5 Ways To Nourish YOU

The topic of self-care or what I like to call self-love is so popular these days. But what it is? I like to think that the best way to describe self-care is to nourish yourself. Oh look, another buzz word right there – nourish. Now you must be like yeah, yeah nourish, eat good food for good health. To me, it’s much more than that.

The definition of nourish is to provide oneself with food or other substances that are necessary for growth and health.

Health, to me, is a positive holistic approach to life. Health is all-encompassing for our mental, physical and emotional state of being. To nourish all aspects of our health, we need to do the different things and stuff to make ourselves feel alive. The fact that we are all so different means that what works for someone may not work for you. You do you. You nourish you.

So now you are wondering, well how the hell do I do that? Easy as. Below are 5 ways to nourish your mind body and soul.

5 Ways To Nourish YOU

The 5 ways to help nourish YOU below may seem basic, but they are fundamental to a clear head that can stay energised throughout the day. How does that sound? Yup, I thought so. Enjoy the nourishing YOU.

Don’t Overthink Things

If you are anything like me, overthinking anything big or small can be the worst thing for you. You know what I’m talking about? Are you currently shaking your head in agreement or puckering your lips because yup, you get it before I have even started to explain myself?

Overthinking any situation that already happened is dwelling on the past, and we cannot change the past. We can only move forward. Overthinking any situation that is yet to happen is dwelling on the future, and we can only control our choices and actions leading up to the future. We can only keep going until whatever we are thinking about happens. It is known that over thinking can lead to depression or anxiety, and we don’t want that because that is the opposite of nourishment.

So now you are asking what you can do instead when something is on our mind? Accepting of what has or might happen can help. By accepting and forgiving whatever has or has yet to happen is a big weight off the old shoulders. This can be done through talking it out constructively, writing about it (journaling) or using any creative medium that helps you to alleviate stress.

Get Enough Sleep

Something so simple can have such a positive or negative impact on our day. How much sleep do you get, on average, a night? What is your normal bedtime? Does it take you a while to fall asleep? Do you wake up feeling rested? Do you want me to stop asking about this? Are you secretly a bit frustrated because you’re one of those people who says or wants to go to bed earlier, but it doesn’t happen for whatever reason?

We all know, depending on whatever we are made up, we need a certain amount of sleep each night. For an average female adult in your 30s, it is said to be 7 – 9 hours of quality sleep. I understand this cannot always happen, especially if you have a young family, but it is something to work towards.

The whole time you were growing up did your parents put an emphasis on your bedtime but not necessarily theirs? If sleep is so important while we are growing up, why would it lose importance what we are older? If you want to nourish yourself. A good night’s sleep can clear your head to make better choices during the day and also help give you energy throughout the day. A great way to help yourself get to bed that little bit earlier is to set a go to bed alarm. If it works to wake us up, why not use one to get to bed on time?

Stay Hydrated

Yup, again, drink more water every day. If you think you are drinking enough water, challenge yourself to drink a bit more and make sure you are not complacent in your hydration routine. Studies show 8 – 10 glasses which is about 2 to 2.5 litres a day.

I tried my challenge I just gave you after talking to a client I was mentoring one day. She said she would do it if I would. We text each other every time we drank a glass. I think we maxed out at 3 litres and 3 glasses… I was up all and down all day and night using the toilet, I had overstretched my max. Today, I am happy with about 13 glasses of water. Without this challenge that we did, I would have never pushed the boundaries to see what really worked for me. Find what works for you. Test your limits.

Staying hydrated has so many benefits that nourish ourselves. Like sleep, water increases brain power and gives you more energy. It helps to flush out toxins, clears up your complexion and boosts your immune system. And more water can help with weight loss. So very nourishing.

So how many glasses a day are you drinking?

Move More

Yes, a lot like the last two, exercise is such a necessity for taking care of yourself. Nourish yourself with some kind of movement. Take time to figure out what will work for you. If it is something outside in nature like walking, hiking or cycling or inside in a group like taking gym classes with friends. There are more low impact exercises you can get into like Chi Gong, Yoga and/ or Pilates. Martial arts workouts are also a great mind-body workout.

The nourishing effects of movement are improved movement, coordination, balance and reaction time among others. How does that not help nourish you?

Do The Things And Stuff That Makes You Smile

What? Yup, it’s that simple. Do the stuff and the things that make you smile. Think back to a time in your life when you were really happy. What were you doing? Do those things again. Is it right now? What are you doing? Take note of it, and keep doing the things that bring you happiness.

Now, this can be anything in the world. Since we are all different, I cannot even begin to let you know what makes you happy. Some suggestions that I have are:

• Exercise

• Social outings

• Holidays

• Movies

• Alone time

• Meditate

• Take a break from social media

• Reading

• Painting

• Drawing

• Colouring

• Cooking

• Stretching

• Shopping (by yourself)

• Catch ups/ coffees with friends

• Camping

• Glamping

• Take a road trip

• Dinners out

• Date nights

• Bubble baths

• Spa days

• Sewing

• Singing

• Walk around barefoot in the grass or sand

• Visit a beach

• Dancing

• Girly dates

• Writing

• Social sports

• Animal cuddles

You get the drift. Nourishing YOU is all about what gives you energy, makes you feel good and happy. Nourishing yourself helps to reduce stress and is great to keep your weight loss on track. The more relaxed and nourished you are, the better your weight loss results will be. I wish you all the best on finding the best nourishment for YOU.