Celebrate Women’s World History Month With Self Care

As we approach March, ERA King Real Estate will be celebrating Women’s History Month. It’s a great time to reflect on all the accomplishments and, achievements that women have made throughout the years that have helped shape our society as well as impact various industries.

Women have many roles and are able to multiple-task somehow with grace. It’s often a balancing act between career, motherhood, being a spouse/life partner, maintaining friendships, taking care of family, and self-care. It often seems self-care takes a back seat to all your other responsibilities in your daily routine and the juggling act called life.

However, self-care is vital to maintaining your health. If you have a healthy diet, exercise, get adequate sleep, and practice self-care, you will increase the likelihood of maintaining good, long-term health. In fact, heart disease is the number one killer of women yet 80% of cardiovascular diseases are preventable, according to the American Heart Association. That’s a sobering statistic about women’s health. 

Below are tips on how a woman can improve/maintain her health. 

Healthy diet– Consider eating a well-balanced diet that includes vegetables, lean proteins, and fresh fruits while avoiding or limiting desserts and fried foods.  Remember, to consult a doctor about your plans for a healthy diet because your underlying health conditions can affect what type of foods you should incorporate as well as what type of foods you need to avoid. 

Exercising-Your heart is a muscle and regular, routine exercise can strengthen it. You should seriously consider getting active in your regular routine. Consider joining a swimming class, going for a daily walk/jog, attending a Zumba class, going to a cycling class, etc. Whatever works for you, you should just start moving. Research has found people who followed the minimum guidelines for moderate or vigorous long-term, leisure physical activity lowered their risk of dying from any cause by as much as 21%. But adults who exercised two to four times the minimum might lower their mortality risk by as much as 31%.” (American Heart Association). 

As with starting a healthy diet, you should get a thorough physical from a medical doctor and consult with your doctor what is the best type of exercise to start with for your level of health, medical conditions, and current fitness level.

Adequate Sleep-You may feel tired and struggle with persistent fatigue due to lack of sleep and your busy, multiple-tasking schedule. However, lack of sleep could be costing you big time. Did you know that getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night has actually been associated with heart disease? In fact, poor sleep is linked to increased high blood pressure as well as difficulty losing those unwanted pounds. 

Self-Care– What are you going to do as a woman to promote self-care other than things just for your physical health? High levels of stress can increase health risks as well. Maybe join a book club, take up gardening, set aside alone time to recharge, go shopping with a friend, grab lunch with a loved one, go get your nails or hair done, etc. If you practice self-care, you are more likely to enjoy your life and reduce your stress at the same time. Do something just for yourself on a regular basis that makes you happy.