3 Self-care tips for the freelancer

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As a nurse I preach health and wellness but, am I healthy? This past year I’ve dealt with some medical issues that made me realize that I need to start to get better care myself, aka self-care. Granted, I’m at a healthy weight and I look pretty fit, I still need to take care of myself, and so do you.

Why I Run

Trust me there’s a reason I’m not a fitness coach, personal trainer, or even a group trainer. I work out when I can if I can, running for 30 minutes is so huge stress reliever for me. It’s not because I love running. People think I love running, but they don’t realize it’s because I need to break away. It’s one of the effective ways for me to practice self-care. Running through the woods and through nature really helps me brainstorm and it really helps me calm down. I enjoy nature. I feel everyone needs self-care through taking time to meditate and enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds of the world.

Break the Cycle

Do you have a hard time because you’re stuck behind a desk all day? You know, I wrote an article for Inbody USA talking about the horrible things that can happen your body by sitting all day. My friend Gina Horkey, over at the Horkey Handbook, developed her new office recently with the stand-up desk that involves the treadmill…it’s pretty awesome. I often wonder how much work she gets done on it. Though, even to be able to turn around from your desk and jump on the treadmill for 30 minutes sounds pretty remarkable. If your webinar junkie or like to learn new things a treadmill might be a great place to do those kinds of things.

Look at your diet

What are you eating every day? Are you eating the foods that are optimal for your health? Of course, as part of your self-care goals, healthy eating should also be included. Increase those fruits and veggies, and up that water consumption. Try it for a week. Ditch that second cup of coffee and replace it with a large amount of water. Add in fruits and veggies for snacks instead of quick carbohydrate snacks and sugary foods. If you don’t have enough time for the preparation, meal planning can help you save time while maintaining your health goals. Personally, I gave up dairy, wheat, and sugar for two weeks. It was so incredibly hard in the first four days. Then, it was smooth sailing, even when I had coworkers eating donuts next to me. Those who know me, know I’m a sugar addict!

Something is better than nothing

In the nursing world, we always say, doing something is better than nothing when a patient goes into cardiac arrest. OK, that’s a huge example of a small point. Do SOMETHING for your health. Remember, self-care isn’t being selfish. You can’t be good enough for anyone if you, yourself, don’t know how to love yourself. It is better than what you were doing before. Go outside, take the kids on a walk, play—actually PLAY with your kids.

So, let me preach to all of to you stop and take care of yourself. Make self-care your priority. No one around you can benefit from you if you’re not taking care of you.

What do you do to stay active? Are you able to fit it in your day every day?