Self Care is Life Changing

It really is. Taking care of yourself can literally change your life for the better.

You already know that taking good care of yourself is important, and that you should make it a priority. However, did you know that your ADHD can interfere with self care?

And it’s not just our ADHD. Society sometimes puts a low value on self care as well.

It seems like there are a few things in life that we all think we earn extra credit for:

• How little sleep we get – whoever can be the most productive on the least amount of sleep wins.
• How busy we are – so busy that we have no time for ourselves!
• How little we eat – after all we’re so busy, we often don’t have the time, or else we forget!

Whoever said life was meant to be so hard?

And if you’re so busy, you can’t even eat or sleep, something is seriously wrong.

It’s time for some hard core self care, and yes, it will change your life.

5 Self Care Tips That Will Change Your Life

First of all, I don’t want to hear how you don’t have time for self care. If these 10 super busy women can do it, so can you!

If you have time to play on your phone, binge watch Netflix, or have a few glasses of wine at night, you have time to take care of yourself. And believe me, taking care of you is the best investment you will ever make – for yourself, and the ones who love you.

So, here we go:

Get Enough Sleep

Yes, I know sleep can be hard when you have ADHD, but there are some things you can do to help:

• Do a dump list in your planner every night after dinner. Don’t wait too late or whatever you write down will still be on your mind when you go to bed. Also take a look at tomorrow’s schedule.
• Stop using your phone, laptop, or tablet at least an hour before bed. And don’t keep any of them in your bedroom. The blue light interferes with sleep.
• Try meditating or journaling just before bed.
• Create a bedtime ritual, just like you used to for your kids.
• If you need them, there are herbal teas and remedies that can help you sleep, as well as essential oils.
• Try going to bed 5 or 10 minutes earlier than usual, then a week or so later, add on another 5 or 10 minutes.

Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself. It can literally add years to your life! And no, playing catch up on the weekend doesn’t count.

Eat Better Food (and Eat Enough of It!)

A healthy diet can make a big difference, not only in your overall health, but in your ADHD symptoms too.

In general, aim for lean protein at every meal (2 – 3 meals a day), plus a total of 3 – 5 fruits and vegetables a day. (I was at the car dealership the other day, and one of the girls took out her “lunch” – a snack sized container of yogurt. That is NOT lunch, or a meal of any kind!)

Don’t forget, a little fat is good for you – but it has to be good fat. Olive oil, real butter, avocados, and fatty fish are all great sources of good fats.

Oh, and go for color – the more colorful a food is, the better it is for you. (We’re talking natural foods here, not bright orange Cheetos.)

Hydrate Yo’self

Come on. You know this one.

Our body is made of water, and our brain needs hydration in order to function.

And ideally, you should be hydrating throughout the day. If you’re thirsty, that means you’re already dehydrated, and that’s not good.

Add some fresh fruit for flavor and buy yourself a nice water bottle or two.

Exercise!

None of this is earth shattering, right?

You know this. You see it all the time.

But you don’t do it.

Here’s my easy tip for getting more exercise. When I was way overweight and my grandson was on the way, I wanted to get healthy so I could be around for him.

But I needed to start small, because I hate exercise and I was so out of shape at the time.

So I started with small changes.

• Instead of looking for the closest parking space, I’d park farther away, especially if the weather was nice.
• I got a FitBit to measure my steps. Your phone most likely does this too, as long as you have it on you. Also, if you have an app from Walgreens, you can earn points which you can redeem for merchandise, just for exercising.
• I made a point to get up and move every time I felt like I was sitting too long. I also did it during commercials when I was watching TV.
• Gotta do housework, right? Might as well dance while you do. Put on some good music. It will make the housework go faster, you can get some moves in, and maybe you’ll even be in a better mood!

By the way, exercising can have a really positive effect on your brain and your ADHD symptoms.

Lose the Stress

I know. Way easier said than done, right?

I wish I was brave enough to show you the real me. Maybe one day I will.

Over the last 15 years, I have developed some chronic health problems and lost most of my hair. A lot of it was due to stress, and to taking care of other people rather than myself.

Things happen in life that are stressful, and you just have to deal with them.

BUT – you can choose to deal with them in better ways.

Stress happens. So, you learn to meditate (don’t give up, keep trying), you learn yoga.

Or take up boxing. Believe me, there were times when I would have loved to punch someone or something. Think how good boxing lessons would have been for me!

Find a therapist if you need to; there’s no shame in it. Friends are good, but sometimes you need a professional.

Get a massage, go for a walk in nature. The year my dad was sick, I almost wore our deck out, but I got a good tan out of it!

Stress can literally kill you. Take it seriously and learn to handle it any way you can.

Self Care Sets a Good Example

All of us are teachers in some way.

And we teach others how to treat us based on how we treat ourselves.

You’re teaching other women – your daughters, daughter in laws, nieces, granddaughters, sisters, and women everywhere – how to treat themselves, whether you know it or not.

Be a shining example of what good self care looks like.

Show them how much you love and care for yourself.

And if you don’t love or care for yourself, it’s high time you did.