3 Easy Ways to Feel Your Best
Have you checked in with yourself and found that you’re not feeling great?
We want to feel our best and be able to have energy to do all the things we want to do, after getting all the things we need to do completed.
Usually by the time we get our tasks completed, we’re wiped! Maybe we don’t even get that far before plopping ourselves on the couch and checking out. We’ve spent all our energy in other places to find that we have none left.With the summer heat and gearing up for back to school, transitioning into the fall can be challenging.
That is why we need to make sure we are attending to our basic needs.
Our 3 Basic Needs:
Hydration
Eating Well
Adequate Sleep
When we skimp on one of these just a little, it can throw our lives off track and even affect our other basic needs.
I know for me when I’m not hydrated, I lose my appetite or crave junk food. When I eat junk food, I actually end up staying up later and not getting a full night’s rest.
See the pattern here? It’s a domino effect.
Let’s talk a little about each of these needs and what you need to do to feel your best!
HYDRATION STATION
Our body is made up of more that 70% water. So we need to nourish our body and make sure we’re giving it adequate hydration.
How do we know how much water to drink?
Take your weight (in lbs.) and divide it by 2. This is the amount of ounces you need daily.
For example: If you weigh 150 lbs, you need 75 oz of water a day. To translate that into cups, divide by 8. That would be about 9 ⅕ cups of water everyday.
I know it takes a bit of math, but trust me, it is worth figuring out, so you KNOW how much water your body needs.
I like using a water bottle that indicates the number of ounces, so I know how many refills I need throughout the day to reach my hydration goal.
For me, if I have 3 water bottles, I am hydrated!
Now for caffeine…
We all are trying to decrease our caffeine but it is an ever-going challenge. So perhaps this can help!
For every ounce of caffeine you drink, you need to replace it with an ounce of water, ON TOP of your daily amount.
So if I drink an 8oz coffee (or soda or tea or anything with caffeine), I need to still drink my 3 water bottles, PLUS another cup of water (8oz) to make up for my coffee.
I’ve heard accounts of people drinking 1 gallon of water a day and feeling amazing. Let’s just start with what your body needs and if you can drink more, power to you!
Remember that it is possible to drink TOO much water, but that would be about 100oz for the average person.
Of course when you’re working out, it’s blazing hot or humidity is under 50%, you’ll likely need more than your daily amount of water to feel hydrated.
Another question is do other beverages count? Because many drinks have sugar in them, it’s safe to say that they don’t count. If they do, think of them as bonus hydration! But sticking with your water goal will ensure hydration.
When you feel thirsty, chances are you may already be dehydrated. Sometimes our bodies mistake dehydration for hunger so it can be a good idea to first have a cup of water when you’re feeling hungry to see if you actually are.
TIP: Increase your awareness of your water intake and see what you learn about your body and how you feel!
EAT YOUR FRUITS & VEGGIES
We’ve all heard this before. Of course there’s truth in every annoying motto we’ve heard our whole lives.
Eating well, having a balanced, nutritious diet is extremely important.
We’ve all heard of ‘Hangry’ and boy is it true! My entire family will warn you to not let me be hungry, let alone hungry & tired because you do NOT want to be around me. *Fair warning!
When we eat well, feeding our bodies what they need, giving them energy to sustain us throughout the day, we can feel amazing! Not only are we nourishing our bodies, organs and their functions but we are helping our brain!
I believe food is medicine and there are so many ways we can benefit from eating specific foods for our body. I highly recommend seeking a Nutritionist or Functional Medicine Practitioner to find out what your body specifically needs.
Sugar is not your friend. It is so easy to let this addiction slide, but there are many downsides to sugar, especially processed sugars. Don’t forget that carbs turn into sugar so your addiction may be tricking you.
I have been working on eating well for my body for many years. When I give my body the nourishment I need, I feel f***ing amazing! As soon as I cheat or have something I know I’m not supposed to, I notice my body does not feel well, let alone my brain being on the fritz.
TIP: Bring your awareness to your body after eating, perhaps right after, but also 30-60 minutes after to see how what you ate makes you feel.
SWEET DREAMS
I cannot talk about sleep enough. I check in with all my clients around their sleep and it seems to be an epidemic that the country, if not the world, is not getting adequate sleep.
We all know that 6-8 hours of sleep a night is best for adults. For me, I tend to function best on 9. As we get older we may need less.
But don’t forget that this is EVERY NIGHT! And you cannot add up the total hours.
Getting quality sleep is half the battle. I hear my clients with anxiety struggling to fall asleep. Without proper hydration or nourishment, it can be difficult to not wake during the night.
When we are waking up throughout the night, we are not getting REM sleep. This is where our body, most importantly our brains, regenerate, repair and get themselves ready for another amazing day.
There’s a misconception that when you get deep sleep & don’t have dreams at all that it’s a good night’s sleep.
WRONG!
If you are only in deep sleep, not hitting REM (where we dream), then you are NOT getting a quality sleep, your body is not repairing itself and you will not be at your best the next day.
What can help you get quality sleep?
First off, it’s important to address any anxiety that is preventing you from falling asleep.
Having a nighttime routine with time to wind down, about an hour before sleep, along with NO SCREENS! We all know that blue light is bad for us and keeping your mind active with the scroll is not going to help you fall asleep.
Find calming, soothing activities before bedtime like having things you do to get ready for bed can help. For example, setting a diffuser of calming essential oils, misting your pillows with a bedtime spray or turning on a soft light as you start your routine. Having soft music or Binaural Beats can also set the mood and prepare your body for rest.
Some like to meditate before bed or listen to a calming guided imagery as they fall asleep.
TIP: If you do not have an evening routine yet, be aware of what your body needs and try out different things to what works for you. But stick to your bedtime routine and your bed TIME.\
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
As you can see, the 3 small parts of our lives can greatly affect how we feel on a daily basis. Longterm, these can greatly affect our mental health and interfere in areas of our lives resulting in the need for counseling or even medication.
Practicing awareness around these 3 non-negotiables of life will help you to conquer your goals and work toward living your best life.
Looking for 1:1 help with these?
Check out InHer Work where we can do just that & more.
