sleep

Are you like me and feel the HOPE that Springtime brings? 

I love this time of year...  I love the blooms that start to pop out and the warmer weather.... I am all about tank tops and Chacos. And Self Care. :) 

I often get this question: How do I better take care of myself in the busy? 

Do you feel this??? 

As a busy mom and business owner, I used to pay attention to everyone else BUT me. I mean, kids need my attention. My husband has no idea where to find that tool. Then the cat needs fed. And before I know it, the day is over. My time is gone. 

So, when do I fit in time for self care?! 

Well, I have learned that little things I can add into what I am already doing is key! Here are my top tips to add into your routine with the time you have! 

1. Sleep. Yeah... I know. Let's start out with this one. It is probably the most tricky but also one of the most important. We truly need 7-9 hours. We might be able to survive on 4, but really. Let's function better and we can be healthier and have more fun when we sleep better. Prioritizing sleep is super important to manage mood, our immune system and so much more. Problem solving ways to sleep better goes a long way. Problem solve ways to sleep! Are you waking up a lot? Maybe it is diet or stress keeping you up. Are you struggling to get to bed? What can you adjust to make sleep happen sooner? Small tweaks can be powerful! 

2. Water. This is as important as Sleep! Water helps our sleep, our organs function better, our digestion, our skin... We have more energy! The average person only drinks 8 ounces a day, while 64 ounces is the average recommendation! Really! Only 8 OUNCES!? Our morning cups of coffee are often 12 or 16.... So increasing you water intake will take you far! 

3. Diet. Working on more vegetables and fruits. And of course, I eat better when I sleep better so... Being an example to our families is also important so it is a great way to learn and teach as well. Small changes go far! 

4. Movement. Walks. Body weight movements. Stretching. Anything you can do, do it! It helps our bodies flush toxins out, keeps the lymph moving and helps our bones and muscles. This area is another one that might feel overwhelming but just getting up to shift your body, taking small walks, incorporating your kids or husband are all easy ways to add in more movement. Even dancing in the kitchen is better than nothing! Make it fun and pull in those around you! 

5. Taking breaks throughout your day. If you are taking breaks to grab water or add in some movement, that is EASY, right?! Well maybe! Even that quick Facebook scroll can be a positive to our brains when we are busy. Set a timer and allow 5-15 minutes each hour to disengage and do something! 

6. Meditation, prayer, mindfulness. Whether you are in the shower, lying in bed or taking that walk. 

7. Breathing. I take time to breathe anytime I am in the shower, driving in the car, lying in bed, getting ready to sleep. Working on taking deep breathes to nourish my body and brain. Breathing is important to calm emotions as well. And, of course, I always notices bodily tension that needs attention when I am taking time to breath! 

I spoke on this in my FREE facebook group HERE. 

What are your top SELF CARE tips that I did not cover? What are your challenges with Self Care? 

Oh... and stay tuned... I have more fun stuff that I am working on behind the scenes!!! I cannot wait to share more with you! :) 

Did you know? Being GRATEFUL has numerous benefits. I am going to touch on those benefits for you to see how you are implementing gratitude in your own life. 

Gratitude has been known to help individuals build connections to others, increase optimism, helps increase happiness and increases resiliency. There are also a variety of benefits on HEALTH that I wanted to share with you! 

The calming influence of gratitude can lower blood pressure. You don't even need to have a daily practice to receive the benefits! Just doing so once a week resulted in a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure for participants in a 10-week study. The group that implemented gratitude were less hostile and had more healthy habits. 

Gratitude increases happiness and decreases the risks for depression, increases your resiliency to stressors and is considered a protective factor against both anxiety and depression, as gratitude increases dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, the feel-good transmitters!

Long term, or chronic, inflammation is detrimental to our health but gratitude can lower inflammation! Control studies that looked at heart symptoms over 8 weeks showed inflammatory markers were lower in those that practiced gratitude. 

Gratitude helps us to sleep better, even without a conscious gratitude practice. Studies show that those with the gratitude practices had more quality sleep and less fatigue, as well as getting to sleep faster! 

Stress is reduced with re-framing and gratitude! Stress has a significant negative impact on our health, as it is harmful to hormonal health, gut health and overall health. Stress hormones like cortisol are 32% less in those that practice gratitude. 

When you are reducing inflammation, improving sleep and lowering stress, your immune system is stronger! Studies surveying first year law students found that optimistic students had higher fighter cells and a greater immune response with gratitude!

When these elements improve, sleep and lowered stress, less inflammation and depression, many people improve other areas of their life by default. They feel better and make better choices, like adding in exercise, nutritious foods and avoiding unhealthy behaviors like drinking and smoking. Adding gratitude into your routine has a lot of significant payouts on your health! Even if you are not doing something every day, find ways to implement gratitude regularly. 

Some easy tips for adding in gratitude can be sharing appreciation for others, write thank you notes, reflect on your day either in thoughts or journaling, Or just taking time adding in gratitude to something you are already doing keeps it easy- what are some positives about your day? Reflect on your day in the shower or laying in bed before you fall asleep. Or start your day with a cup of coffee and the positives about the day ahead. However you add it in, keep doing it! The benefits are well-worth it!