Taking care of yourself is one way to maintain physical, mental, and emotional health to prevent various health problems so that everyday life feels more enjoyable. This may seem very difficult, but in reality it is not. The quality of life will immediately change if you always take care of yourself by adopting a healthy lifestyle, for example eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep every day, and exercising regularly.
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Method 1 of 2: Maintaining Physical Health
Step 1. Respect your body by adopting a healthy diet
Instead of classifying foods into "good" and "bad" foods, choose foods that make your body function properly so that you feel more comfortable, such as fruits, vegetables, and protein and calcium foods. Avoid foods that trigger allergies or are not in accordance with the diet program.
- If you're having trouble deciding what food to eat, plan a meal plan for the week ahead. Arrange a menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that you like and then buy the ingredients you need.
- Instead of avoiding your favorite snack, such as a large, savory burger or a piece of sweet chocolate cake, balance the menu with nutritious snacks to keep your body healthy and energized.
Step 2. Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day
Water is very beneficial for the body! Get used to drinking enough water every day so that the organs of the body work well, the skin remains elastic, the body is more energetic and ready to move.
As soon as you wake up in the morning, drink a glass of water so you are ready to go about your daily routine
Tip:
Download the mobile app to record daily water intake. That way, you can find out why you're not drinking enough.
Step 3. Set aside time to exercise 4-5 times a week to keep your body healthy and strong
If you don't exercise often, start taking 30 minutes a day to exercise, such as walking, jogging, cycling, lifting weights, swimming, or playing a game you enjoy. The secretion of endorphins during exercise makes the body feel comfortable and emotional health increases.
If you're having trouble exercising regularly, put a workout schedule on your agenda so that you stick to it consistently, like a schedule for a doctor's appointment or an important meeting
Step 4. Make sure you get a good night's sleep to keep your body in top shape
Get in the habit of getting 8-10 hours of sleep at night (for teens) or 7-9 hours (for adults) every day. Also, make it a habit to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day so that your body adapts to your new sleep schedule.
- Set the alarm to ring 30 minutes before bedtime. As soon as the alarm rings, turn off all electronic devices and start a bedtime routine to relax your body and calm your mind.
- Make sure you sleep in a dark, cool room so you can sleep well.
Step 5. Take a break when you feel tired
Maybe you want to keep working to stay productive even when it's time to take a break. Whenever you feel like you're running out of energy, take some time to rest, either by canceling an event later that evening so you can relax at home or planning a day off to rest for the rest of the day.
You can get sick because your immune system decreases if you continue to move, even though you need to rest. In addition, physical and mental fatigue makes you less productive
Step 6. Keep your body clean so you always look good and more confident.
Keeping the body clean is one way to maintain health, for example by:
- Maintain dental hygiene. Get in the habit of brushing your teeth at least 2 times a day, flossing once a day, and seeing your dentist for a checkup once a year.
- Maintain body hygiene. Get used to shower 1-2 times a day and use deodorant every day.
- Maintain hand hygiene. Don't forget to wash your hands every time you use the restroom, touch dirty objects, before and after handling food.
Step 7. Take time to relax while taking care of yourself
You can relax your body and mind in various ways, such as treating your hair with a hair mask, treating your facial skin with a face mask, treating your nails with manicures and pedicures. Plus, enjoy some relaxing time while soaking in the warm water, treating yourself at the spa, or getting a massage. You can make an appointment with a therapist/beauty expert or do the treatment yourself at home.
Do something special for yourself once a week to make this activity the moment you look forward to
Step 8. Get rid of bad habits, such as smoking or drinking alcohol to keep yourself healthy
If you need to break a bad habit, write down why. Quit bad habits one by one and replace them with beneficial activities.
- For example, take the 5-10 minutes usually filled with smoking for a brisk walk or drink water whenever you feel like drinking alcohol.
- If you are experiencing addiction, consult a therapist to overcome it.
Method 2 of 2: Maintaining Mental and Emotional Health
Step 1. Set aside time for reflection each day
If you enjoy keeping a journal or diary, take some time before bed at night to jot down things you're grateful for, unpleasant events, and how you feel. In addition to journaling, reflect on what you experienced during the day by asking yourself:
- What was the most fun today?
- What positive things have I experienced?
- What haven't I finished or is it still pending?
- If I have free time, what would I like to do?
- What negatives do I need to get rid of?
Step 2. Do fun activities that make you feel happy
Instead of thinking about what you don't have, focus on what you do have. Form the habit of being grateful for something good every day. Start writing a diary of everyday experiences that make you feel happy.
- Take time to do fun activities, such as listening to music, dancing, cooking, reading a book, or practicing yoga. Make sure you prioritize these activities so that your day is always filled with fun things.
- Improve emotional health by laughing every day. Interact with people who make you laugh. Watch comedy films or comedy shows as a way to treat yourself with laughter.
Step 3. Apply the rules as you go about your daily life so you have privacy
This rule applies when you are interacting with other people or to manage time so you can take care of yourself. For example, apply the following rules when going about your daily life:
- Manage stress at work by checking your email twice a day, instead of reading your email every time you receive a notification.
- Turn off the ringer when chatting with loved ones so you don't get distracted from what's going on.
- Keep your distance from people who annoy or take advantage of you.
- Tell your friends to text or call if they want to meet you at home, instead of coming right up.
Step 4. Learn to refuse other people's requests so you don't run out of time
If someone asks you to do something, think carefully and check the agenda before complying with the request. If you don't agree, tell him, "Sorry, I can't help because I haven't finished my work" or "I'd like to help, but I've been very busy these past few weeks."
If you decide to commit, ask yourself, "If I can be successful by taking this opportunity, why should I turn it down?"
Step 5. Deal with stress so you can enjoy life
Chronic stress has a negative impact on physical, mental and emotional health. Therefore, try to relieve stress from the physical aspect, for example by exercising or undergoing massage therapy. From the mental aspect, deal with stress by meditating, freeing yourself from situations that trigger stress, or managing a good schedule of activities.
- For example, if you're stressed because you're often late for work, set a timer so that you leave home 10 minutes early.
- Breaking free from stressful situations is not easy. So, focus on the things you can control. For example, you can't resign from a stressful job yet, but you can set boundaries so that work doesn't interfere with your personal life.
Step 6. Build a strong network by meeting friends regularly
Friendship is useful for maintaining mental and emotional health. Therefore, don't neglect your friends even if you are very busy. Make friends with them, chat with friends over the phone or meet in person to share experiences, hear stories, and have fun together.
If your schedule is so tight that you don't get to meet your friends, show that you always want to keep the friendship going by texting them or calling them. Another way, invite friends to have breakfast together before going to work or study together after school
Step 7. Challenge yourself to learn new things to keep your mind active
An active and challenging life makes the brain much healthier than a boring life. Find a new hobby, learn a foreign language, take a trip to a new location, take a course on campus, become a member of a gym, or learn the things you've always wanted to know.
- The internet is an effective means of learning new things, for example by searching for blogs, videos, websites, and books that provide information about the things you want to learn.
- If the new thing you're learning doesn't seem interesting, don't continue. Focus on exploring new knowledge that interests you.
Step 8. Have a self-respecting mental dialogue To use form a positive mindset.
Observe every time you think something about yourself. Do you often criticize yourself? Many people do this because they feel inferior, lack self-confidence, and even hate themselves. Be aware of the words you are addressing yourself during your mental dialogue and make sure you use positive affirmations.
- For example, if you're saying to yourself, "I'm stupid. I'll definitely not pass the exam," replace it with, "Tomorrow's exam is quite challenging and I'm up for the challenge."
- If you think bad things about your physical condition or personality, focus your thoughts on the positive side of yourself. For example, instead of saying, "I'm fat and ugly," change it to, "I'm grateful that my body is healthy so I can do a variety of useful activities."
- Be patient when breaking the habit of self-deprecation as this takes time. Change the negative mental dialogue little by little until there is a big change in your life.
Step 9. Avoid electronic devices and do mindfulness meditation to relieve stress.
Interacting with other people all the time can be beneficial, but it can also be detrimental. Therefore, you need to set aside time to be alone while calming your mind and enjoying the present. Take a full day or a few hours to relax after turning off your phone, TV, and laptop. This step is useful for calming the mind so that things that once seemed very difficult turn out to be easy to handle.
You can relax for a while every day by turning off your phone 1 hour before bedtime until 1 hour after getting up in the morning
Do a test run:
challenge yourself to turn off all electronic devices 1 day a week for 1 month. Then, do an evaluation to determine how much stress is reduced.
Step 10. See a doctor or professional therapist for help if health problems interfere with daily activities
Even if a friend or family member can help, it's a good idea to consult a professional therapist for anxiety or depression. Don't be shy about asking for help because everyone needs help from time to time and you've done your best to make this decision.
- Asking for help can mean asking someone to help you with an assignment, buy groceries, or play with your child so you can take care of yourself.
- If your mental and emotional health is keeping you from getting up early, going to work, or enjoying hobbies, consult a professional counselor or therapist to find the best solution.
