The road to loving yourself - Looking after your physical self
Having a FIFO partner and family, especially with young children, being a stay at home parent or juggling working commitments can be a huge drain on your energy on an average day. Spending some of your energy on yourself shows you care about yourself just as much as you care about your family. Caring about yourself is extremely important in staying mentally and physically healthy.
What can you do today to change the way you value your physical self? What can you change about your appearance or lifestyle to start the road to putting yourself first right now?
Change can be as simple as changing your haircut or colour, making a regular appointment with your hairdresser to make sure that you don’t let your hair-do become washed out. Or it can be as complex as a complete lifestyle change especially when you have not been practising self-love for a long time.
What does your body require? Have you ever asked yourself that question? There are five main areas to focus on when looking after your physical self:
1.Sleep More
If you’re a mum, don’t be afraid to take the pressure off and sleep when baby sleeps. If you need to cancel appointments or events after a hard night then do so. Swap time with a friend, visit the grandparents and nap in the spare bedroom or hire a babysitter for a few hours. For those of us that can control our own sleeping patterns aim for at least 8 hours sleep a night – record your favourite TV shows, turn the electronic devices off and go to bed an hour or two earlier instead of staying up late.
2. What does your body need?
Nourishment plays an important part of your energy and your appearance. Are you reaching for the sugary processed foods or energy drinks for a quick energy fix only to crash after the sugar high? Take the time to meal plan and meal prep on the weekends. Not only will you be saving money with a meal plan, you’ll also be saving time preparing some meals ahead of time and simply heating them up during the week. If you need help discovering a balanced diet find yourself a dietician or find some information online – there is a lot of free nutrition information available on the web.
As long as your doctor approves, exercise in some form as often as you can – three times a week is a good rule of thumb. Aim to start small and build it up. Start by walking around the block and slowly increase the distance or speed, find a workout buddy to walk with. There are so many free applications with exercise routines available to do right from home with no equipment necessary. The feeling of pride and confidence you’ll gain by taking the time to be physically active will help you love your body no matter what shape your body is.
3. Take more time with your appearance.
Most of us could easily spend a few additional minutes during our shower, shave, make up routine, hairstyling, or thinking about what we’re wearing. We are now getting the rest that we need, eating better and getting more exercise so now take the time to boost your confidence with your appearance. Rid yourself of the negative talk, focus on doing nice things for yourself, a couple of extra minutes will go a long way towards feeling good about yourself. Take pride in yourself and in your appearance. You’ll be glad of your efforts and others will notice too.
4. Acknowledge what your body does for you.
Have you ever got through a hard day, dropped into bed and thought “I’m glad that day is over”? Your body has got you through that day, given you the energy and the strength to tackle the struggles and will be there in the morning to do it all over again. Acknowledge the strength your body has, show your body gratitude by loving your body.
