balance, self-care might best-explained as taking intentional steps to live a balanced life for your mental, emotional, and physical health.
So speaking of balance, self-care might best-explained as taking intentional steps to live a balanced life for your mental, emotional, and physical health.
Self-care can mean many things to different people, but the following tips below can be included on a basic checklist that can be followed by most anyone:
- Embrace healthier foods in your diet. Think of it as investing in your body with the same loving care as you would your home, car, or pension plan, thereby making your health your wealth. Money and material items can come and go, but once you lose your health, it's a wrap. Many adult onset illnesses that disproportionately affect black women (like stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes) can be directly attributed to risks factors known as "metabolic syndrome"- which is essentially high amounts of fat in the blood, high amounts of "bad" cholesterol, and high blood sugar in combination with high blood pressure and/or tummy fat in excess of 35 inches...and this comes from what we eat. While it may not always be possible to see your body as a machine, or even as a car that needs proper fuel to run, when you prepare foods this year, try to think of the fuel you'll literally be running on from day to day and what type of fuel you want that to be: it may be so that everyday won't be a day that you can run on "Super Plus", but we can all try to fill up on "Super" foods rather than "diesel, since we know at the very least, one is much better for us than the other, and that we're going to have to make a choice, because after all we can't run on fumes 🚗
- Thinking of running on fumes leads us to the next action for self-care that cannot be stressed enough: get enough sleep. When you are asleep, it's the time your body uses to heal damaged cells, boost your immune system, and recharge your heart and cardiovascular system. Adults usually need 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
- Recognize when you are feeling tired and overextended, and learn to embrace the word "no" , so you don't always feel overwhelmed by the weight of a relentless schedule. Sometimes that means logging off of internet exchanges by a certain time of night, not answering your phone during meal times, or not attending every function that can potentially be penciled into your calendar.
- Exercise, even if it's only a couple times a week, for as little as 20 minutes each round. We already know that exercise is great for us physically. But it also improves mood and energy levels by increasing serotonin, that magic chemical found mostly in your digestive and central nervous systems that helps reduce depression, regulate anxiety, heal wounds, and maintain bone health. Remember, because this about self-care and meant to energize you rather than become a dreaded chore, it's important that you choose a form of exercise that you can enjoy! Whether it's simply walking a few times a week in a nearby wooded area or garden, a little Salsa or Zumba via YouTube, or dusting off an old Tae Bo video, get up and move a little! Exercising a just few times per week can give you that extra pep in your step you need to rise to the challenges of a demanding schedule everywhere else in your life. Personally, we've also noted that exercise does wonders for an aching back! Be sure to consult your doctor before trying a new exercise program, then give it a whirl (literally).
- In addition to your regular medical "tune-ups", don't ever be afraid to check in with your doctor if something, anything, feels wrong. After age 40, the risks increase for any number of health complications associated with not just age, but genetics, and lifestyle, so in the words of the 21st century millennial, "if you see something, say something" because as the age old saying goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".
- Be still and know. Take a minimum of three minutes each day to have quiet time in prayer or meditation. It sounds like a small amount of time, but it can allow you much needed space to approach your daily life with clarity and heart, and you can do it at any time, anywhere.
- Invest in time with your loved ones. In a world of Twitter feeds and sms text messaging to communicate everything from complex political policy to private relationship status, take moments in real time to check-in with others, just because. If we're talking about connecting with people outside of your home or immediate family who aren't always necessarily accessible, even a quick phone message or note to say hi is better than a Facebook update or social media post in 150 characters or less.
- Make spacial priority for intentionally relaxing activity . Whether it's journaling, treating sore muscles with a warm bath, or making time to block out the excess noise in the world & enjoy a warm pot of tea in silence, pour some much needed down-time into a chance to recharge and refresh yourself from the daily noise that can clog up life.
- Engage in at least one activity each week that inspires joy: whether it's watching a good film, discovering new music, catching up with dear friends, or dancing like David to some uplifting praise & gospel tunes! Joy is a necessary component for a healthy, abundant, well-balanced life .
- Embrace opportunities to love and laugh! Babies are not the only beings that need affection, tactile human contact, and laughter. Big people need these things too; as those actions release oxytocin, the feel good hormone that reduces pain and causes the feeling of calm. Now this obviously doesn't mean that we're all supposed to go around hugging, kissing, and slap-backing folks indiscriminately, or everyone we meet in the street. It simply means make room to give and receive just a little bit more of love and laughter, as physiologically, they help our cognitive and emotional developement, and have great healing power on the body just as they do on the soul. So share an extra smile today, and don't let your good friends exit your next kaffeklatsch without a great, big bear hug when saying goodbye!
So in short, here's a brief checklist of self-care tips you can incorporate into your new year for less stress and better health:
Sound good so far? Great! Now, how else can we start making self-care a priority for better health in 2018? Why not begin with a short 2 week trial period to incorporate the tips above into your daily life, and see how you feel before and after? And don't forget: even though we're not aiming to be perfect here, self-care does take practice. So here's to practicing basic elements of self-care for a happier, healthier 2018 !
Enjoy your first weekend of the new year, we'll see you soon, Nuy Divas!
Xoxo,
NUY 40+
