You Need to Take Care of You!

Stress-relieving practices quiet the mind, balance hormones, including cortisol (the stress hormone), lower blood pressure and improve brain health. Take these simple self-care ideas for beginners:

• Drink water: right after you brush your teeth. Water is great for your skin, your digestive system and even for brain health. But a lot of people regularly forget to drink water throughout their day.

• Write down 3-5 things you are grateful for in a journal: We acknowledge that life is tough. However, gratefulness puts you in the right frame of mind to tackle each day positively.

• Get enough sleep: You will wake up early if you get enough sleep. Get the sleep you need so you can wake up and e productive the next day.

• Enjoy breakfast. Take the time to make yourself breakfast and enjoy it each morning.

• Make time for family and friends: If you’re too busy, make time to spend a least just one hour a week with family. Make sure to dedicate time to foster healthy ties with your friends and family.

• Do something creative: Take that pottery class. Read a book. Write that novel. Go to those painting sessions your friend has been inviting you to all these years. When we are creative, we challenge our brains to work in ways it is not used to working. This is great for brain health and may even stave off conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

• Move for 30 minutes: Health experts recommend that the average adult should move for at least 30 minutes each day, five times per week. Take a walk. Run. Use your treadmill. The powerful thing about exercise is that it releases chemicals in your brain called endorphins, which interact with cells in our brain to give you a sense of well-being.

• Detox from technology: Taking a break from all these things might be the very thing you need to reduce anxiety.

• Yoga: Spend 10 to 15 minutes a day on a few simple yoga poses or stretches.