Take Care of YOU

Budget-Friendly Ways to Care for Yourself This Year

by

Annabelle Harris

Elders Center

Your health is one of the most important assets you have, but many of us take it for granted. If you’re too busy or distracted with managing work and the home life to take a fresh approach to your health, you’re not alone. Business managers, for example, are some of the most stressed-out people on the planet, a big reason being they’re managing employees who are often also stressed out -- we’re all human after all, living in trying times. ZenBusiness notes that it helps to have a little empathy for “the boss” of course, but everyone has their own responsibility to care for oneself which, in turn, will help alleviate a lot of the symptoms of overwork.

This year, make a commitment to yourself to put in the extra effort to care for your mental and physical health. Even if you’re living on a budget, there are ways to tend to your well-being that won’t obliterate your income.

Balance Your Gut

Your digestive tract is home to trillions of microflora that impact everything from how well your jeans fit to your overall mental state. If you don’t tend to your microbiome, it can become imbalanced with more harmful bacteria than good. Indulging in too much sugar, salt, fat, alcohol, and processed foods can easily throw your microbiome off-balance, leaving you feeling uncomfortable, bloated, and more prone to illnesses, both physical and mental. If you want to improve your gut health, consider adding a probiotic supplement to your daily routine. A probiotic helps the good bacteria flourish and out-crowd any bad microorganisms.

If supplements aren’t for you, you can still introduce healthy bacteria with probiotic foods. Believe it or not, everyday foods like yogurt, pickles, dark chocolate, and even beer are rich sources of good bacteria. However, make a deal with yourself to break out of the ordinary and try foods you may not normally eat — kimchi, miso, and beet kvass are probiotic powerhouses that will expand your palate and contribute to your gut health all at the same time. Finally, don’t forget to feed your microflora with foods that are rich in prebiotic fiber — onions, garlic, apples, and oats are all everyday staples that can meet your prebiotic needs.

Take a Hike

Spending an afternoon hiking in nature is good for the body and mind, and is super budget-friendly. Regular exercise helps you control your weight, builds muscle, strengthens bones, and reduces your risk of chronic disease. And while it’s obviously a great cardiovascular fitness, hiking also provides a natural way to engage your core muscles while honing your balance skills. But it’s not just the exercise that makes hiking a great form of self-care. Hiking gets you outside, where you’re exposed to fresh air and sunshine. Soaking in sunshine for at least 15 minutes a day helps regulate your circadian rhythm and promotes a more restful night’s sleep.

Create Your Own Workout Studio

On days when exercising outdoors isn’t an option due to bad weather, opt for at-home workouts instead. Going to a gym can help you achieve your fitness goals, but maintaining a membership can be costly. You’ll actually save money in the long run by investing in some gym equipment to use at home. You can even take it a step further by dedicating some space for your own home gym. Having a place to work out at home means never having to share equipment with others, and you can exercise whenever you have the time.

Creating your own workout space is easy when you start with the basics. Think about what equipment would interest you the most — such as a set of weights or an exercise bench — and look for affordable options. Arrange the equipment however you’d like in your home gym, leaving enough space around each piece to exercise safely. Then, put together a playlist of heart-pumping music to keep you motivated throughout your workouts, and play it through a speaker or earbuds. For more advanced features like installing electrical outlets, a ceiling fan, and proper flooring, you’re better off hiring a professional.

Be in the Moment

According to Conscious Lifestyle Magazine, meditation is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body and mind. Spending a few minutes a day centering yourself provides a sense of stillness and peace for the mind, body, and spirit alike. There is scientific evidence that meditating helps with anxiety, stress, pain relief, sleep, and overall cognitive function. It can actually change the structure of your brain to be less dependent on the fight-or-flight response that triggers feelings of anxiety, which can help lower blood pressure and other physical symptoms associated with anxiety.

Furthermore, meditating helps make you a more creative, patient, and conscious person. And, of course, meditating is free. While you can go to classes and sign up for apps that guide you through meditation, all you really need to do is find a comfortable place to sit for your practice.

You can take care of your physical and mental health without breaking the bank — it just means doing the little things. The bacteria that live in your gut control various other bodily functions, so take care of them by eating plenty of probiotics and prebiotics. To get more from your exercise, take it outside and gain the benefits of sunshine and fresh air on a hike — or get in your workouts in your home gym on rainy days. Finally, regularly meditating can make you a calmer, less anxious person overall.

INTRODUCING THE AUTHOR

Annabelle Harris is a 67-year-old writer, wife, mother, and grandmother. She started blogging nearly a decade ago when she was still facing the prospect of retirement and old age. She was terrified and needed an outlet for her thoughts, fears, and uncertainties. It was through her first blog that she found the support of a community that truly helped her through the process of aging.

Today, she is paying it forward with Elders.Center. Her goal is to help soon-to-be-seniors and already-seniors move gracefully into their golden years with less fear and more confidence. The site features a plethora of resources to help answer common and not-so-common questions about aging.