I wanted to make a video on self-care as I feel it’s the deciding factor in whether my clients are able to follow the nutrition plan I design for them.
Psychologist Raphailia Michael, defines self-care as “any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health” and she goes on to explain that “although it’s a simple concept in theory, it’s something we very often overlook. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety”.
It helps us to stay in balance, and when we’re in balance, we’re able to follow through on our plans, and succeed in getting the result we desire. Self-care has not always been easy for me, but I’ve learned over the years, what I absolutely need to be happy and well. Still, I have to make a conscious effort with this every single day, otherwise I can easily get out of alignment.
From the many discussions I’ve had with clients over the years, I’ve realised it’s not easy for so many others too. In this video and blog post, I hope to offer structure, kind of like a tick list of essential aspects of well-being. We need to be working on these, if we hope to be happy and healthy, and get the results we want in health and fitness.
These are my top five aspects of self-care:
- Nutrition – of course, this gets position number one in my eyes! I often find this to be massively underestimated when people feel tired, unmotivated, or stuck in addictive food patterns. I have witnessed in myself and others, a huge increase in energy and motivation after just a few days of following a healthy eating plan. The power of nutritious foods to build us up, and energise mind and body are incredible.
- Exercise – I think we all know how important this is but finding the motivation to do it is often difficult. It ties in with the above, if we’re not eating well, then finding the energy and motivation to exercise will be that much harder. I’ve seen it countless times – my clients start eating well and then shortly after, they tell me they’ve been out running, went to a yoga class or hit the gym, with enthusiasm they haven’t felt in years. Exercise makes us feel good because we are designed to move our bodies!
- Managing stress – how we choose to do this is personal. I like to journal, meditate, do some yoga, read or talk to someone who I know will support me. In fact, this one is so important that I’ve had clients tell me that they are eating well and exercising, yet still they are unhappy or can’t get the result they want, and I’ve discovered it’s because of their high stress level. We sometimes feel powerless to change this, and it’s almost become desirable to talk about how stressed we are with work, as it makes us look like a high achiever. It gives us a certain status. But at what cost? Health should be our number one priority, so we have the energy for all our other commitments and pursuits.
- Connection – real connection, with people who genuinely care about you, really listen and like you for who you are. This is so important. Maybe connecting with others doesn’t spring to mind when we think about our own self-care, but it’s paramount to our well-being. The times in my life when I’ve felt most alone, have also been the times my self-care has suffered the most. Finding and knowing who those people are, and nurturing those connections, are a vital part of being happy and well.
- Sleep – I just can’t function properly without a good 7-8 hours sleep, but I understand people have different needs with regards to this. Running a sleep deficit, almost inevitably causes cravings for sugar, or caffeine, or both as our body struggles to recalibrate its energy, and keep us powering on through. If you struggle with sleep, know that there is help out there, in many forms. I take a sleep supplement when I’m feeling anxious sometimes, and this one really works https://www.togetherhealth.co.uk/products/night-time-complex It’s gentle, and fits with my natural nutrition approach, containing only plant-based, and ocean-based ingredients.
