Take Care of Yourself
The past three weeks have been crazy. I had races, began a new job (and traveled for work a week later), celebrated my 26th birthday, panicked over a health scare my dad had, flew home to visit, and went to IU's homecoming. In that span of three weeks, I noticed something: I had completely neglected my health and wellness. Sure, I'm still running. But what about everything else?
I sometimes forget that being well is more than just running. It means eating well, drinking water, sleeping enough, sticking to a routine, taking time to relax. Frankly, I've done exactly none of those in the past month, and it's affecting every aspect of my life, from my relationships, to work, to running. So I've taken some time the past few evenings to reevaluate. I thought I would share what I'm doing to work on physical and mental wellness, to maybe inspire you!
Vitamins
If you're anything like me, good old fashioned vitamins are not part of your daily life. Sure, I have some supplements, but I haven't really had a set of vitamins in years.
I was browsing instagram (of all places) and came across HUM nutrition. They're very specific sets of vitamins for specific issues you'd like to address (Biotin blends for hair and nails, probiotics for bloating and irregularity, etc). I really like how easy it is to find vitamins for everything I want, and once you subscribe for 3 months and they add in their own discount codes, the price is the same as at CVS! I'm trying them out for the first time this month, and will let you know how it goes. Interested in checking them out? Click here and use code 10BAF1 for $10 off!
Sleep
This is partially bucketed under the "vitamins" category, because I purchased Hum's Melatonin blend, but sleep is something I struggle with, and always have. As I've gotten older, I've found that I need it more, but I also can't shut my brain off to actually get to sleep! A combo of more physical activity, routine, and melatonin is my current battle plan, and as of last night, it worked! I woke up early and refreshed.
Caffeine
I'm a Red Bull girl. It's awful. I love how I feel for a second after drinking it, but I both crash AND it affects my sleep. I've decided to replace Red Bull with good old fashioned coffee and tea. I got a Keurig 2.0 for my birthday and I love it. It's turquoise and slim enough even for my apartment's teeny tiny counter tops. (Find it here!) I have my favorite travel mug that fits perfectly and sits upright in my Dagne Dover tote and a supply of almond milk, so I'm set! I grind my own beans most of the time and use a reusable K-Cup for the grounds, but when I don't I get a fun flavor! I love the Cinnabon Coffee and the Starbucks Vanilla. I add sweetened Vanilla Almond milk rather than using creamer, and stevia if I need it, instead of sugar. I feel so much better when I have coffee vs. Red Bull!
Water
My new job has an amazing office, however it can't quite escape the trials of Chicago water. Some days, the water tastes so heavily of chlorine it feels like drinking pool water. I've started grabbing bottles of alkaline water before coming into work, but in an effort to save money and cut back on waste, I'm eyeing the Hidrate Spark. I have a Brita pitcher at home (it's in desperate need of replacing) that I plan to use to fill the water bottle. The cool thing is, it syncs up to an app and reminds you to drink water while also monitoring your intake. Proper water consumption is vital to the health of your organs, including your skin! It's especially vital if you're a runner or athlete.
Relaxation
My favorite relaxation is a bath and a book with lots of candles and Lush bath bombs. I've been too lazy to clean my tub in my new apartment, however, so I haven't had any baths. Well, I'm changing that. I cleaned my bathtub last night and I'm ready to pop in a bath bomb and relax! I'm currently reading The Expatriates and I love it! High recommend it if you fancy travel and a bit of suspense! (P.S. Lush has released their Christmas collection! Go check it out now!)
Allow Extra Time
I'm working hard to allow myself extra time in the mornings and evenings to care for my skin and just slowly get myself ready both for sleep and the day. All of this ties into making sure I've slept enough, and making sure I'm in a good place mentally. It's a bit of a cycle, really. Allowing extra time will get me prepped to be in a better mental state and will in turn, put me in a better place to allow extra time moving forward.
So far, those are my plans to get moving in the right direction. Especially with travel coming up (I'm two weeks from the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in Disney!) and the holidays, I want to be in tip top condition this winter.
What do you do to take care of yourself?
--B