We all want to feel our best. This is a given. When you feel good in yourself, you tend to be more positive and productive, getting the most out of each day. Of course, there are a lot of extraneous factors that can have an impact on your wellbeing, but there are also plenty that are within your control. It’s important thaWe all want to feel our best. This is a given. When you feel good in yourself, you tend to be more positive and productive, getting the most out of each day. Of course, there are a lot of extraneous factors that can have an impact on your wellbeing, but there are also plenty that are within your control. It’s important that you take action where you can to maximise your wellbeing and to help yourself feel your best at all times. Here are just a few different areas that you might want to take into consideration.
Prioritising Your Health
To feel your best, you first need to prioritise your health. Your body is what allows you to do all the things you want to do and keeping it in the best shape possible can really enhance your day to day life.
Get to Know Calories
All too many people have an unhealthy relationship with calories. They’re often painted as the enemy by diet culture, but when it comes down to it, calories are actually just a unit of measurement to let you know how much energy is in the food you’re eating. Too many calories and you can become overweight or obese. Too few calories and you can be malnourished. Both come hand in hand with negative health consequences. It’s important that you’re eating the right number of calories each day to help your body work at its best. This will vary depending on you as an individual. Factors like age, sex and activity levels can all impact how much you should be eating. The guide below should help you to get a rough idea of how many calories your meals and snacks should contain.
Children aged 2 to 8 – 1000 to 1400 calories
Girls aged 9 to 13 – 1400 to 1600 calories
Boys aged 9 to 13 – 1600 to 2000 calories
Active women aged 14 to 30 – 2400 calories
Sedentary women aged 14 to 30 – 1800 to 2000 calories
Active men aged 14 to 30 – 2800 to 3200 calories
Sedentary men aged 14 to 30 – 2000 to 2600 calories
Active adults over 30 – 2000 to 3000 calories
Sedentary adults over 30 – 1600 to 2400 calories
Eat Plenty of Fruit and Veg
We all know that fruit and vegetables are good for us, but are you actually regularly getting your five a day? You should really aim to achieve this. Fruits and vegetables contain plenty of nutrients that help your body to reach optimal performance. From vitamins to minerals, you should make sure you’re packing your plates with plenty of these types of food!
Cut Out Junk Food
We’re all guilty of indulging in junk food. But junk food every once in a while isn’t bad. It’s when you’re regularly eating junk food that it becomes bad for you and your general wellbeing. Junk food is convenient and tastes good. You don’t have to worry about cooking or washing dishes after yourself. But these foods are also low in nutrients and high in their saturated fat, salt and sugar content. Instead, try to steer clear of junk food. There are steps you can take to make other, healthier meals more convenient, such as meal planning and meal prepping. These will reduce the amount of time it takes to make meals and can make life more streamlined.
Attend Regular Health Checkups
We should attend regular health check ups. The exact checkups you need will depend on you as an individual, but some common options include a dental checkup once every six months, an optician’s appointment once every two years, cervical screening for people with cervixes and prostate examinations for people with a prostate. Make sure to schedule these events in your calendar so you remember to phone up and book necessary appointments as and when needed.
Focus on Your Mental Health
Remember that your mental health is important too. All too often, we only focus on our bodies when we think of our wellbeing, but mental health can hugely impact our day to day lives. Take measures to reduce stress and to lead as positive an existence as possible. If you notice negative changes to your mental health, take note of them. You should consult a doctor or other relevant healthcare professional who can help you further. They may be able to diagnose a condition and refer you on for further treatment or therapy. There are also support groups, helplines and an array of mental health charities with free resources who can help too.
Taking Care of Your Appearance
Appearances aren’t everything and it’s important that you don’t feel pressured to conform to societal standards of beauty. We are all beautiful in our own ways and you should embrace what you have naturally. But you should also take steps to care for yourself and maintain a personal routine that can benefit your health and wellbeing as well as boosting your confidence.
A Skincare Routine
Having a good skincare routine can make sure that your skin glows. Rather than experiencing blemishes, you can help yourself to maintain a more clear complexion. The first step towards creating a healthy skin care routine is to know your skin type. There are four main skin types that most people fall into. These are: normal skin, dry skin, oily skin and combination skin.
- Normal Skin – “normal skin” is often considered to be the most desirable skin type. However, not many people have this naturally. If you have normal skin, it will likely be balanced and have minimal blemishes.
- Dry Skin – dry skin is a common skin type that produces lower sebum levels than “normal skin”. The result of this is dry or flaky skin that can feel tight and appear rough or dull.
- Oily Skin – oily skin poses the opposite problems to dry skin. It is the result of your skin producing too much sebum and can make your skin feel oily or slick. You may notice a greasy or wet appearance too.
- Combination Skin – combination skin is perhaps one of the most common skin types. It’s when your skin has areas of normal skin, oily skin or dry skin. For example, some people have normal skin on their cheeks, but an oily T zone.
Once you know your skin type, you can start to choose skincare products that are tailored to your skin type in particular. If you notice ongoing issues that a good skincare routine isn’t resolving, you may want to consult your doctor or a dermatologist.
Your Wardrobe
For many of us, our clothes are an outward expression of ourselves. We can use our clothes to show our tastes, interests and personalities. On top of this, our clothes can impact how we feel about ourselves. Having a nice outfit that you’re comfortable in and feel good in can greatly boost your confidence for the day. Whether that’s a nice outfit for a date, a quality uniform from Uniform Advantage or anything else. Give your wardrobe a refresh, selling or donating clothes that don’t fit or are no longer comfortable, and replacing items with ones that suit you better.
Your Hair
There’s no one way to take good care of your hair, as everyone has different and unique hair types. Fine, straight hair is going to take completely different care to coily, curly hair. It’s important that you carry out some research on your hair type and to create a specialist hair care routine for yourself. This may mean investing in some tools and products, but often, the effort is more than worth it. Your hair will be healthier and look better in no time. You may also want to consider a trip to the hairdresser, who will be able to trim split ends and style your hair in a way you like.
Do Things You Love
We all have to engage in some activities that we don’t really want to. This could be work or other responsibilities and commitments. But it’s important that you fit in time for the things you want to do and enjoy doing too. Make sure that your schedule has gaps for free time. Here are some activities that you might want to try working into your routine.
- Rest and relaxation – it’s important that you don’t overburden yourself, as you can experience burnout. Instead, make sure that you give yourself time to relax and recuperate. Whether that’s taking a nap, running a bath, reading a book, watching a TV series or anything else.
- Make time for friends – socialising can really help to lift your spirits. Whether you need to vent, want to have fun or simply want to spend time with people you enjoy being around. Make sure to create time for friends and family in your schedule.
As you can see, feeling your best takes a bit of work. But hopefully, some of the suggestions above will help you to get started in the right direction. Give them a try and see how you get on!
What do you think?