A Step Beyond the Basics: The Three Pillars of Wellness

Exercise, Sleep & Nutrition

Sleep, nutrition and exercise are three self care core components to a healthy life. These three techniques overlap and work best when paired together.

In my previous post I provided basic information about self care techniques. In case you missed it:

Exercise– Benefits of exercise on mental health include (but not limited to) reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Regular exercise can increase energy, sleep, and increase self-confidence and discipline.
Sleep- Consistent and sufficient sleeping patterns can improve energy, mood, and increase concentration. Inconsistent and insufficient sleeping patterns decrease energy, increase irritability and poor concentration.
Nutrition- Your nutrition influences your energy, mood, and self esteem.

The Deep Dive

Exercise

It doesn’t have to be a scary word, it doesn’t have to mean sweating in a gym lifting weights or running on the treadmill. Exercise can be taking a walk around your neighborhood after dinner (a great activity to get the kids involved!), a bike ride, yoga or marching in place in your living room.

Exercise means moving your body to get your heart pumping. When your heart is pumping from exercise you’re not only burning calories, your brain releases endorphins to help reduce stress hormones. With less stress hormones in the body activities like sleep and sex become easier, enegery levels and self confidence increases and your body combats diseases more effectively.

Incorporating 15-20 minutes of movement a day five to six days a week is excellent for self care. Science tells us it takes 21 consistent days to form a habit. The sooner you start, the better.

Tips to Motivate

Make it Social: Ask your spouse/partner, family member, a neighbor or friend to join you for a walk or workout.This is great for accountability an accountabili-buddy, if you will. Set goals and achieve them together.
Make it Fun & Mix It Up: If you walk around your neighborhood usually, try a new location such as the beach or boardwalk, a nature reserve or hiking trails. Include different movements such as lunges, or light jogging. Start with one push up a day.
Commit to a time: Add a reminder in your calendar, lean on and be a good accountabili-buddy.
Keep Track: There are a multitude of free applications on your smartphone to help track exercise and even sleep. Some have communities for additional motivation. I personally enjoy “Track My Run” (I use this to track my hikes and walks) and “My Fitness Pal.”
Understand your limits: Start out slowly, only do what your body tells you it can do. When exercise is uncomfortable (the muscles “burn”) stay with it, if something is painful (like pinching or isolated pain) make an adjustment. It is crucial to understand the difference between pain and discomfort in your body. Drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods. Keep supplements to a minimum and consult your doctor. And most importantly REST DAY! One or two rest days a week are just as important as exercise. Our muscles need recovery time.

If exercise is uncomfortable for you or you are unsure of where to start consult a personal trainer, physical therapist or other exercise professional.

Sleep

The quality of sleep, not the quantity of sleep is a top self care component. Sleep is a reset for our minds and bodies. Getting quality sleep allows the brain to work through stressors in unconventional ways helping provide clarity to issues and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. You may sleep eight hours a night, but if you are not getting quality REM cycle sleep, your body and mind are not reaping the full benefits of sleep.

Sleep science has taught us that sleep is crucial and varies by age group. Teens (aged 14-17) should aim for 8-10 hours of sleep a night, adults (aged 18-64) require 7-9 hours, and older adults (65+ years) at least 7-8 hours.

Tips for Quality Sleep

Sleep as a priority: Set a bedtime, and stick to it! If you stay up past your scheduled bedtime, maintain your wake time. Keep naps during the day to a minimum, if you need a nap early afternoon is best and keep it between 20 and 40 minutes.
Bedroom as a Sancutary: Your bedroom should be used to two things: sleep and sex. Create an environment meant for sleep; dim the lights, control noise if possible, adjust the temperature if needed, and turn off the screens! Take time before bed to journal, do light stretching, and/or meditate. There are excellent guided meditations to help you fall asleep. My personal favorite is the “Headspace” app, available on your smartphone. The beauty of this app is you can turn it on, lock your phone screen and it will continue to play.
Avoid: Screens, social media scrolling and work, caffeine, heavy foods, alcohol and nicotine should be avoided about two hours before bedtime. If you are hungry around bedtime eat a banana, whole grain carb or try a glass of milk. Avoid reliance on sleep aids, unless prescribed by a doctor.
Exercise: As addressed above exercise is a key component in achieving a good night’s sleep. Exercise outside if possible, Vitamin D from the sun is important in the sleep cycle.

If these techniques do not work well enough for you, consult your physician about other available options to help you achieve quality sleep.

Nutrition

Good nutrition practices benefit stress, mood, digestion and overall health. You don’t have to be a dietitian to understand nutrition basics or to maintain positive nutrition practices.

Check in with your stress, chronic stress is linked to poor digestion and GI tract issues, negative effects on appetite, nutrient absorption and hydration. When your digestive system is not functioning properly the effects are fatigue, dehydration, constipation and other gut issues affecting overall health.

The GI system is often referred to as the second brain, which makes it pretty important. A healthy relationship with food and a balanced diet are important in properly fueling your body for day to day functions, your intuition or “gut feeling” exercise and even the sleep cycle.

Get the Most Out of Your Gut

Good-bye Fad Diets & Cleanses: Self care is about… taking care of yourself. Has a diet ever made you happy? Chances are, no. Dieting is linked directly to stress, deprivation in our lives is not always a good thing. In fact, it creates more guilt leading to stress and depression. The body does a good job of detoxifying itself, and works efficiently when correct portions of protein, fats and carbs are consumed daily.
Balance: Food is meant to nourish the body so creating a healthy relationship with food is crucial. Healthy eating techniques are important:
- Eat Regularly: Eating small meals or snacks throughout the day boosts your metabolism.
- Color: Mix up the colors on your plate, include a variety of fruits and vegetables and don’t forget brown, it’s a color too. Whole grains are excellent sources of fiber (fiber and digestion, you know you need it!).
- Fats Omega-3’s: The dreaded word, ditch that mentality. Fats found in nuts, olive oil, fish, and avocado are proven to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, reduce inflammation and promote brain health. Omega-3’s have also shown improvements in mood.
- It doesn’t have to be Perfect: Maintaining a healthy diet isn’t about being perfect, it’s not about eating only healthy foods for every meal. Use the 80/20 mentality (not just for nutrition but other areas of life too). 80% of the time you can be “on it 100%” while the other 20% is mindful indulgence. So yes, you can have your chocolate or chips BUT eat these foods scarcely and eat the correct serving size so not to over indulge. This mentality helps eliminate the guilt factor of dieting. Allowing yourself to be human is just as important as maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Eat Mindfully, Say Goodbye to Post Meal Bloat: Set time aside to eat your meals. That means step away from the computer, get off your phone and turn off the TV. This makes you slow down, chew your food and appreciate the fuel you are putting into your body. Ultimately, this helps your digestive system work effectively. Eat when you’re hungry, and listen to the signals your body gives you. When you are satisfied, stop eating.

For a full understanding of nutrition consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Your primary care physician can also provide information or references for you.

Self care is multifaceted. Check in next month for an in depth look at self talk and creativity.

References:

https://www.therealgoodnutrition.com/therealgoodblog/2019/3/25/good-nutrition-is-good-self-care

https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/health-safety-wellness/counseling/wellness/self-care-and-stress-reduction/sleep-well

https://sova.pitt.edu/bepositive-self-care-why-exercise#:~:text=Some%20easy%20ways%20to%20start,yourself%20(inside%20or%20outside).

https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/health-safety-wellness/counseling/self_care/exercise