January is “Self-Care Month.”  As a holistic nutritionist, I think EVERY day should be full of self-care!  However, let’s go with the theme, and think about how you can implement some self-care this month.

Taking care of yourself often gets a bad rap. We can feel self-serving, lazy, or hedonistic if we do things for ourselves.  We rarely feel this way when we do things for others though.  I think this is simply our culture and training.

So, for January, think of yourself for a change!  Remember the old adage that you can’t take care of everyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first.

Try a few of these things this month, and then keep doing them for the rest of the year.  None of them cost a lot of time or money.  Give one a try!

• Get more sleep. I know, I know, this is almost impossible.  But sleep is SO essential to our bodies, our brains and our function. Sleep is when our body repairs and refreshes itself.  For January, commit to going to bed just 15 minutes earlier.  If you do this every month, you’ll eventually work up to over an hour or so of extra sleep.  This is good!
• Drink more water. I mean it!  Start slowly if you must.  For January, think about even just keeping track of the amount of water you currently drink, and then vow to increase it by 8 oz. each month.  See?  Easy?  If you want jazzy water, add lemon juice or a small (1 oz. or less) of another flavored juice to give your water some zip (and it must be plain juice, no additives).  My favorite is POM pomegranate juice.  It’s sourced quite well and you can buy smaller bottles.  If you have a favorite juice that comes in a large bottle, freeze most of it in ice cube trays and pop one into your glass of water.
• Do nothing. HaHa!  Seriously!  Give yourself one hour – come on, just one hour – each week to do anything that isn’t required of you.  Read a book, knit, watch nonsense television, do crossword puzzles, garden, or go for a walk.  Or, take the ubiquitous nap we’ve discussed!  Tell your family you are NOT available during this hour.  You will be amazed at how refreshed you’ll be and how much you’ll treasure this hour.  If you really like it, make it one hour several times a week.
• Treat yourself. Get a manicure or pedicure (yes, men love these too!).  Buy an item of clothing that you can wear to remind yourself you are practicing self-care.  Grab a new perfume or cologne, nail polish, or even a different type of food to try, like a decadent dark chocolate.

I found a quote recently, “The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.”  Do something for yourself each week and be healthy, vibrant and energetic this year!  Take care of yourself!  Give us a call if you want help – we love self-care.

To Your Vitality!