How to put yourself first
Happy February, friends! We are well into the month, slowly creeping up on March already, and it’s safe to say that the millennial generation is self-obsessed. Why need a Valentine’s when you can buy yourself something nice or, better yet, take yourself out for a meal? I’m all for it.
On the outside, we are completely enamored with who we are, improving ourselves, and putting our needs over anyone else’s. There’s nothing particularly wrong with this movement as I believe we are slowly learning how to accept our unique selves everyday more and more. As much as we may adore ourselves, it’s about the small acts we do that radiate and operate at our highest frequency. Here are some suggestions on how you can become 100% physically, mentally, and emotionally:
Buy organic foods
Non-organic food may be cheaper to buy but, in the long run, they are slowly poisoning you. A product that was designed to kill bugs is equally as toxic to the humans who consume it. The only difference between a human and a pest is the mass of the body. “Pesticides are poisons and, unfortunately, they can harm more than just the “pests” at which they are targeted. They are toxic, and exposure to pesticides can cause a number of health effects. They are linked to a range of serious illnesses and diseases from respiratory problems to cancer”
Do the damn self-care
Self-care is a broad umbrella that accounts for many practices you can weave into your life. To give yourself some love, it doesn’t have to be an expensive activity like a massage or body product. Here are some examples of INEXPENSIVE self-care regimes that you might consider trying out:
Practice guided meditation. For those who live a stressful, fast-paced lifestyle, meditation is a great way to truly wind down and bring yourself back to the present moment. Meditation can take the form of body scans, starting your practice with a self-reflective question, focusing on loved ones in your life, or simply breathing in a quiet room and tuning into your breath.
Take long walks alone. This is more of a courageous act than you would imagine but overall, it’s peaceful and liberating. Not only does walking for at least 30 minutes significantly lower your blood pressure and chances of diabetes, it is also a great form of low intensity cardio. You can walk around your neighborhood, wander aimlessly with no direction, or simply walk around a park. The key here is to detach yourself from texting or calling anyone. This is YOU time.
Write a letter or call a loved one for an hour. With the bustle of modern day life, finding an hour out of the week to rekindle with an old friend or family member is so precious. After you call someone who you haven’t spoken to in a while, there is a scientific reason why it leaves you feeling so at peace. Creating connections calms anxiety and creates a feeling of safety.
Tidy up your space. As Marie Kondo stresses, your living space is a representation of your life and this sentiment could not be more truthful. Everyone’s life can easily get cluttered with stacked responsibilities, agendas, and forgotten tasks. Really taking the time and energy to gather yourself and clean up your room is the first step to getting your shit together in all other aspects of your life. Get rid of the dying plant in the corner of your room that you meant to water a month ago, take out your recycling, or clean out the empty product bottles collecting dust in your cupboard. Once your space is cleaned and you see your floor clearer, all things mentally will begin to open up as well.
Work on your fitness
You don’t have to spend $200 a month on workout classes to invest the time and energy into your health. Having enough integrity to make time for physical activity is an amazing way to really put yourself first. Let’s put it this way: exercising doesn’t have to be about getting the nicest butt or the biggest muscles -- it’s about moving. When you move your body for at least 30 minutes a day, you get your blood flowing, creating oxygen and eliminating free-radicals that cause cancer. Just 30 minutes of sweating lowers your cholestrol, improves heart health, manages weight, fights depression, and speeds up your metabolism (aka MORE eating!). Being active can be categorized as walking, jogging, weight-lifting, dancing, playing a recreational sport, hiking, swimming, and more. Goodbye thousands of dollars in hospital bills and hello longevity!
4. Cook for Christ’s sake!
I can’t begin to describe how beneficial cooking can be for anyone, regardless if you’re the next master chef or if you barely know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Whatever your level of expertise is, cooking is a fun, exciting way to use your time creatively. There is nothing more satisfying than working quietly for hours to craft a meal for yourself (or even better, a loved one!) then eating it and knowing exactly what ingredients were used. Cooking has not only allowed me to find my passion but it gave me the opportunity to learn more about myself - the foods that I like, dislike, and my kitchen ethic. Every experiment in the kitchen is nothing short of an adventure. Cooking also requires intense focus to make sure everything turns out well which takes away from mindless screen time.
Eat great and be well,