Are you your own best friend? Do you even know how to be your own best friend? It shouldn’t come as any surprise that SELF CARE is a huge part of this!

Check in with yourself…every day. The graphic below is great place to start. What other questions can you add?

Sleep is sooo important to our well being. Did you know that lack of sleep and poor quality sleep can damage your physical and mental health? It can lead to memory problems, difficulty thinking/concentrating/processing info, mood changes. Sleep deprivation can cause accidents. It can weaken your immune system, lead to high blood pressure, and put you at risk of diabetes. These are just to name a few.😬

Getting a good, deep restful night of sleep is so important. Here are a few tips to help:

• Expose yourself to bright light during the day
• Reduce screen time (blue light) in the evening
• Don’t drink caffeine too late in the day
• Establish and maintain set times to wake up and go to sleep
• Take a supplement like Synch, which is loaded with ingredients for better sleep
• Don’t eat too late at night
• Try some relaxation techniques before bed

Move your body! This one seems to make EVERY self care list that I come up with!😆 You don’t have to go out and run a marathon. Just find some way to move your body. Some of the benefits you might see/feel: better memory, better concentration, weight loss, more energy, better sleep, better mood, less pain, building muscles/bones.

I love having dogs (for soooo many reasons) because they give me the push I need to get out the door and go for a walk! This is me and my buddies!🐾❤ I know many people who struggle to get up and get moving. It can be hard to find that motivation. If that’s how you feel, I suggest trying Rise, which helps with motivation, energy, and sooo much more. (Just google those ingredients.)

Are you kind to yourself? Do you speak kindly to yourself?

• Say daily affirmations
• Say I love you to your reflection in the mirror
• Give yourself grace
• Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes

Just a quick word about nutrition. There a lots of diets and eating plans out there, so I don’t want to get into this too much. Your body will kind of tell you if  something isn’t good for it. Here are a few quick snack ideas:

• Nuts
• Apple + peanut butter
• Cheese sticks
• Greek yogurt
• Blueberries (my personal fave…I eat them like candy)
• Cottage cheese (another personal fave)
• Celery with cream cheese
• Hard boiled eggs
• Homemade trail mix
• Popcorn

And always, always reach out for help when you need. Talk to someone. Talk to a friend, family member, priest/minister, professional help. Whatever it is you need.