Think of the many times when you have pushed yourself too hard at work, did not rest enough, missed your meal times and felt all fagged out by the end of the week. When was the last time somebody’s bad behaviour stressed you out so much that you got a headache and thought, “why can’t people just be nice to me?” Well, you don’t have to wait for people to be nice to you. Don’t let work take a toll on your health. Follow these eight simple things and make them a part of your schedule.
Check your health
You don’t have to do physical checkups only when taking insurance or when you are ill. After you cross 28, a complete physical check up is a good way to find out where you stand in terms of your internal health and foresee problems. When you are below 35, just simple blood tests to check your haemoglobin, lipid profile, blood sugar, uric acid levels will suffice. If you are undergoing hormonal changes [especially women] an annual visit to the gynaecologist is a must. Visiting your dentist every six months will keep your teeth and gums healthy and give you more reasons to smile.
Dress up, not down
The best compliment you can pay yourself no matter what size or weight you are at is to dress in a way that enhances your good points and plays down your flaws. Take some time out to sift through your closet and weed out clothes that are out of style, that don’t fit you anymore, or that are simply overused. Choose clothes that make you feel and look good. Don’t save your ‘best clothes’ for special occasions; make each day a ‘special occasion’.
Take supplements
It’s not always possible to give our body the 100 per cent nutrition it needs. Popping a multivitamin daily [after consulting your family doctor] can help balance the many little inadequacies in your diet and boost your health and immunity. It can prevent you from feeling frequently tired and weary.
Go for a massage
Who says the only way to indulge yourself is to treat yourself with a grand [read high fat] meal? Indulgence does not have to be only about food. Spend a day at a good spa lazing around enjoying the relaxing treatments. Let the masseurs knead the tensions out of your muscles.
De-stress, everyday
Most of us wait till weekend to unwind. Research shows that you must take time out for yourself daily to unwind and let go of tensions. Put aside at least an hour for yourself daily where you do nothing but laze around, read a book or maybe listen to music—just spend time with yourself.
Pig out
If you have been on a diet, it is OK to indulge that sweet tooth once in a while. However, the problem with dieters is that most of them don’t know when to stop gorging. If you are the cooking type, surf the internet for diet recipes and make yourself the same delicacies minus the extra calories and the guilt.
Sleep it off
Most of us underestimate the importance of good quality sleep. Studies prove that lost sleep cannot be made up for by napping during the day. Inadequate sleep can cause loss of concentration, weight gain [due to increased cravings and water retention] puffy eyes, lowered immunity and many unwanted changes in the body.
Have timely meals
Fixed meal timings help set a good routine for the body. It keeps your blood sugar levels stable which in turn keeps you energetic throughout the day. If your job timings are erratic, plan your day beforehand and carry a mini meal along. Don’t skip a meal. Keep fruits or high-fibre biscuits handy to eat instead of chocolates when hungry. Maintain a diary of all you eat throughout the day. It will give you a good idea of how well you are doing nutritionally at the end of the day.
Give yourself time to tackle tiredness
Tiredness can become a long-term problem and severely affect your quality of life and day-to-day activities. According to the Mental Health Foundation, UK at any given time, one in 10 people have persistent tiredness. Often tiredness is due to a combination of causes. According to Royal College of Psychiatrists, nine in 100 people with tiredness will have a physical disease. Around 75 in 100 people will have an emotional cause. You have persistent tiredness if you:
- feel sleepy during the day
- Feel low on energy
- experience loss of motivation
- have poor concentration
- face difficulty making decisions
- harbour constant feelings of depression.
“Spending a little time alone may not be bad, given the hectic, highly scheduled quality of contemporary family life,” said Dr Sandra Hofferth, a sociologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. Pampering yourself, reading, talking a walk alone—spending time with yourself everyday helps de-stress and improves quality of life. In a recent study, graduate researcher Tammy Kohlleppel and Jennifer Bradley, an environmental horticulture assistant professor, concluded botanical gardens have therapeutic value. They found that walks through the gardens significantly lowered perceptions of stress.
— Team CW