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Trying to balance your work, social and family responsibilities each day can be exhausting. And while running behind these responsibilities, finding time for yourself can seem impossible. But, taking ample rest, eating healthy, and staying active is the bare minimum you should strive for, as these will keep stress at bay and give you the energy to tackle what life throws at you daily. In this article by Health Care New York, we’ve compiled five self-care strategies that can be easily incorporated into your hectic schedule.
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Sleep Early
As the CDC reports, adults require at least 7 hours of sleep each night. But along with the duration, the time you sleep is important as well. Our circadian rhythm, i.e., the body clock functions best when it’s in sync with the timings of natural light. Hence, you should plan to go to bed around 9-10 pm and wake up by 6 am.
Not only will proper sleep improve energy levels and mental sharpness during the day, but waking up early will provide you a head start over others and some much-needed alone time in a household when others aren’t early risers.
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Drink Plenty of Water
Do you commonly feel tired throughout the workday? It could be due to the simple fact that you don’t drink enough water. Research shows that 3-4% dehydration can reduce productivity levels by up to 25%. The recommended daily intake of fluids for men is 3.7 liters, while for women, it’s 2.7 liters.
One of the simplest ways to keep track of your intake is to buy a water bottle and consistently drink from it every hour. If it is a 1L bottle, you should ideally fill it 3-4 times to reach the recommended limit.
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Include Physical Activity
Whether it be at home or in the workplace, the convenience brought on by technology has made a living a sedentary lifestyle the norm. Between sitting for prolonged periods at the office and sleeping at night, we now spend the majority of our time in inactive positions. Hence it comes as no surprise that instances of neck, back, and joint pains, even in younger adults, are higher than before. Other common occurrences include weight gain, fatigue, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
If you consider your schedule too packed to make time for the gym, there are still various ways to remain active:
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Consider purchasing a bicycle to commute to work
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Make a conscious choice to take the stairs rather than elevators at work
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Make time for a brief walk around your neighborhood every morning or evening
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Review Your Eating Choices
What you eat has a direct impact on how you feel. If you stay away from donuts and pizza at work but come home and munch on other carb-laden snacks such as cookies, packaged snacks, etc., you’re not doing yourself any favors. A defining characteristic of these foods is the spike in energy that they provide shortly after consumption due to an increase in your blood sugar levels. But when these levels come down naturally, so do your mood, energy, and productivity levels.
Instead, make the switch to a healthy meal and snack choices, which include products made from whole grains, fruits and vegetables of all colors, and fermented foods which are rich in probiotics.
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Tackle Work-Related Stress
There is nothing more stressful than feeling stuck in a job that provides you with no sense of fulfillment. While a good salary can help push on for the short term, in the long term, you’re bound to want a change. Currently, workers have numerous options at their disposal when it comes to making a career change, from making the switch to freelancing to starting their own online business.
Additionally, one can consider completing a professional development course to learn in-demand skills and make the switch to a better role. For those in the healthcare industry, here’s an example of an online medical coding course.
Making small lifestyle changes can help seamlessly integrate self-care into your daily routine. But when it comes to making a career switch, a new accreditation such as a medical coding course will help to accelerate the process and land a new role that you enjoy.
