If the 9-to-5 grind or the hustle of parenthood consume much of your life, it’s important you take care of yourself to stay grounded in the process. Self-love is all about giving yourself what you need in order to be your best self and let your true potential shine. With that in mind, here are five life hacks to help you feel at the top of your game:
1. Set Aside Some Time for Yourself
How much of your time is spent meeting other people’s needs? While our spouse, kids, and friends make our lives meaningful, we can’t enjoy it all without taking care of ourselves. Setting aside some time for yourself on occasion can help keep you sane, grounded and feeling refreshed, all while allowing you to be the best version of yourself. Think of it as the off-time from always being on for other people. Recharge your batteries and set some much-needed “me time,” to the journal, read a book or go on a walk.
2. Spend Time in Nature
Break free from your digital devices and unplug from the virtual world for at least one hour a week, but ideally one hour every day. Electronics, screens and cellular signals account for a lot of positive ions, which are known to have negative health effects. When you turn those off and sit or stand on the bare earth or go swimming, you intake lots of negative ions. Have you ever stood at a bridge that has a waterfall and felt calmer? The waterfall generates negative ions in the air, which have health benefits and mood-balancing effects. You can get the same effect taking a seat at a tree trunk or plopping down on a lawn.
3. Build Physical Strength
Strength training on a regular basis helps you build confidence, stay fit, and feel strong. Muscle-toning exercises also help balance your hormones and lower your risk for depression and anxiety. Some ways to build physical strength are by getting a personal trainer, taking up ballet or joining a kickboxing class, depending on what appeals to you.
4. Eat Well and Take Your Vitamins
Fueling your body with adequate nutrition makes you more focused, alert, calm and emotionally balanced. Despite America being a developed country, most people’s diets have insufficient levels of essential micronutrients — most commonly iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, among others.
Common signs of nutrient deficiency can include fatigue, weakness, brain fog, weakened immunity, poor concentration, and mood swings. If not addressed, long-term nutritional deficiencies can increase your risk for disease, but taking any number of multivitamins has been proven to prevent deficiencies and have positive health effects.
5. Love What You’re Wearing
As a woman, it’s important to honor your sensuality and stay in touch with your feminine side as you make your way in the world. Not for other people, but to remind yourself that you’re a sexy, powerful hidden gem. How does it feel when you love what you’re wearing beneath your clothes?
You can feel at ease in your own skin while confidently owning whatever situation or role you find yourself in. A matching bra and panty set too cute not to enjoy wearing? How about a sexy bodysuit nobody knows is there, begging to be revealed when you get home?
Be Your Best Self
Bringing your A-game to life requires a lot of self-maintenance behind the scenes of everything going on. Feeling your best is crucial to being your best self because everything comes from within. Take time to process what’s going on in your life and do the little but crucial things that make you feel like your best self.