3583: 7 Things You Can Do Right Now To Feel Better by Melani Schweder of A Brighter Wild on Self-Care Habits

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[00:01:01] This is Optimal Health Daily. Seven things you can do right now to feel better. By Melanie Schwader of abrighterwild.com, and I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I read to you from the best health and fitness blogs on the planet, and from a bunch of different authors. And always with permission from the site. Oh, and one more thing, always with a bit of my commentary at the end.

[00:01:24] Now, on Fridays, I do something a little differently. That's where I answer your questions. Remember, you can send me a question by going to oldpodcast.com slash ask, or just email your question directly to health at oldpodcast.com. All right, and with that, let's jump right in and hear today's article and continue optimizing your life.

[00:01:50] Seven things you can do right now to feel better. By Melanie Schwader of abrighterwild.com. There is a ton of advice out there on how to heal yourself, take care of yourself, and lead a more fulfilling life. But the truth is, most of that advice is meant to be applied over the long term, and the positive effects aren't usually seen right away.

[00:02:11] Things like eating an allergen-free diet, choosing a job that is low stress, and spending more time with your loved ones are all wonderful ways to nourish your body and your life. But what happens when you're feeling like and want some relief right now? Especially for those of us with chronic illnesses. We can take really good care of ourselves over the long term, but we still end up having bad days. Sometimes the pain flares up or the fatigue suddenly becomes crushing,

[00:02:37] and the usual healthy habits that we've established can't do much in the moment. I personally think it's really handy to have a handful of things we can do to feel better. Things that are simple, accessible, low cost, and don't require a lot of time. Consider these things as part of your emergency toolkit, and start getting in the groove of trying them before you head for more drastic measures. It's really important to have things that we can do all by ourselves and on our own time.

[00:03:03] Being self-reliant is crucial to mental and emotional health, especially when you're ill or in recovery. The more things you can do to relieve your symptoms, reduce your stress, and change your mindset, the better off you'll be. And as you practice these things, you'll be better prepared for the inevitable bumps in the road you'll encounter. So, the next time you're feeling a flare coming on, or just can't figure out why you can't get it together, give one of these ideas a try. 1. Drink a big glass of fresh water

[00:03:32] Many chronic illnesses share symptoms with dehydration. Headaches, fatigue, brain fog, food cravings, especially carbs and sweets, achy muscles and achy joints, and dizziness. Many of us could be walking around slightly dehydrated all the time, especially since we tend to sip things like energy drinks and soda, so our bodies might be trying to ask us for water. However, downing a nice glass of cool, filtered water is a great way to wake up a bit,

[00:04:01] encourage better digestion, and dampen our pain. 2. Change your clothes When you're really feeling sick and are housebound or bedbound for more than a few days, it's hard to prioritize even the most simple of hygiene practices. I know I'm not the only one who has spent several days in a row wearing the same pair of sweatpants and t-shirt. 3. Changing into a fresh, clean set of clothes can actually feel pretty darn good, both physically and mentally.

[00:04:27] Doing something this simple can help you feel less grungy and sick and a bit more alive. 3. Eat some fruit Often, when we're not feeling our best, we reach for easy snacks to kill the boredom or fulfill a craving. But these are usually highly processed, convenience food items that will end up making us likely feel worse minutes later, after the initial high wears off. Fresh whole fruit is powerfully healing, uplifting, hydrating, and super easy to eat.

[00:04:55] Grab a ripe banana or crisp apple, wash up some berries, or open up a melon, instead of reaching for those crackers, cookies, or ice cream. 4. Listen to a good song Music has an incredible ability to change our moods and shift our perspectives, even if it's just for a few minutes. I am such a big believer in this that I have an entire happy playlist on my phone, ready to go whenever I need it. If you're dragging at work, or you've been binge-watching Netflix all day in your dirty pajamas,

[00:05:24] take a break and put on your headphones. Pick a few songs that have uplifting beats or positive messages that make you smile or want to shake that booty. 5. Go outside In my opinion, we are all chronically deprived of fresh air and sunshine, and that can become drastic when we are sick and shut indoors for hours on end. Trust me, as someone who is both chronically ill and self-employed, I can attest to the tendency to hole up inside for days,

[00:05:50] but I can also attest to the healing power of just going outside for a few minutes. You can sit in a comfy chair and help your body make some vitamin D, or wander around the yard, or simply take a few big breaths of cool, crisp air. I promise it'll be worth getting off the couch for. 6. Have a quick stretch Our bodies are not meant to stay stuck in the same position for hours and hours, but sometimes we simply don't have the energy or the ability to exercise.

[00:06:18] So, just take a few moments away from what you are doing and stretch. Swing your arms in circles to open the shoulders, rotate your hips and ribcage to encourage blood flow, and let your head relax in each direction to decrunchify your neck. Do whatever intuitively feels good to your body, and try to take a stretch break every hour or so. 7. Clear the clutter If you have the energy, I highly recommend taking 5 minutes to declutter your immediate surroundings.

[00:06:46] I've mentioned before how a minimalist environment is easier on your brain and can encourage a more healing mindset. So, take advantage of this principle whenever you're feeling frazzled, depressed, or otherwise under the weather. Clear the coffee table of used cups and tissues, sort through the pile of mail, and take care of dishes, Amazon boxes, and whatever else is cluttering up your area. Of course, these ideas are not meant to take the place of your usual self-care routines

[00:07:12] of healthy food, good sleep, medications, or healthcare. But instead, these handy tips can be deployed in a moment's notice for those bad days when you can't seem to get anything done or you're in a horrible mood. Next time you're feeling down, try one or more of these ideas, and let me know how it goes. You just listened to the post titled, 7 Things You Can Do Right Now To Feel Better by Melanie Schwader of abrighterwild.com

[00:07:41] And I'll be right back with my commentary. Pink Pantheress here. Coach and Spotify are teaming up to bring music and style together, and they want you to be part of it. Grab your friends and head to the Tabby Tour, hitting cities around the country with live performances from special artists, exclusive experiences, and personalized products. And discover custom playlists on Spotify, built just for you based on who you are and how you listen. Live your story with Coach. Learn more at Coach.com

[00:08:10] From athletic stuff like a full-court pickup game, swish, to athletic-ish stuff like a half-mile stroll. Get those steps in! Head to Sierra or Sierra.com for the brands you want at the prices that let you do it all. From athletic to athletic-ish, Sierra's got it. Dr. Neal Malik here for my commentary. I want to talk a little bit more about tip number two, changing your clothes. There are actually studies that talk about this. There are studies that have found that if you're not feeling your best,

[00:08:39] or you have been sick for a while, and haven't really paid attention to your hygiene, it can truly make you feel better to just spend a few minutes taking care of yourself. I don't know if you can remember a time when you were sick for a while, and maybe you skipped showering for a couple of days because it just took too much energy out of you. But then when you started feeling better, you got out of bed, and you took that first shower, how amazing did that feel? And then if you spent some time maybe brushing your hair or styling it,

[00:09:09] putting on some deodorant or some cologne or perfume, how all of that started to just make you feel just a little bit better? Well, it turns out that that's a real effect. Researchers are discovering that if you want to start feeling better, or if you're feeling even a little depressed, doing a little self-care like that can help. Even if it's something like just trimming your nails, that can help pull you out of that little funk. And Melanie's tip number five is also a great one, going outside.

[00:09:38] We're learning that some people are more affected by sunlight or the lack of sunlight than others. And so for some of us, just being exposed to the sun can put us in a better mood. The American Psychological Association actually has a diagnosed condition in their manual called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. What psychologists and psychiatrists realized was that there were some people when fall and winter hits, because there was less sunlight, these folks would start feeling more depressed.

[00:10:08] And they discovered that it may be because of their lack of exposure to certain UV or ultraviolet light. This type of ultraviolet light comes from the sun. And so ultimately, this lack of sunlight may be contributing to their depressive symptoms. And so yes, if you're feeling down and you want just a little pick-me-up, quickly go outside, expose yourself to a little bit of sun, and likely you'll start feeling better. All right, that's it from me for today. Thank you as always for listening. Thank you for being a subscriber.

[00:10:38] I hope you have a great rest of your day and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.