Well-being and self-care need to be actioned by everyone daily, this must be prioritised.

Easier said than done, eh? Well not necessarily.

Firstly, get organised and give yourself time to plan out the week ahead and the healthy meals you intend on eating. Plan and schedule how your week ahead for your nutrition, self-care, and life will look.

Everyone is unique and my approach in working with clients is just that, there cannot be a set plan suitable for everyone. Our unique tastes, lifestyles, likes, and dislikes drive our food choices. 

Secondly, ditch the word diet, be diet agnostic! Are bodies’ much like our brains do not like to be shocked or overwhelmed. Aim to eat food not formulations, labels can lie so always read the ingredients. Your immune system is your body’s first line of defence against viruses, bacteria, parasites, and infection. When you are stressed, it cannot operate at its optimum level. Up to 80% of our immunities live in our gut and by feeding that well we can best support and protect our immune systems. Having a healthy daily routine and management techniques in place can help us to manage the stressors in our lives more effectively and combat the impact stress has on our body.

Finally, sleep, sleep is your superpower, and its’ free so take full advantage of that and prioritise it.

Getting a good night’s sleep allows us to manage and deal with stress and the food choices we make in the best way. It’s also paramount to supporting our immune health. Disconnecting from technology every evening for a few hours before bed can really help to set you up for a good night’s sleep. People’s preferences around selfcare differs depending on their interests, stressors, de-stressors, likes, and dislikes. These might include reading, cooking, walking, getting a massage, sea swimming, going for a walk-in nature, listening to music, taking a bath, mediating, yoga or doing breath work. Whatever your preferred self-care tool is, doing it mindfully and solely by itself can really help to keep you present, fully enjoy it, and gain maximum benefits from it.

Focus on progress and making small changes now for long term health benefits. Think about your new healthy habits, as just that, your new routine, normal and narrative. Focus on what you are gaining, not losing. A simple shift in mindset and by changing the language around your why can have a powerful impact on successfully achieving your goals.

Rachel works with individual clients providing bespoke plans and gives talks for organisations on nutrition and health. You can find out all about her and the services she provides at www.rachelyoung.ie

If you would like to contact Rachel to work with her directly, please reach out to her at rachel@rachelyoung.ie. You can also connect with her on social media @rachelyoung.ie or on LinkedIn.