Self-Care For Women: 6 Straightforward Ways
By Aishakeel, 25 January 2024
Table of Contents
“Self-care is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation” by Audre Lorde
Self-Care For Women: This guide is all about taking care of yourself – because you deserve it! In a world where we’re often the caretakers for everyone else, it’s time to focus on YOU! We’ll explore six easy and effective ways to prioritize self-care and bring out your best, healthiest self. Ready to put yourself first? Let’s get started!
Many women spend a lot of time, sometimes their whole lives, looking after others, They focus so much on taking care of people around them that they forget about their health and well-being. They don’t invest any time in self-care.
From my earliest memories, I’ve seen my mum “standing on one foot” to cater to our never-ending guests’ needs. She would wake up early and start cooking for lunch even before she had breakfast. The only time she ever went out was to buy groceries. She would always decline the offer of an outing with the guests because she had to stay at home and cook dinner for them or do their dirty laundry. Over the years this has taken a toll on her body and even though my mum is in her mid-seventies, her health has gone down her and immune system is weak. I wish I could reverse the hands of time and my mum could live a life where every day was a fresh reset and she could give priority to herself.
In this article, I will discuss six easy ways of self-care for women so you stay healthy and active and achieve your personal best, now and for a lifetime.
1. The Importance Of Getting Enough Quality Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is very important because it can impact your mind and body in many ways. If you consistently don’t get enough sleep, it can result in various health issues. These problems include things like diabetes, heart disease, gaining too much weight, high blood pressure, having a stroke, and feeling depressed. So, making sure that you get good, quality sleep is an important step in self-care for women in keeping yourself healthy.
Many women have trouble sleeping and other sleep issues because of their hormones changing during different stages of life like their menstrual cycle, being pregnant, or going through menopause. When women don’t get enough sleep, it can also disturb the body’s hormonal balance, making it harder for ovulation (releasing eggs from the ovaries) to happen, which can impact their ability to become pregnant. So, having proper sleep is important for women’s overall health and reproductive well-being.
Moreover, research has found that if you don’t get sufficient sleep, it can harm your immune system and your body has reduced capability to defend against diseases caused by infections. While you sleep, your body releases special proteins known as cytokines, which play a crucial role in fighting infections and reducing inflammation. When you lack sleep, your body produces fewer of these protective proteins, making it easier for you to get sick when you come into contact with certain viruses. So, having enough good-quality sleep is vital for keeping your immune system strong and preventing illnesses.
7-9 hours of good, restorative sleep every night is important in self-care for women. Follow this regime, which includes:
- Make a habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
- Stay away from screens like TV, computers, and phones at least one hour before bedtime.
- Use your bed only for sleeping and intimate activities.
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark for better sleep.
- Don’t eat, drink caffeinated beverages, or have alcohol in the evening.
- 6. Exercise every day, but avoid doing it within three hours of bedtime.
2. Maintain a Nutritious and Vibrant Diet
The good news is that women usually live longer than men, but the bad news is they also face higher chances of serious health issues during their lives, like macular degeneration, autoimmune diseases, and dementia. One reason for this could be that women live longer. However, research indicates that women can lower their risk of these diseases by eating the right foods. This includes having lots of lean protein, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in their diet.
Read my post, Understanding Women’s Daily Nutritional Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide
Fruits and vegetables such as yams, kale, spinach, watermelon, bell peppers, tomatoes, oranges, and carrots contain pigmented carotenoids. These are helpful antioxidants that can shield you from diseases, prevent loss of vision and cognitive function, and boost your immune system. Women need more carotenoids than men for optimum health.
In addition to carotenoids, colorful fruits and vegetables have many vitamins and nutrients that keep you healthy. Dark green veggies such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale, as well as certain beans and legumes, contain folic acid. This nutrient is crucial to reduce the chances of birth defects. The government recommends that all women of childbearing age should have at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.
3. Find Time for Serenity and Tranquility Daily
Women nowadays experience a lot of stress. Balancing work, family, and household duties can make the list of things to do seem endless. This stress can cause serious health issues, such as a higher chance of becoming obese, developing heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, and gastrointestinal problems. For women trying to become pregnant, high-stress levels can also affect their ability to conceive.
Taking a few minutes each day for activities like yoga or meditation is important in self-care for women and can greatly benefit your overall health. It helps reduce stress, restores energy, and boosts self-esteem. Even a short five-minute meditation can enhance metabolism, lower blood pressure, release muscle tension, and slow down heart and breathing rates. Engaging in regular yoga sessions can improve concentration, bring mental clarity and calmness, relieve lower back stiffness, and reduce anxiety and depression by regulating hormone levels in the body.
4. Maintaining Strength and Flexibility: Walk, Run, or Stretch
No matter how old or fit you are, doing regular physical exercise is important for everyone. It helps lower the chances of heart disease and diabetes, enhances cognitive function, and, in older adults, can prevent or slow down bone loss, reducing the risk of falls.
Exercise is important for women throughout their lives. Whether it’s during puberty, young adulthood, pregnancy, midlife, or menopause, staying fit and active can help women navigate through these different stages more comfortably.
Exercise is beneficial for women in various ways. It triggers the release of natural painkillers called endorphins, which can be particularly helpful in relieving menstrual pain during the reproductive years. For pregnant women with normal pregnancies (not high-risk), engaging in doctor-approved workouts is encouraged. This can lower the risks of C-sections, gestational diabetes, and hypertension. Being physically fit also contributes to a smoother labor process and reduces the likelihood of post-partum depression.
It’s essential to understand that moderate exercise can potentially enhance fertility, but intense exercise might hinder ovulation. Similarly, being either underweight or overweight can have similar effects on hormones and fertility. Maintaining a balance in exercise intensity and body weight is crucial for reproductive health.
For women, as they get older, especially during perimenopause, menopause, and beyond, engaging in aerobic exercise and strength training is helpful. These activities manifest self-care for women and can slow down the loss of bone and muscle, which tends to happen with age.
Regular exercise can also delay or prevent chronic diseases and lower the chances of falling or experiencing bone fractures. Additionally, the natural endorphins released during exercise may ease menopause symptoms and improve sleep if you make exercise a regular part of your routine.
You should always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program, particularly if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, overweight, or over 40 years of age.
5. Indulge Yourself In A Treat
Treating yourself can be highly rewarding and brings happiness to your routine. You don’t have to indulge in expensive or unhealthy treats; small and simple treats can be just as effective in spicing up your day. Start with something small, like picking up a nourishing smoothie or healthy meal after a workout, going to get your nails done, or pausing to treat yourself to a coffee on a rough day. Buy that dress you have been eyeing or go on a short trip.
These little treats can make a big difference in how you feel and can help you develop a positive outlook on life. Treating yourself is also a great way to practice self-care and put yourself first. By taking the time to do things that make you happy, you are showing yourself love and kindness, which can help to reduce stress and improve your overall mood.
It’s important to remember that treating yourself should be a regular part of your routine. Finding simple and enjoyable ways to treat yourself can help you maintain a healthy work-life balance and keep you motivated to achieve your goals.
So go ahead and treat yourself today! Take a break from your busy schedule and enjoy a little something that brings you joy and relaxation. You deserve it!
6. The Importance of Regular Checkups and Preventive Screenings
Every woman, including those who feel young and healthy, should make it a habit to have a checkup with their healthcare provider every year. These checkups, along with health screenings that are right for your age, can find possible health problems early. Finding and dealing with these issues early can stop them from becoming big problems. So, taking the time for these checkups is a good investment in your health.
FAQs
Quality sleep is crucial for overall health, affecting both the mind and body. Insufficient sleep can lead to various health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, high blood pressure, stroke, and depression.
Women may experience sleep difficulties due to hormonal changes during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, or menopause. Poor sleep can also disrupt hormonal balance, affecting ovulation and reproductive health.
Inadequate sleep can weaken the immune system by reducing the production of protective proteins called cytokines. These proteins help fight infections and inflammation, making the body more susceptible to illnesses.
Experts recommend good sleep hygiene, including consistent sleep schedules, avoiding screen time before bedtime, reserving the bed for sleep, maintaining a cool and dark bedroom, avoiding certain substances in the evening, and incorporating daily exercise.
A diet rich in lean protein, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and colorful fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of debilitating illnesses such as macular degeneration, autoimmune diseases, and dementia.
Carotenoids are pigmented antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables like yams, kale, spinach, and others. They protect against diseases, prevent visual and cognitive loss, and enhance the immune system. Women need more carotenoids than men for optimal health.
Daily practices of yoga or meditation can reduce stress, restore energy, and boost self-esteem. Even short sessions have benefits, including improved metabolism, lower blood pressure, muscle tension release, and regulation of heart and breathing rates.
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