The Importance Of "Me Time"

The Importance Of “Me Time”

Taking time for yourself regularly is so important for self-care. Scheduling time in to do something that you enjoy helps you to feel more relaxed which can benefit your overall health greatly. By engaging in self-care through activities you enjoy, you are contributing positive effects to both your physical and mental health. While self-care is different for everyone, here are a few ideas of things you can do to help yourself relax and de-stress.

Taking a bubble bath can help you relieve stress and make your body feel more relaxed. Soaking in a warm bath can help ease tension in your muscles. You can even use scented bubble bath to make you feel calmer such as a rose, cherry blossom, vanilla or lavender scented bubble bath.

Tea is a warm and calming drink you can enjoy. Drinking tea can reduce levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol. Whether it’s Irish Breakfast Tea, English Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey Tea, Peach Tea or Jasmine Tea, enjoying some tea from your favorite cup can make all the difference in helping you feel less stressed.

Hot Cocoa is another warm drink that can be very comforting especially right before bedtime. You can add marshmallows or whipped cream. You can even indulge in some special flavored hot cocoa like butterscotch, cinnamon, raspberry, white chocolate, salted caramel, peanut butter or peppermint.

Coffee is known to give an energy boost, due to it containing caffeine. However, coffee can also help reduce anxiety as it increases the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine which can uplift your mood. Whether it’s a cappuccino, macchiato, espresso, latte or frappe, enjoying some coffee can perk up physically and emotionally.

Indulging in comfort food can help decrease feelings of anxiety and improve our moods. Comfort food activates the neurotransmitter known as dopamine, a chemical in the brain that makes you feel good. Enjoying a favorite comfort food can help you feel calmer and reduce stress hormones such as cortisol. Cooking and baking food can also be a comforting way to relax.

Music is a great stress reliever. Listening to your favorite music can increase feelings of happiness, helping you to feel more relaxed. Whether it’s jazz music, classical music, rock music or country music, playing some of your favorite songs is a great mood booster.

Watching a movie or television show can provide great comfort and relaxation. It can even bring about feelings of nostalgia if you rewatch a movie or television show that you watched during your childhood or is just one of your personal favorites. Therefore, whether you are watching a DVD of a comedy film like Rat Race, enjoying an animated film like Turning Red, Tangled, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella or Frozen or streaming a sitcom like Mom, Still Open All Hours, Miranda, Absolutely Fabulous, Keeping Up Appearances, Mrs. Brown’s Boys or The Big Bang Theory, watching a movie or television show you enjoy can help you feel calmer and happier.

Journaling is a great way to get your feelings and thoughts out. By venting out your stresses onto paper, it helps you to get pent-up frustration out of your system, allowing you to destress a bit. This is also a great way to help calm anxiety.

Creative Writing is a wonderful way to reduce stress. It is also a good activity to get your feelings, ideas and thoughts on to paper. Whether you’re writing poetry or a story, expressing your creativity and imagination through written word can be very fun and entertaining.

Shopping is a great way to cheer yourself up if you’re feeling sad or upset in some way. Treating yourself to something nice like a bouquet of fresh flowers, a fancy dress, a new romance novel, a cozy sweater, a bottle of perfume, a comfortable pair of boots or a fun video game can make all the difference in brightening your day or week. Whether it’s online shopping or going to an actual mall, retail therapy can provide feelings of comfort and help alleviate negative emotions.

Spending time in nature can be very calming, especially when the weather is nice. Spending time in a peaceful, quiet environment outdoors allows you to slow down for a bit and relax. This is also a great way to pause, reflect and do some soul-searching.

Candles and wax bars are great for aromatherapy. Aromatherapy can be calming, especially when you use wax bars or candles in scents that bring you comfort. Whether it’s a sweet pea scented wax bar or orange blossom scented candle, indulging in aromatherapy with your favorite scents can be a great way to destress.

Taking time to get yourself pampered can also make you feel relaxed and happier. Whether it’s a pedicure, manicure, facial or getting your hair styled, a little bit of pampering can be just the thing to perk you up and even give you a boost of confidence. You can even do a facial at home with a sheet mask. Sheet masks can come in many varieties including watermelon, strawberry, red wine, tomato, pomegranate, tea tree, aloe vera, cucumber, green tea and bamboo.

Quality time with your pets is another great way to relax. We have a close bond with our pets and they provide us with unconditional love and affection. They love being around us and cuddling with us especially when we aren’t feeling well or are dealing with stress so whether you go outside to play with them or just snuggle up with them on the couch while watching a film or television series, spending time with a furry friend is beneficial to your overall health and happiness.

Going to places you love to go to is another good idea in order to relieve tension and decrease stress. Going to your favorite places can resonate peaceful emotions, happy memories and positive feelings which can make you feel physically and mentally better. Some ideas of fun places you can go to include your favorite restaurant, your favorite department store, the cinema, a library, a comic book store, the zoo, the beach, a nail salon, a bowling alley or an antique store.

Finally, reading is known to reduce stress. A 2009 study by the University of Sussex discovered that stress can be reduced by up to 68% when engaging in the activity of reading. Whether it’s a magazine, comic book, poetry book or your favorite fantasy novel, reading something you enjoy can help you feel more relaxed.

Healthy Mood Boosting Foods And Drinks

 Healthy Mood Boosting Foods And Drinks

When you are feeling upset or stressed, it can be easy to turn to food as a source of comfort. There are several healthy foods and drinks that can help boost our moods and lift our spirits. Here are a few ideas of foods and drinks you can enjoy that may help put you in a more positive, cheerful, energetic and uplifting mood.

First, you could try fruits. Many fruits including grapes, lemons, apples, plums, bananas, strawberries, oranges, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and pears contain vitamins and nutrients that help produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which help boost the mood. Fruit is also a healthy choice if you are craving something sweet that contains natural sugar. You can even choose to enjoy fruit as a smoothie or juice.

Vegetables are also a healthy choice to eat when you need a mood boost. Like fruits, many vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, lettuce and mushrooms contain an excellent amount of nutrients and vitamins that help produce serotonin and dopamine, which are effective in boosting one’s mood. You can even prepare a soup or salad with your favorite vegetables to give you a healthy mood-boosting snack.

Water is so important for your overall health. In addition to keeping you hydrated, drinking enough water also helps improve one’s mood. Drinking enough water also can help aid digestion, normalize blood pressure, regulate temperature, increase energy, improve brain function, help with weight loss, boost skin health and protect organs and tissues.

Eggs are a great food to eat for breakfast whether you like them scrambled, poached, boiled etc. Eggs contain choline, a nutrient that helps produce neurotransmitters that elevate your mood. Eggs also contain vitamins and protein to help keep your heart healthy, aid in weight loss and improve muscle health.

Chicken, lean beef, pork, shrimp and turkey are also great for improving one’s mood. These foods are rich in tryptophan, which produces serotonin and can thereby lift one’s mood. These foods are also great sources for protein.

Tea can be enjoyed throughout the day and has many health benefits. This dopamine and serotonin- boosting drink helps lower blood sugar levels and supports good heart health. Tea also contains antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation, aid in weight loss and improve gut health.

Coffee is a popular drink that many consume throughout the day to give them a boost of energy as they handle their day-to-day tasks. Coffee increases the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine that help to improve one’s mood. Coffee is also a beneficial source for antioxidants that can help enhance brain function.

Pasta contains serotonin which can contribute a positive effect on one’s mood. Whether it’s spaghetti, fettucine, lasagna, rigatoni, gnocchi, manicotti, ravioli, penne, ziti or macaroni, pasta has lots of health benefits including being high in fiber, high in protein and low in sodium. Pasta also assists with boosting energy.

Yogurt is a good snack to enjoy that is also an incredible source for natural probiotics. You can even add fruit to this serotonin-boosting food if you do not desire to eat it plain. Yogurt also has health benefits that support good heart health and help maintain bone density.

Finally, oatmeal is a wonderful food to eat for breakfast and contributes a positive effect on both mood and energy. You can even add things to oatmeal to improve the flavor including cinnamon or fruit, if you don’t wish to eat it plain. Oatmeal is a good source for both fiber and iron.