Meditation, work/life balance, #JOMO and essential oils. These previous fads have now become major trends on the health and wellness front, making it very clear that people are prioritizing their wellbeing. Honestly, we’re all about it.
As life continues to pick up the pace, it can sometimes feel like you’re just trying to keep up. Taking care of yourself should never take a backseat, especially during those highly stressful times. Just like Ferris Bueller said, “life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Don’t worry, we gotchu boo. In light of International Self-Care Day, here are eight tips to get you feeling calm and collected.
We get it, we’ve all been on the stress-eating-a-whole-sleeve-of-Oreos-dunked-in-peanut-butter level too. Sure, it provides a comforting feeling in the moment, but it isn’t going to do you any good in the long run. Making sure your immune system is in tip-top shape by fuelling your body with good food sets you up for success. Jive tip: when you’re at the grocery store, shop around the perimeter and focus on the fresh produce. Avoid the aisles in the middle of the store where the processed food can be found.
If you don’t know, now you know – stress manifests as inflammation in the body. To combat this, check below for foods to add and remove from your current diet.
Anti-inflammatory foods:
Inflammatory foods:
You’ve heard it before and we’re going to say it again – exercising is so important for your mental and physical health. We’re not saying you need to train for a marathon, but if you’re into that we fully support you. HIIT classes, weight training, yoga, biking and walking all qualify as options. If you’re keen on trying out new studios and methods, we highly recommend Class Pass if it’s offered in your city.
Taylor Swift told you to “shake it off” and we’re telling you to sleep it off. Sleep is the body’s natural way of rebooting your system and preparing you for the next day. If you’re tired, you’re going to feel off and won’t be as alert as you need to be. Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted dozing.
Think meditation isn’t for you? Hear us out. Just like working out, meditation is a benefit to your physical and mental self. It’s been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep and increase focus. Headspace is very user-friendly and allows you to start off slowly. We recommend meditating when you first wake up or just before going to sleep. Jive tip: treat yourself to Saje’s diffuser and some of their chill out essential oil blend to really set the meditative mood.
In the time of over-sharing and the need to be in-the-know, we find ourselves spending most of our waking hours in front of a screen. Nowadays, reaching for your phone as soon as you wake up is not an uncommon way to start your day. Creating a digital detox schedule, even by keeping your phone on airplane for the first 30-60 minutes after waking up, can be extremely beneficial and freeing.
We’re not talking about the alarm you set to wake up in the morning, though you should probably keep setting that one too. Carving out time in your day to step away from your desk, walk around the block, or stretch is a good way to hit refresh. An alarm or reminder alert is an easy way to keep yourself accountable, even when the day seems to slip away from you.
In the end, you know yourself best #youdoyouboo. Use these tips as guidelines, but ultimately experiment with what your preference is and make note of how it can continue to show up in your routine.
We want to know; how do you like to de-stress?
