Most men either have a loved one, or little ones depending on them. When we have people depending on us to look after them, our own health matters, just as much as theirs. But our brains don’t necessarily think this way. In order to look after the people we care about, we may feel that we’ve got to work our fingers to the bone and exhaust ourselves at every possible opportunity. But the great thing is that, if you are responsible for someone, whether it’s a child or a loved one, there are several things you can do to make sure that you are looking after yourself.
Get a Check Up
In order to make sure that you are functioning at your best, it’s a good idea to get a health check up from a primary care physician. If you don’t have a healthcare provider, there are plenty of Medicare plans available. It is so important to make sure that we are running at our optimum. After all, if your car wasn’t working, you would take it in for a service. Getting a healthcare provider to give you a health check up will make sure that you are running at your optimum. Because if your not around, how are you supposed to look after loved ones.
Relax
Learning how to relax isn’t necessarily in our mindset when we are tasked with looking after others. In fact many operate on the opposite side of the spectrum. We may feel that we’ve got to be on the go and this is what gives us our energy.
However, when everybody’s gone to sleep and it’s just you, if you can’t switch off that’s a problem. This is why learning how to relax is so important. Finding the right techniques for you is crucial. It doesn’t have to be about meditating, but it can be about doing something that gives you the opportunity to unwind. This could be something as simple as television, reading or focusing on a hobby.
Build Your Strength Up Gradually
Staying physically fit is key to longevity. However, one of the biggest mistakes we all make when we are trying to get fit is thinking we have to go 110% in the gym. The most important thing for our bodies is to give it time to adapt to the stimulus. This is something that is preached as gospel by resources such as Body By Science, where the focus is on one intense workout, but also having a proper amount of recovery. Some people may only need to exercise once a week. Other people may only need to exercise once every two weeks! But the important thing is for you to listen to your body. If you’re feeling weak, rest up more, and consume more protein, as it will help repair muscles broken down by exercise.
Don’t Forget Your Mental Health
One often overlooked aspect of health matters is mental health. We can feel overwhelmed and not in our right minds to look after people on occasion. But it’s about getting perspective. If you get yourself stressed out by everything, it doesn’t help you in the long run. Consider seeing a therapist for a mental check in. Or alternatively, you can also learn to develop your resilience by exposing yourself to acutely stressful situations. A great example is using cold showers, as the stress of being in a cold shower can wake you up, but also help you to gradually build your mental strength over time.
If we are to look after the people we care about, we have got to make sure we tend to our own health matters, so we are functioning at our best too.
This article is a partnered post that contains affiliate links.