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Wellness Wednesday: Sleep, Soup, and Self-Care
For many of us, the holiday season offers an opportunity to take some time off and decompress as the year comes to a close. Whether it’s going on winter break or taking some vacation time to see our families and friends, these last few weeks of the year are a great time to focus on rest and relaxation. Don’t forget to practice the three S’s this holiday season: sleep, soup, and self-care.
Sleep
Studies have shown that the average adult needs 7-8 hours of good sleep to function at their peak capacity. Being well-rested reduces stress, maintains our immune system, and can even lower the risk for heart disease. Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis can have a serious impact on your physical and mental well-being. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you may be in the throes of sleep deprivation.
Click here to learn more about the value of sleep and how you can build better sleep habits into your daily routine. If you find it hard to fall asleep at night, try listening to this guided meditation to calm down and ease you into a state of relaxation that will have you counting sheep in no time.
Soup
Few things hit the spot like a bowl of hot soup during cold weather! Soup is a great food staple for any staycation: it’s relatively easy to make, the ingredients are cheap, it helps hydrate you, provides essential nutrients, and (in the case of chicken soup) can provide nutrition you need that may help your body recover from a seasonal sickness.
Self-Care
Self-care, to quote Parks & Recreation, is making a commitment to “treat yourself.” It is about being kind to yourself and rewarding yourself with small gifts to keep yourself from falling into despair. Self-care may evoke images of manicures, massages, and shopping sprees but there is more to it than that. While these can be forms of self-care, the practice is more about giving yourself permission to take a moment for you.
Here’s a few ways to show yourself some kindness this week:
● Take a few minutes to write down what you’re grateful for;
● Spend 10 minutes a day de-cluttering your home;
● Unplug from social media and the news after dinner;
● Take a walk in nature; or
● Look at cute pictures of animals.
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