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Health Experts Agree: Self-Care Should Remain a Priority; Here are Helpful Tips to Stay Healthy in 2021

ByZyanya J.

Dec 14, 2020 05:51 AM EST

Health Experts Agree That Self-Care Should Remain A Priority and Here Are Helpful Tips To Stay Healthy in 2021

Credit : Tina Dawson / Unsplash

As this stressful year comes to a close, we acknowledge that self-care has gotten us through tough times. While the future remains uncertain, Good Housekeeping has brought out a list of self-care tasks that will help re-energize you for the incoming year. Enlisting the help of health care and products experts from the Good Housekeeping Institute, here are some of their best tips to improve your well-being for a less stressful 2021.

Make #SelfCareSunday count.

Selfcare Sunday has become a buzzword this year, thanks to Covid-19 and the massive amount of stress that it has brought about for everyone. Olympic figure skater Meryl Davis tells Self that Sundays are for hikes with her puppy and fiancée, while The Today Show weekend cohost Sheinelle Jones sleeps in on Sunday and shares that her family takes a break from technology and spends quality time together. Whatever you may want to do, just make sure to take time for yourself so you can recover mentally and physically from a long week.

Have an invigorating shower.

While warm showers are great in the cold winter, cold water gives you a burst of energy and pumps up your circulation. Just switch to cold water in the last 30 seconds of your shower and enjoy that endorphin boost. Popsugar adds that hanging eucalyptus in your shower clears your nose and helps relieve stress.

Stay hydrated.

Our bodies need a constant supply of water to function properly. We all know this but still we don't drink enough water. Good Housekeeping recommends refilling your water bottle hourly to avoid dehydration, constipation, dizziness, and low blood pressure. Get a clear water bottle so you can monitor your intake. Better yet, set your alarm for water breaks.

Also read: Dermatologists Teach You How To Adjust Your Skin Care Routine For Winter

Lower caffeine intake.

Try switching to tea in the morning. Harvard Medical School reports that tea contains polyphenols that help with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. While coffee also contains polyphenols, tea doesn't give you that jittery side-effect when you have too much coffee.

Take a stroll on your lunch break.

According to Good Housekeeping, taking a fifteen-minute midday walk boosts energy and concentration throughout the rest of your working hours. Working from home may also have you stuck on a chair for hours, so even a short exercise period will help.

Go for a DIY manicure.

Most people work on computers as they work from home during the pandemic. Keeping your nails properly trimmed is a form of self-care and adding colorful polish will help cheer you up throughout the day. Make sure to pamper your feet as well.

Let your eyes rest.

We spend so much time on our computers that eyestrain is inevitable. Good Housekeeping advices that for every 20 minutes of screen time, take a 20 second break. Close your eyes or look at something that's 20 feet away.

Pamper your skin.

At the end of a long day, take the time to give your skin some TLC. A face mask is one of the more indulgent skin care steps and delivers higher concentrations of active ingredients to your skin. Allure recommends Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Mask, Burt's Bees Restoring Antioxidant Mask, Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask, First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Ginger and Turmeric Vitamin C Jelly Mask and Kiehl's Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Mask.

Maintain Regular Appointments

It's also imperative that you keep up with your routine doctor's appointments. If you're due for a mammogram, a pap test or a dental check up, keep those appointments. If you're dealing with new issues like vision or hearing loss, it's vital you check in with an optometrist or audiologist; glasses and hearing aids are things that should always remain a priority.