5 WISE Tips for Self-Care in 2021
We are grateful to Cheryl Conklin for developing these tips for our team and yours. Cheryl is a freelance writer and tutor by trade. She is also a blogger, adventurer, traveler, and creator of Wellness Central. She uses wellnesscentral.info to share her thoughts on wellness along with the great resources she finds on her own wellness journey. This article is just one example of the helpful content you can find at Wise Resource Development.
Our nonprofit professional friends are often overworked and under-resourced, creating a recipe for low self-care. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have fallen off track when it comes to healthy habits. The New Year brings an opportunity to set new goals and concentrate on looking and feeling your best, despite the obstacles you might be facing.
There are plenty of ways you can improve your physical health, your appearance, and your self-confidence during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These tips will help you along your personal development journey, whether you’d like to stay at home or head outdoors.
1. Use a Fitness Tracker
Creating a fitness routine—and sticking to it—is the best way to make sure you will look and feel your best in 2021. Using a smartwatch or fitness tracker to record your workouts is the easiest way to check out your progress over time, which can be a great source of motivation. Plus, a fitness tracker has functions to help you stay safe in case of an emergency. For instance, the Apple Watch SE has fall detection alerts and emergency SOS. Of course, you will also need some other gear, like comfortable sneakers and athletic wear.
2. Practice Meditation
Stress can take a serious toll on your physical and mental health. 2020 has been extremely stressful for everyone, but making a conscious effort to practice mindfulness can help you look and feel your best. If you want to start a consistent meditation practice, Gaiam recommends creating a comfortable space to sit and committing to meditating at the same time each day. You can also give yoga a try!
3. Treat Yourself to Skincare
If you have been spending lots of time indoors, this is the perfect opportunity to experiment with skincare products—and once you are ready to head out into the world again, your skin will be glowing! To start building your routine, Natalie Setareh recommends identifying your skin type and then choosing an appropriate cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. You can order sample sizes of different products to test them out!
4. Choose Whole Foods
During quarantine, reaching for your preferred comfort foods might have become a pastime. After all, when you’re worried, there’s nothing like indulging in your favorite snacks. But choosing whole foods over processed foods can help you enjoy more energy, maintain your healthiest weight, and get all of the nutrients you need without additives and preservatives. Try to keep your kitchen stocked with fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains.
5. Fix Your Sleep Schedule
The secret to adopting these new habits and sticking to them in the long run so that you can genuinely look and feel your best? Getting a good night’s sleep, every night! Try to avoid taking afternoon naps or drinking caffeine late in the day—otherwise, you’ll still feel wide awake when you should be snoozing. Power down all of your devices well before you start getting ready for bed and choose an activity that helps you wind down, like reading a book.
If you want to make the most of this challenging time, shifting your perspective to see the opportunities in our current circumstances is key. Focus on doing what you can to prioritize your own well-being. By taking good care of yourself, you will look and feel your best by the time the pandemic ends.
Looking to boost your nonprofit’s outreach and success in the coming months? Wise Resource Development can help you develop strategies to maximize your fundraising efforts, allowing you to expand your efforts to help your community. Schedule an appointment today!