YOUR BODY
Your Hair
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Particularly during the winter, it can be hard to keep your hair in good condition. First and foremost, it’s important to make sure that you get it trimmed regularly – it isn’t just your hairdresser trying to make extra money when they recommend that you go back every two months! Cutting the ends off and getting it restyled will keep your hair looking sleek and full of body and devoid of split ends. If you find that your hair gets dry easily then try deep conditioning it once a week and using a silk pillowcase to sleep on. You should also cover it up with a hat to protect it over winter so it doesn’t get damaged by the cold wind and rain.
Your Weight
In order to stay fit and healthy, a combination of healthy eating and physical fitness is required. You could join a gym, take part in fitness classes, try out some cardio, or stay closer to home to study yoga yourself or to go hiking or jogging. No matter what you do, just remember that the important thing is to stay active and flexible. In terms of food, remember that you should eat everything but in moderation – don’t give up any of the food groups no matter how much people tell you to quit eating carbs, and make sure that you don’t eat too much readymade food or sugar. Add more protein and leafy greens to your diet and don’t make your portion sizes too big and you’ll be absolutely fine!
Your Skin
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First and foremost there’s absolutely nothing more important for your skin to remain in good condition than sun protection. Wear sunscreen with a high SPF underneath your makeup, or a foundation with sun protection in it. It’s also important to make sure that you stay hydrated so your skin stays dewy and glowing – keep moisturising regularly every morning and before you go to bed, and make sure that you drink plenty of water every day. If your lips are chapped then why not try out a homemade sugar scrub to sort them out?
Your Teeth
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The worst thing about your teeth is that they don’t grow back. It seems a little unfair, right? Getting a cavity at twenty and having to have a filling for the rest of your life. It’s crucially important, then, to make sure that you take excellent care of your teeth. Brush them twice a day – this removes the plaque, which is a sticky film that builds up on your teeth over the day and can react badly with sugar and starch, creating acid which causes damage to your tooth enamel and subsequently tooth decay. You should also make sure that you keep flossing – this removes all the more stubborn bits of plaque between the teeth! Make sure that you go to your family dentist on a regular basis – somewhere like Ascent Family Dental will keep you updated on the health of your teeth and advise you how to keep them in tip top shape.
YOUR LIFE
Your Job
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Not everyone prioritises their job but the truth is that in order to take any satisfaction from it, you must focus on it and its importance at least to some extent. Make sure that you take all the opportunities to advance that you can, to demonstrate to your boss that you’re always willing to go the distance and be as good as you can be in the workplace. You’ll also find that the more you put into your job, the more you get out of it. No one’s saying that you have to stay at your desk until late in the evening – far from it, you’ll burn out fast if you do that – but make sure that you learn as much as you can, that you network as much as possible, and that you form great relationships with people. The better you get on with your colleagues, the more flexibility they will afford you when you need it.
Your Hobbies
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Even if you have a family, it’s very important to remember that you should focus on yourself as well. Sometimes it’s hard to prioritise yourself – but if you focus solely on your kids then you’ll feel lost when they grow up and start to need you less. Make sure that your partner looks after your kids at least once a week while you indulge in something you love, whether that’s writing or painting or any other hobby under the sun. Remember your hobby time shouldn’t be the same as your fitness time, unless you truly love swimming or running! Make sure you don’t lose yourself in your family – your kids will love and respect you even more in the future if you haven’t put your life on hold for them.
Your Fashion
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Is there any better way to feel good about yourself than to be aware that you’re wearing an incredible outfit? The best way to feel good in the clothes that you’re wearing is to tell yourself to emphasise the parts of your body that you love, instead of hiding the parts that you don’t like. If you’ve got great legs but a wobbly tummy after having babies, then focus on how great you look in a short skirt instead of worrying about your belly. Remember to keep your fashion up to date, but don’t go for disposable fashion – instead go for great classics that are good quality and will always be in style.
Your Activism
You’ve probably seen countless protests about politics in the news lately and even if they aren’t your thing then why not use other people’s passion to inspire your own? Whether you do want to get involved in politics or whether you want to look up local charities to volunteer, now is the time to do it. Animal shelters are especially full this time of year soon after Christmas so you could foster cats or dogs or volunteer there, or you could set up a direct debit to donate to a women’s shelter. No matter what you decide on, you’ll love the feeling of making a difference.
YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
Your Kids
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You’ll probably be astonished at how your relationship with your kids changes over time. When they’re babies they’re dependent on you for their every need but as they grow up their increasing independence means that you have to adjust your expectations of what a great relationship with your kids actually means. Allowing them the space to be independent and make mistakes is one of the best qualities that a parent can have, whether that’s allowing your twenty-one year old to drink too much at a party or biting your tongue when your four year old doesn’t put away their lego and you know they’re going to painfully stand on it as a result. Make sure you’re a figure that your kids know they can talk to – being involved but not bossy is a difficult balance to strike but the best way to do it is by being consistent and calm as much as possible.
Your Partner
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Of course, everyone goes through rocky patches with their partner once in a while but if you feel that the rocky patches with yours are starting to overtake the smooth sailing between you, it’s time to do something about it. Make sure that you keep communicating well and calmly and that you’re demonstrating what a healthy relationship is to your kids. If your partner yells at you more than you’d like, do you really want your son to see it and think it’s okay and behave to his girlfriend in the same way in the future? If you need to, try out counselling.
Your Parents
As you get older, you’re probably starting to appreciate your parents more and more all the time. After you have kids, arguably your relationship with your family changes. For the first time you can appreciate all the work that your mother and father did for you when you were a baby yourself, and the intensity of the love that they felt – and still feel – for you. There is no one better than your mother to get baby-rearing tips from, and no one (other than your partner – hopefully!) that you’ll trust more to take care of your baby when you need a babysitter. Make sure that you speak to your parents with kindness and that you take time to listen to them – you won’t ever regret it.
Your Friends
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After you have kids, it’s sometimes hard to stay in touch with your friends, especially if they don’t have families. But if you don’t want to lose contact with them, make sure that you make an effort to meet up with them, especially without your kids so you can have some great quality conversations. Even if your lives have gone in different directions, chances are you’ll still have the same humour and worldviews that made you become friends in the first place. Taking time out from your family to spend time with friends will be great for your mental health.
