Self care: Ways to take better care of yourself and your health

Health has been on our minds a lot recently. All we’ve done for the last year and a bit is try to take care of ourselves and each other. This period has given a lot of us a chance to face our own mortality. If you’re anything like us, that might make you feel inspired to do more to take care of your health and wellbeing.

Luckily, you don’t need to make any massive changes to see improvements. A few small tweaks to your current life is all you need to feel better.

So aside from the typical advice people give – like quitting smoking, exercising, and eating properly – what else can we do to improve our overall health and wellbeing. Here are our top tips.

Overhaul your sleep

Of course we are going to start with sleep. It is absolutely vitally important and that is why our bodies encourage us to do it for an entire third of our lives. Sleep gives your mind a rest and gives your body a chance to repair from the damage you have done during the day.

It is so vital that you will die if you don’t have it. If you don’t get enough you are more likely to be obese, stressed and depressed. Yikes!

So start with your sleep routine if you want to improve your health.

First, make sure you have a comfortable mattress to sleep on. You might think you already do, but if your mattress is over six years old we can almost guarantee you need a new one. You might not realise how much until you go and get one. Your mattress should be made from natural materials if possible, as these are breathable and foster a better night of sleep. You should also look for mattresses that are recyclable, as this is better for the environment. The Ely mattress might be right for you, so please browse our range.

Once your mattress is sorted, you might want to look at sorting and organising your bedroom more generally. People who hoard clutter are more likely to suffer from sleep disorders than those who don’t, so have a good tidy out.

Meditation

Meditation has been proven to assist the mood of those who suffer from stress, depression and anxiety, so dedicate ten minutes a day, preferably in the morning, to meditation and you’ll likely find your mood improves.

Meditation is said to increase concentration and improve overall happiness, so there is loads to be gained by taking up the practice.

Project manage your life

We know you feel like you have to do everything, but that just isn’t true. It’s time to have a look at your life and give up anything that is not completely required and does not make you happy. Pass on some of your responsibilities to other people in your life if you can, stop saying yes to things you don’t really want to do, and spend more time doing the things you love. You only get one life, after all.

Spend more time outside

Being outside is very important for humans. We need the sunlight for our skin, our lungs need the fresh air, and, because we are animals, the outdoors makes us feel like we’re at home.

If you’re feeling stressed or upset, a nice walk could really lift up your mood, and incorporating more of the outdoors into your daily routines generally could improve your health and wellbeing by a surprising amount.

Take a walk or, if that isn’t possible or desirable to you at all, repurpose some furniture into garden furniture (if you have one) and resolve to spend fifteen to twenty minutes outside in the evenings, with no phone and no other distractions, just yourself and your thoughts.

Spend time with people you like

We’re a social species and we like spending time with others. Perhaps you don’t really feel like you do, but we bet there are at least two or three people you actually enjoy chatting to or taking a walk with. Spend more time with these people and it will lift your mood over time.

If you’re alone and you struggle to meet others, why not think about joining a group focused around your hobby, like a book or theatre group. That way you’re spending time with people who enjoy doing what you do and you already know you have something in common.

Learn something new

We got sick of this advice during the pandemic, but it actually is a good suggestion. Learning something new challenges your brain, and there is nothing human brains enjoy more than solving complicated puzzles, which is essentially what learning a new skill is.

Pic something you have always wanted to know how to do, whether it is learning an instrument, a new language, or writing a book, and do it when you are at a loose end, or whenever the moment takes you.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to learn quickly or work on it all the time. It’s supposed to be fun.