Thank you to Leslie Campos from Well Parents for this fabulous guest post. Leslie hopes to provide relief and tips for other busy parents through her site Wellparents.com. Parents can find a variety of information from stress-busters to exercise ideas to healthy eating tips.
Age is just a number. Or at least it can be if you make a commitment to yourself, your health and your well-being now so that you can avoid feeling a lot older than you are in the future. Wondering which changes you should make first (and if you have the budget for them)? Here are some mantras you can repeat to yourself every day until they stick.
I Will Love Myself Enough to Exercise
Your body is like a house: if you don’t take care of it now, you’ll only spend more time and money fixing it down the road. So if you want to preserve your quality of life, love yourself enough to exercise regularly. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon each morning but you can take simple steps to burn more calories and get your body moving without spending a cent, like walking your dog or even cleaning your home.
I Will Let Food Be My Medicine
If you are committed to aging with health and grace, you have to make a commitment to nourishing yourself with healthy foods. Just like with exercise, this doesn’t mean you have to avoid eating tasty treats altogether but rather, that you should enjoy these foods in moderation. If doing so means making changes to your current diet, you can begin with small adjustments and healthy yet affordable swaps such as trading chips for veggie crisps.
Of course, budget can also be a concern when it comes to eating healthy. There’s a misconception out there that buying nutritious foods is far more expensive than picking up processed options, but this doesn’t have to be the case. If you plan out your meals and shopping list and use coupons, you can easily afford healthier foods. Growing your own is another great option and can make a huge difference even if all you have room for is some lettuce and herbs in pots on the verandah.
I Will Focus on What I Can Control
Do you worry and stress about things you cannot control? If so, you could be setting yourself up to age faster. Stress is one of the top contributing factors to premature aging. When you are chronically stressed, you may experience more inflammation that can cause you to feel and look older than your actual age. Stress can also make it more difficult to get quality sleep, which is another essential for preserving health and youth.
So how can you limit stress in your life? Well, the good news is that you don’t need expensive massages or self-care treatments (though these can certainly help!). Focusing on what you can control and letting go of everything else can eliminate a lot of stress and frustration in your life. CLICK HERE for Eva’s tips on managing stress.
I Will Make Myself a Priority Every Day
You’ve heard it before: you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you don’t learn to make your health and happiness a priority now it will only lead to more problems and dissatisfaction in the future. So dedicate a few moments and routines each day to taking care of yourself and creating joy in your life.
One way you can take care of yourself is to spend some time creating a more positive space in your home. Putting a little time and effort into decluttering and cleaning your house can do wonders for your confidence and improve your attitude and mood. You can also open the blinds and let in some fresh air (weather permitting). Eva’s Tip: Adding essential oils to the diffuser is a great way to enjoy the benefits of the outdoors inside your home. Read more.
There’s no sugarcoating it: you can’t control time. The fact is, you are going to get older but that doesn’t have to give you anxiety! Because while you can’t control time, you can control how you look and feel as that time passes with a healthy, budget-conscious lifestyle.
Feel like you could use a regular reminder of these mantras? Grab a screensaver for your phone!
