February is the season of love. The stores are filled with hearts and cute gnomes that looked more like elves around the Christmas holiday, but now they are adorned with pink hats.
We are also in the second month of the calendar year. We have had the first month to settle in and start new routines, or restart ones we have let fall aside with all of the family gatherings and food. We have new priorities on our health, wellbeing or career goals.
Or maybe we didn’t do any of that. The New Year brought anxiety, feeling down that you still haven’t started the thing, the project, the exercise routine, the meditation practice.
Guess what? There is no special time to start on any goals. You just have to start!
This blog is a 3 part series on ways to start showing yourself some love today.
Self love is the BEST practice to put into your normal daily routine to elevate all other aspects of your life.
The first tip is simple and something you are probably already doing, but know you could add a little more to your day.
Drink more water.
This habit comes up a lot in all of the self-help, fitness programs and overall well-being instructions, so why is it so important and the number one thing to do to show yourself some love?
Well first, it’s accessible to us, almost all the time. The best way to drink more water throughout the day is to have a water bottle with you. For those of you who know me, I carry a Nalgene bottle with me EVERYWHERE. If I have it with me, I am more likely to drink water.
Second, many of us are walking around or sitting around in a constant state of dehydration. Whether because we consume caffeinated drinks, alcohol or just don’t drink water, and we are not providing an essential nutrient to our bodies.
Water lubricates our joints, Helps clear skin, Flushes out toxins, Helps balance hormones and Reduces inflammation, to name a few.
Tips on how to drink more water:
- Add fruit to the water. Some of us just don’t like the taste of water. Adding strawberries, lemons or limes, even cucumbers (I know it’s not technically a fruit) can add just enough flavor to make water taste a bit better.
- Set an alarm (or multiple alarms ) throughout the day. Hey, we all need a little help with remembering to do things for ourselves. I LOVE the alarm setting on my phone. I use this for a lot of things.
- Start your day with water. Again, have your water bottle with you everywhere, including on your night stand. When you wake up, the first thing you do before you even go to the bathroom or whatever you do when you first wake up, drink a big gulp or several gulps of water. Whether you sleep for 6 hours or 9, you have been without any hydration for that long and your body needs it!
- Replace one caffeinated drink with water. I KNOW! I love my coffee (multiple cups) in the morning and sometimes go for an energy drink in the afternoon. Which time can we shift away from these dehydrating liquids and replace it with water?
This simple act not only will have your insides feeling good, but you will feel good about how you are showing up for yourself.
Thanks for reading
Jen
I’m drinking more water at work rn because of this post!!!!
That is so cool! Thanks for commenting