20 Self-Care Tips from La Jolla Sports Club!

Kids are back to school! Time to get back to you with La Jolla Sports Club’s self-care mental health tips!

Shhh… Hear that? That sound of silence? Kids are in school and the tourists have faded out? Time to celebrate!!

La Jolla Sports Club is your one stop shop for all of your health needs, but what about your brain? There is plennnnnnty of research to support the idea that exercises boosts mood, but after a stressful summer of shuttling kids around and traveling, you might be ready for a mental breather.

First, you breathe.

A while ago, we put together an article on breathing. We think it’s worth a few minutes to go back and read that for some good tips you can apply daily.

And then Yoga and Meditation.

Science (!) has proven again and again that both yoga and meditation are great for the body and the brain. La Jolla Sports Club has plenty of classes to choose from, so whatever your skill level, you’ll find whatever you need.

Or just use these tips.

1. Sleep.
   1. Oh, man, one day we’ll do an entire month on this, but for now, try to make sleep part of your daily self-care schedule
      1. No TV / iPhone an hour before bed
      2. Use a ‘brain dump’ journal if you’re in the midst of stressful times
      3. Consider nose strips or a night-time guard if you have trouble breathing
2. Stomachs are now being referred to as your second brain—how well is he or she feeling??
   1. The ever-sexy gut microbiome can be checked out by your doc, get to know yourself!
3. Exercise boosts moods (but you already knew that)
   1. La Jolla Sports Club Personal Trainers are a great source of motivation
4. It’s OK to say No
   1. When you’re already overworked / stressed / etc., agreeing to yet another plan might be too much—say no and save your sanity

5. 

   It’s OK to say Yes

   1. When you’re overworked / stressed / etc., agreeing to something fun and outside of your comfort zone might be just the thing to save your sanity
6. Re: #4 and #5, take the time to learn about yourself
7. Getting out of town, just for a day or two, can be the reset you never knew you needed
8. Getting outside has been shown to brighten moods and lower blood pressure
9. Petting a dog has been shown to lower anxiety. Also, dogs are awesome.
10. We posted an article waaaaay back in April that talked about the stress-relieving benefits of getting organized (note: it’s still true)
11. Schedule You-time
    1. You schedule your La Jolla Sports Club workouts, you schedule your doctors and dentist appointments, why not schedule time for yourself?
12. We Americans are known for our work ethic. We’re also known for being one of the most stressed-out countries in the world and dying young. When is the last time you truly evaluated your work / life balance?
    1. On a related note, are you existing, or are you living?
13. You’ve heard the phrase ‘trim the fat,’ yes? That applies to people you spend your time with, as well.
    1. Another phrase that’s been making the rounds is ’emotional vampire’ or ‘energy vampire.’ Do you have any of these unnecessarily taking up space in your life?
14. A lonnnnnnng, warm bath
15. We wrote about this a while ago, but worth mentioning again is the fresh feeling that comes with unplugging yourself from technology (after reading this amazing article that is). You’ll probably have the Itch or the feeling of a phantom limb for a few hours (or days), but once you let go, it’s incredibly liberating and you’ll wonder why you ever cared about the email / text notifications.
16. Mini-meditation sessions at the beginning or end of your day?
    1. Four count in through the nose, four count out through the mouth. Repeat for a couple minutes.
17. Re: #13, spending rewarding time with a rewarding person can be… rewarding
18. America has been pretty serious lately, when’s the last time you just goofed around?
19. Walk / jog / run
20. Music, sweet music

    

That’s it for this post, check back next time for our physical self-care tips!

// Your friends at La Jolla Sports Club