Real Self-Care: Hydrate
This post is part of a month-long series on Real Self-Care for world-changers. It’s about the experimentation: figuring out what works for you and following your heart. Simple, messy and everything inbetween. Self-care should be custom, intuitive, feasible and kind – to serve your actual life.
Hydrate
Full disclosure: I’m not always amazing at keeping myself well hydrated. I could be more diligent about getting the full eight glasses every day. But. It’s so important.
When I’m feeling sluggish, when I have a headache coming on, when I’m craving sugar or just feeling out of sorts, it’s my first line of defense. Why? Because it’s good for your body: your cells, organs, and systems. But it’s great for your brain: your mental and emotional bodies.
Drinking a big glass of water is my first step in bringing myself back into balance.
After a massage, a particularly deep yoga practice or a solid hike, I’m particularly diligent about getting enough water. Flushing out all of what I’m releasing, allowing my body to build new, healthy cells.
It’s a great practice to clear out what needs clearing out and making your cells a little more shiny. It reduces inflammation in the body. It supports the immune and lymph systems. Aside from breathing, staying well-hydrated is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself.
In the winter, tea is a great way for me to stay hydrated, when drinking cold water seems out of the question. I keep a mug or water bottle in my bag and car, as well, so that I never have an excuse not to drink water.
