6 tips to take care of yourself
Oh hi there, it’s been a while!
We have been so busy here at our aceHQ that we’ve left the blog a little behind, but we’re back now!
We’ve been so busy in fact that we really had to make sure we looked after ourselves not to burn out completely. So, we’ve come up with our 6 top tips to make sure you do the same!
Here it goes:
1) EAT WELL
You should have seen this coming from your favourite nutritionists! Eating a varied and balanced diet, high in lean protein, packed with fruit and vegetables and accompanied by wholesome ingredients will make sure you get most of the macro (protein, carbohydrates and fat) and micro (vitamins and minerals) nutrients you need.
If you don’t already, you should be taking a 10 micrograms vitamin D supplement daily in autumn and winter. We get most of our vitamin D through the sun and not enough from food, so it is important to supplement during the colder months. Vitamin D has lots of benefits, including keeping your bones healthy and strong, and it’s been shown to alleviate depressive symptoms.
2) BUT DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP IF YOU TRIP UP SOMETIMES
If you do accidentally inhale that hidden box of chocolate after the millionth tantrum your kid threw, don’t beat yourself up! Don’t try to “make up for it” by training more or starving yourself the following day. This kind of mentality will only worsen your relationship with food and training. Pick yourself up, remind yourself that one day is not enough to take you back to the start of your journey, forgive yourself and get back on track the following day.
At the same time, avoid continue stuffing yourself because “you’ve ruined it anyway”. Don’t let a bad 5 minutes turn into a bad day or week. Accept it happened, draw a line under it and move on.
If you do find these slip ups happen a little too often and need some accountability and support, check our aceTRANSFORM programme. The next intake is starting on 1st March!
3) BE ACTIVE
However tempting it is to stay buried under a nice soft blanket on your couch, move! It doesn’t what you do, stay active: walk on the spot if you can’t go out, dance, play with your kids, find a Zumba video online, do a follow along workout. Whatever you pick, enjoy it, and enjoy the endorphins (“happy hormone”) rush that will follow.
A quick training session first thing in the morning might be just what you need to get your day off to the best start. Looking for a PT? We have a bunch of them, just contact us to arrange a session!
4) TAKE 15 MINUTES FOR YOURSELF DAILY
It might not sound like a lot and it’s easy to dismiss but taking a little time for yourself to do something you truly enjoy can have an amazing effect on your morale.
Find an activity that you enjoy, a book you like, some music that calms you down (or cheers you up) and schedule some time for it daily.
If you find you keep on dismissing it, put it in your diary as setting a time and place for it will make it more likely for you to do it.
If you are feeling guilty or selfish, you should not as you deserve time off to recharge your batteries. If you are completely flat out, there is no way you can look after those around you!
PRO TIP: you might need to lock yourself in the bathroom to get some time off!
5) GO OUT DURING THE DAY
Whether it’s sunny or not, try and spend some time outside each day.
If you’re lucky enough to go out on a sunny day, you’ll probably feel your mood improving just for being in the sunshine.
If it’s cloudy, the fresh air will still help you relax and clear your mind.
If it’s pouring down, maybe jumping in a puddle will make you giggle and have some fun!
6) SLEEP WELL
Sometimes easier said than done, but good quality sleep is really important. You will have noticed how when you don’t sleep well you tend to be grumpy, hungry and irritable and that’s totally normal.
Being exposed to daylight will help set your circadian rhythms (your sleep-wake cycles), then make sure your room is pitch black, that you have a little wind down routine (warm shower/bath, no screen time, maybe a book or a podcast) and try and go to sleep and wake up at similar times every day.
We really hope you try them and they help, let us know if you do!
Much aceLOVE x
