5 Easy steps to care for yourself

Few of us care for ourselves, as well as, we care for others. So here are a few easy steps to better care for ourselves.

Exercise – Personally I cringe every time I hear that word, it sounds so hard and tiring and when I get off work I’m tired and I don’t want to exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I want to be healthy and I like it when I have more energy…I am just not going to get myself to the gym everyday. So I pull my blinds, turn on the music and dance. I time it and after 5 songs or 20 minutes I stop, stretch a bit and go on with my evening. Sometimes I make plans to go bowling or in the summer I play softball on an old ladies recreational team. Yes, sometimes I drag myself to the gym to get some weight training in and to go swimming. The point is to do something active almost every night. It is a great way to rid your body from the daily stresses you endured that day. It also will help you sleep better and of course burning calories is always a plus.

Eat Right – The foods you ingest will come back to haunt you. Now I am no doctor but I know exactly where the doughnuts I eat end up, usually my thighs. So how do we get to eat on the run and make it healthy and most importantly make it good? This one takes a bit more practice and some preparation but once you get it down the results will inspire you to continue. Get to know your foods; are you eating enough vegetables and fruits? I have found that if I plan my week for food I do much better eating right at work and I definitely feel the difference when I forget my lunches and eat on the go. Cut up vegetables, nuts, and yogurt are a great replacement for doughnuts and bear claws. Caffeine free tea is much better than a mocha and it doesn’t cost $4.00.

Smoking and Drinking – We all know smoking is a killer so don’t smoke…enough said. Drinking is another danger that some ignore until it is too late. Drinking feels great at the time and in moderation is a nice relief to a hard day HOWEVER drinking in excess leads to health issues, psychological issues and dependency. None of these are good.

Laughter – there has been a lot of research as of late stating that laughter leads to better lives. So I recommend laughing whenever appropriate it makes work better and is evidently very good for you so let the belly laughs begin.

The bottom line is we as healthcare workers preach to our patients everyday to get healthy and take care of themselves to enjoy a healthy long life. I challenge each of you to take your own advice; be healthy and enjoy and long and happy life.

Source: American Medical Response, www.amr.net 503-793-8240

For more information: www.amr.net 503-793-8240