20 Ways you can improve your Self Care!

I believe your life, your business, and your relationships are only as good and as healthy as YOU are! Selfcare builds a strong foundation that you can springboard from every day!

Below I have a list of 20 different things that YOU can do that will have a lasting impact on your life! As you might've heard the wise Einstein have said about insanity... "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". This leads me to another point... Stop waiting for something to happen and make it happen! Take the step towards change. I can guarantee... that if you choose to include one different thing in your hum-drum schedule, you WILL notice a difference. Because YOU will be different, and that is where all new and exciting journeys start... with YOU!

So back to the 20 different things that you can do to improve your Self Care, and if you offer an improved version of YOU to your relationships and to YOUR business... Who knows what might happen!

1: Drink more water and herbal tea

It is a known fact that a hydrated body is a happy body. Our bodies consist of 75% - 80% water, and unfortunately, a lot of our modern diets do not allow for enough water intake with our meals. So it has become increasingly important to increase the intake of water on a daily basis. Your body will thank you for it! By having glowing skin, more focused attention and more energy overall.

2: Eat a BIG breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner

Have you heard of the saying "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar"? Starting your day (after fasting) with a big wholesome breakfast can offer you the most energy to kickstart your day. We need the most energy at the beginning of the day, and the least energy at the end when most daily tasks are over and we are relaxing.  Eat according to the needs of your day. When you eat a large meal at dinner, which is traditional in most homes, weight gain can occur as the body cannot use all the energy in the food and thus stores it as fat instead.  A heavy meal at dinner can also cause sleep disturbances. If this feels right for you, why don't you give it a try?

3: Eat more whole foods

Get more of the green stuff into your body! Whole foods are rich in phytochemicals—powerful nutrients found in plant foods. Compared with processed foods, whole foods contain more vitamins and minerals. More fibre and beneficial fats are found in whole foods. The combinations of nutrients in whole plant foods act synergistically to protect us from disease.

4: Get more exercise

Even only 15 minutes a day! A 15-minute workout has a variety of health benefits and can add years to your life. A 15-minute workout can offer you the following benefits:

1. It burns a substantial amount of calories
2. It increases blood flow
3. It will boost your metabolism
4. It improves sleep patterns
5. It increases endorphin production
6. It reduces stress

If you are not into a routine workout, or just want to start with something simple, why not try Rebounding? It is a fantastic way to get exercise. Read more about how you can jump yourself fit!

5: Read a book from start to finish!

Make time to read in the evenings instead of vegging out in front of the television. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and Dementia, since keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing power. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy, so the phrase “use it or lose it” is particularly apt when it comes to your mind. Apart from that Books offer entertainment, relaxation, improves your focus and attention and also increases your vocabulary! And reading a book from start to finish could give a sense of accomplishment.

6: Go to bed earlier

It is so important to get enough sleep. Sleep plays an important role in physical health. For example, sleep is involved in the healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep on a regular schedule each night. Make the necessary changes to your routine if you can't find enough time to sleep. Do try and avoid stimulants like coffee and energy drinks, alarm clocks, and external lights—including those from electronic devices— which interferes with our natural sleep/wake cycle. Take enough time to wind down before getting into bed, by doing something relaxing, taking a shower/bath, etc.

7: Stop with the "Stinking Thinking"

Negative thoughts about yourself or others will just bring you down! Our thoughts create feelings, and these feelings spark off another thought and before you know it you are stuck in the vicious thought-feeling cycle. The extent of negative feelings can go from anger, frustration, irritability, to even anxiety and depression. Furthermore, when we are in a negative state we do not attract those elements that would make our lives advance; rather we attract the circumstances that support us in thinking something is wrong, and we get stuck.

When we stay thinking negative, we attract negative emotions and events. That is why when you are in a negative state everything seems to go wrong.

One sure way to stop the "stinking thinking" is to have a daily gratitude practice. 

8: Don't dwell on the past

Seriously if you find yourself dwelling on it and not growing from it.. then move away from it. Thinking too much about times gone by typically keeps your mind--and life--stuck in neutral (and maybe even shifts it into reverse). Visit and Revise past memories or situations that had a big impact on your life and look at what you can learn from the situation, and apply in your life in a productive, supportive or even positive way. Now you might think that this will not be possible, and I want to make this quite clear... this is not about condoning the behaviour of others or what might've happened to you... However, we can take learning from the most horrific situations that we have survived in our lives and use it as fuel to propel ourselves forward on our journey.

9: Enjoy the little things

Why not give yourself a 30-day challenge? Find one everyday kind of thing that you are grateful for that makes your life easier. We often take the little things for granted. Focusing on and appreciating the little things trains us to appreciate the bigger things when they do come around. And sometimes it is the little things that have the most impact on our lives, memories, and relationships. For instance being thankful for my mobile charger, because this keeps my mobile phone operating so that I can stay in touch with my friends and family, or that your partner takes out the trash religiously every week... making your home clutter-free and clean.

10: Do not compare yourself to others...

The big C... "Comparison" I know the term "big C" is usually used to refer to cancer... but in no uncertain terms is "comparison" the "big C" of the mind and self-esteem. Stop It! You are amazing exactly as you are! Comparing yourself to another or someone else's life will never add to yours... Rather appreciate your own uniqueness, talents, skills, and vibe that you bring to your world. We are all a unique blueprint, bringing our own energy to places and relationships. Wishing you were like someone else, had what someone else had is taking energy away from making your own light shine in the world.

11: Start a Meditation practice

Starting a meditation practice does not have to mean you have to schedule all this time to navel-gaze and export yourself into other dimensions - or it could mean that if that floats your boat! Having a regular meditation practice could be as simple as being attentive to your present moment and focusing on your breath for a couple of minutes. There are some very easy mindfulness practices out there that you can start off with. Have you downloaded my free eBook? In "Take Your MEDS, and get high on life" where I offer some easy ways for you to get meditating.

12: Do not put things off!

Procrastination Station alert!! I remember as a child I used to push my broccoli around on the plate eating all the other food first... delaying eating them as long as I could, but eventually I had to eat them... as you know that meant no dessert!! So I taught myself to eat the food I did not like first and to leave the nicer food for later so that I can get it finished. What I am trying to tell you with that little story... Is that you need to find ways to finish projects and tasks (even if it tastes like broccoli) Putting it off has no reward at the end and we can beat ourselves up or feel really down because we have this long list of things that have not been accomplished - and that is no good for your mojo!

13: Avoid Processed food!

Seriously if it doesn't look remotely like it did in its natural form then do not eat it! most foods we eat are processed in some way. But there is a difference between mechanical processing and chemical processing. If it’s a single ingredient food with no added chemicals, then it doesn’t matter if it’s been ground or put into a jar. It’s still real food!

However… foods that have been chemically processed and made solely from refined ingredients and artificial substances are what is generally known as “processed food.”

Highly processed foods often contain:

• Preservatives: Chemicals that prevent the food from rotting.
• Colourants: Chemicals that are used to give the food a specific colour.
• Flavour: Chemicals that give the food a particular flavour.
• Texturants: Chemicals that give a particular texture.

14: Start a Yoga practice

or get in the habit of stretching daily to increase your flexibility. Flexibility is a key part of maintaining your health and avoiding injury, especially as you age. The stretching you do in yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility. It's a commonly held misconception that you have to already be flexible to do yoga. In fact, the opposite is true: doing yoga regularly is a sure way to become more flexible. If you find you cannot get to a yoga class, there are many beginners yoga programs online or applications that you can download onto your phone. Or you can design your own stretching routine by purely listening to your body and allowing it to stretch and move any of the areas that need more flexibility.

15: Listen to some healing music!

Music is a powerful external stimulant that is instantly internalized and can whisk you away to powerful memories that can help you heal and relax. Healing music has both physiological and psychological effects that can be tailored to help you in your self-care regime. Whether that is listening to your favourite music, singing or going for sound healing. I love including Sound in my work with my clients, whether that be through the voice, the drum or Tibetan singing bowls. Sounds are not only heard through our ears but through every cell in our bodies, through its vibration or frequency.

16: Declutter!

A clean clear space to live or work in does wonders for your energy! Make sure your bedroom is clutter-free and do not have a lot of "stuff" lying around or clothes thrown all over the floor or furniture. I can guarantee you that you will sleep a lot better! Do you know you can even increase your productivity by clearing clutter? 

17: Wear clothes that make you feel good!

With all the exercise you've included in your routine and the wholesome green foods you are eating, I'm sure you are feeling amazing. So why celebrate your achievement with an item of clothing that makes you feel awesome! Apart from acquiring a new wardrobe as you make healthy changes, it is really important that your clothes reflect who you are and how you feel. This can be a wonderfully easy way to take care of yourself.

18: Get rid of things you do not need or enjoy using

Referring back to decluttering... We as human beings form attachments and associations to just about everything in our lives... So do we to the objects in our homes and offices. So if there is something that you do not use any longer or that you have fallen out of love with, then move it along... Either sell it, give it to someone who will use/appreciate it or just dump it! Having a lot of objects in our environment that we do not use, just causes an energetic drain, and an emotional drain if there is an emotional attachment to it.

19: Create a daily habit of writing down your achievements!

Remember energy flows where attention goes. Guess what is going to happen if you make time to focus on your achievements big and small... Yep! More energy will flow to more achievements. It is so important to give ourselves the acknowledgement of the projects we finish, the work we do or if we did a job well. We are so quick to just move on to the next project, next point, next job... Take some time to write down and feel good about what you have achieved every day! No matter how BIG or how small.

20: Spend time in Nature!

Make sure to spend more time outside. Even if it is just for a few minutes. Nature has an incredible healing effect on us and not something we do enough of these days. Some prefer the soothing sounds of the ocean, while others love the quiet solitude of our beautiful forests. Wherever your favourite place in Nature is... Do make some time to breathe in the fresh air and just take in the natural beauty of Mother Earth. There is also a practice called Earthing that has made a lot of headlines over the last couple of years. The practice of standing on the earth (sand, soil, grass) with your bare feet for 20 minutes a day... The effect is astounding! People report feeling a lot more grounded and solid within themselves and a lot more relaxed. Why not combine Earthing with your daily meditation practice?