7 Daily Care Tips to Empower Your Physical and Mental Health
Self-care is essential to everyone’s physical and mental health. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that constantly pushes us to stay on the go. This lifestyle and mindset can make even doing the most basic self-care challenging to undertake. In the case of those who live with a disability, obtaining or maintaining self-care can be that much more difficult. People without limitations often take routine tasks like eating, dressing, or even leaving the house for granted. In comparison, someone with a disability may find it challenging, if not impossible, to attend to any of these basic needs without proper help.
If this describes your situation, you are not alone. According to a report by the United Nations, up to 15 percent of the worldwide population and 46 percent of the elderly populace are considered functionally disabled . To help ease this global epidemic, the healthcare team at All Services Home Healthcare (ASHH) has committed to doing our part to empower are local Kansas and Missouri communities. We want to help those we care for live their best, healthiest lives. This is why we developed a simple list of 7 helpful tips to assist them with their daily care.
Healthy Tip 1.) Be Patient with Yourself
Many people who find their health and self-care deteriorating, regardless of the reasons why, experience a deep sense of frustration and guilt. They often harshly question themselves and their circumstances. This is the reason our first tip is to be gentle with yourself. It doesn’t matter what someone else can do and you can’t. For that matter, it doesn’t matter what you were once able to do. This line of thought can have a negative impact on your mental health. They also can be the stumbling block that prevents can from working on self-care in the here and now. So be gentle with yourself and focus on the self-care you can do today.
Healthy Tip 2.) Drink Water Daily
All life on the planet needs water, and you are no exception. Chronic dehydration leads to several chronic and acute health problems and symptoms, like fatigue, headaches, hindered concentration, poor skin health, constipation, muscle weakness, and even heart problems. That is why you need to drink regular amounts of water. Depending on your size and age, you should consume anywhere from 2.7 to 3.7 liters of water daily . Unfortunately, drinking other beverages like soda, alcohol, coffee, and tea doesn’t count. They may be wet and contain water, but these drinks often make your dehydration worse. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water for every one of these beverages you consume. So, like the potted plant in the corner of the room, make sure you get enough water to fill up your health’s tank.
Healthy Tip 3.) A Healthy Nutrition
Your body needs fuel to function, and that fuel is food. What constitutes as proper nutrition is an intensely debated subject that has consumed countless people’s lives and lines of bookshelves in libraries, bookstores, and homes across the nation. So how do we sum this complex subject up in one paragraph? We’re not. There are too many dietary restrictions, tastes, and health concerns to flippantly throw in one catch-all answer. What we can say is that you need to eat regular meals at the same time every day. Preferably you will have three meals with two snacks. These meals should include a protein like meat, cheese, eggs, fish, or beans, and a complex carb like whole grains, brown rice, or starchy vegetables like peas and corn. Regular meals keep your body running on schedule and help it know when to expect your next influx of energy. It will thank you for the fuel.
Healthy Tip 4.) Regular Exercise
Exercise does not mean that you have to automatically jump in feet-first to the next CrossFit class or become a gym rat at the closest fitness center. If that works for you, we enthusiastically say, “Go for it!” However, if you are reading this article, the likelihood of this being the case for you or your loved one is somewhat reduced. Even if your health, physique, and physicality are not ideal, it’s essential to do regular exercise that is appropriate for your fitness level. Exercise can mean a simple walk in the park with good stretching. If you are restricted by circumstances like limited mobility or a disability, it’s important to focus on what you can do. Whether it’s chair yoga, playing balloon volleyball with a loved one, or having a physical therapist help you stretch your limbs, regular exercise is essential to your well-being. Any momentum you can achieve through exercise is key to helping you maintain and improve your health.
Healthy Tip 5.) Adequate Sleep
It is estimated that 50 to 70 million Americans do not get the proper amount of uninterrupted sleep they need. That’s approximately one in three adults who suffer from sleep deprivation . Sleep deprivation is linked to many chronic health concerns like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression . This is why it’s crucial to get enough sleep and to maintain a daily sleep schedule at the same time every night. This allows your body to adjust to a routine period of rest that will help improve your physical and mental health.
In the cases where you feel like you are never getting enough sleep, we highly recommend that you seek professional help. You may need to set up an appointment with a specialist, like a neurologist. They can potentially order a sleep study to see if you are suffering from a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea, which can negatively affect your sleep and health.
Healthy Tip 6.) Set Attainable Goals
No matter who you are, everyone, at one time or another, gets overwhelmed. It is as much part of the human condition as getting tired, hungry, or thirsty. Sometimes life can feel like more than we can handle. Most of us have more things we want to accomplish than there are hours in the day, and sometimes we feel like we do everything we can and still do not keep up. Hence, setting up time for self-care feels, at best laughable or, at worse, depressing. When we experience these feelings, especially in our darkest moments when we feel like we are not enough or can never do enough, it’s important to pause. Please take a moment to set one attainable goal and hold on to it like a lifeline. It could be anything from doing one stretch, drinking one glass of water, taking a shower, or even eating a bowl of ice cream if you need the morale boost. You can go as big or as small as you need, just make sure that these goals are achievable and hopefully good for your overall physical, mental, or emotional health.
Special Note: This advice is in no way a substitute for therapies like doctor-prescribed medicine, therapy, or mental health treatment. It is just a tip to help you get through particularly overwhelming days. This leads us to our seventh and final healthy tip.
Healthy Tip 7.) Seek Help When You Need It
You are not meant to go through life alone. Some things are just impossible to do by ourselves. That is why our final tip is to seek help when you need it. Whether you need someone to talk to, assistance with going to the grocery store, help getting dressed, or support with your toileting or hygiene care, please allow someone to help you.
If you are a resident of Kansas or Missouri, please consider reaching out to the healthcare team at All Services Home Healthcare. Our compassionate caregivers are available to help our clients with a variety of services, including help with bathing, dressing, mobility assistance, toileting, meal preparation, and more. Please allow our team of experienced healthcare professionals the opportunity to help you today!
ΚΑΤ’ ΟΙΚΟΝ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΕΣ ΥΓΕΙΑΣ Healthcare Provides Consistency, Care, and Peace of Mind
ΚΑΤ’ ΟΙΚΟΝ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΕΣ ΥΓΕΙΑΣ Healthcare offers a broad range of services and programs to assist our elderly and disabled clients in the comfort of their own homes! To serve our clients better, we have conveniently located offices areas. Allow the professional, qualified in-home healthcare caregivers at ΚΑΤ’ ΟΙΚΟΝ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΕΣ ΥΓΕΙΑΣ to provide you and your loved ones the dignity and relief they deserve from the comfort of their own homes!
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