Let's Talk Midlife
Let's Talk Midlife
05: Midlife Women Why You Need To Take Self-care Seriously
Whether you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond, self-care is essential for leading a healthy and happy life.
In this episode I acknowledge the multitude of roles midlife, women tend to juggle. The importance of carving out time for your personal care.
I also give 10 tips you can use to update your self-care practices to meet your changing needs.
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Midlifers, welcome to Let's Talk Midlife. I'm the Midlife Maven, your host, Natasha Hardy of Hardy Life, because you deserve a hearty life. This is a podcast for midlife women who want to learn tips, tools, and strategies to get through their second season of life. Have you ever struggled with poor self-care, lack of confidence, having no plan, and the The fear of aging? Well, you're in the right place. Press play and let's dive into today's episode.
SPEAKER_00:Happy Midlife to you. Happy Midlife.
SPEAKER_01:Welcome back to Let's Talk Midlife. Today's topic is Midlife Women. Why you need to take self-care seriously. Whether you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond, self-care is essential for leading a healthy and happy life. Here are five reasons why self-care is essential for midlife women. Number one, your body is changing. As you age, your body goes through a variety of changes due to menopause, which has 85 plus symptoms. For example, weight gain, hair loss, and other physical changes are part of the normal aging process. It's important to take care of your body in order to keep it healthy and strong. Number two, as the years pass, your needs change. Self-care is about meeting your individual needs. Let's be honest, it must be personalized. It's important to specifically carve out time for yourself to focus on your mental and emotional health, your physical health, and activities that bring you joy. Let's talk about why self-care gets to be personalized. As you age, you get to review what are your personal self-care needs now. It might look like setting up boundaries, saying no, outsourcing activities so you can have time to yourself. Number three. You are juggling many roles. Midlife women tend to juggle many roles. In addition to a career, there is running a household and being a caretaker for your loved ones, like your children, grandchildren, parents, and or your spouse. If you are overwhelmed by the need to care for everyone else, you may be ignoring your own needs. physical and personal changes you're experiencing, resulting in you neglecting yourself while focusing on the needs of others. Self-care might require you getting help to maintain balance and ensure all your roles are getting proper attention. Let's unpack that. As I mentioned earlier, outsourcing for a caretaker to care for your parents, a housekeeper, ordering groceries, or any other activity that you may require assistance to minimize the roles you are juggling, freeing you up to have time to yourself to figure out what other needs or activities that can bring you pleasure in the form of self-care. Number four. You are more experienced, girl. As time rolls on, you become seasoned. You have more knowledge, wisdom, and expertise about life. You demonstrate this in all that you do. This is why developing a self-care practice that is tailored to your personal needs is so valuable to you. Number five, self-care will bring joy. you positivity. That's right, taking time to implement a self-care practice will help you stay energized and motivated. Personal self-care is essential and significant for midlife women. By carving out time in your schedule to focus on your self-care will help you stay healthy, happy, and positive. Let's talk about three benefits you receive from a self-care practice. Number one, managing stress. Since stress takes a toll on your body, taking time to relax and unwind can help you stay healthy and energized. Number two, boosting your physical activity by engaging in physical activities such as moderate weight training, stretching, and walking can help you keep your body strong and flexible. Number three, enhancing your emotional well-being. Honey, self-care practices like journaling, meditating, Coaching and therapy can help you manage your emotions and foster a sense of inner peace and contentment. And we all can benefit from that. According to a study published in the journal BMC Women's Health, midlife women who regularly incorporate self-care practices such as exercise, relaxing baths, spa treatments, meditation, and journaling into their routine are more likely to report a high quality of life. By contrast, women who don't devote any attention to self-care are more likely to experience a decrease in physical and mental health, as well as an overall decline in their quality of life. And this we will not be having. So self-care it is. Did you know that self-care... Doesn't have to involve an expensive spa day or vacation. There are plenty of affordable ways to take care of yourself and stay within your budget. Check out these three affordable ways to relax and feel better. One, take a walk in nature. One of my favorites. It's spending time outdoors, which can improve your mood and help you de-stress. It doesn't have to be a long walk either. Even a short stroll around the block can make a difference. Number two, practice yoga and meditation. Both activities can help you relax and gain a better perspective on life. Many online videos and apps offer free guided meditations and yoga classes. Number three, enjoying a hot bath or shower. Another one of my favorites is a hot bath, which relieves tension and helps you relax. You can also do a hot shower. My favorite is a hot bath. Adding a few drops of essential oil to your bath water can enhance the ambiance along with a few candles. Now I'll tell you about three things paid self-care services, you can treat yourself too. Number one is massage therapy. Massage is an effective way to reduce stress and tension, improve circulation, and promote overall relaxation. Number two, exercise classes such as Zumba, yoga, total body conditioning, reduces stress, provides flexibility and strength. It's fun and also provides an opportunity to connect with your body and meet new people. Number three, a spa day, which gives you an opportunity to relax and pamper yourself. There is usually a menu of services to choose from. Treat yourself to the services that will gratify you the most. Get your pen and paper out or your digital notepad because I'm about to share 10 self-care practices. That's right, 10. Feel free to interchange them. These practices help to manage stress and promote well-being. Number one, exercise regularly. Make it a priority to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Number two. Set realistic goals. Break down larger goals into small, achievable steps. You know my motto. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Three. Make time for yourself. Carve out moments to relax and reflect. Number four. Eat a balanced diet. Focus on eating whole nutrient-dense foods. Five, get enough sleep. Aim for eight hours each night to ensure you are well-rested. Number six, practice gratitude. Be grateful for all the positive things in your life. Also the negative things because we learn from adversity. Also record them in your journal daily. Number seven. Connect with friends. Maintain meaningful relationships and socialize regularly. Eight. Spend time outdoors. Get in touch with nature and explore the world around you. Number nine. Pursue hobbies. Engage in fulfilling and enjoyable activities. Number ten. Get emotional support. Use counseling, coaching, or therapy, if not all three, to process difficult emotions and circumstances. To wrap up, self-care is essential at every age and particularly important in midlife. During midlife, women tend to juggle a multitude of roles. be sure to update your self-care practices to meet your changing needs. It's important to carve out time for your personal care, to focus on your mental and emotional health, your physical health, and activities that bring you joy, girlfriend. That includes outsourcing tasks and responsibilities. Self-care does not have to be expensive. Honey, it's about choosing a self-care practice that works for you and promote your physical and emotional well-being. If you have any questions on self-care, midlife, or any of the other topics I've covered, feel free to DM me, direct message, personal message me on Instagram or LinkedIn. I'm here for you because you deserve a hearty life. Well, midlifers, that's it for this episode. I appreciate you stopping in today. You could have been anywhere and you chose to choose your valuable time to listen to this episode. And for that, I'm truly grateful to you. Remember to follow me on Instagram and TikTok at Hardy Life. You can also find me on LinkedIn at Natasha Hardy. That's N-A-T-A-S-C-H-A-H-A-R-D-E-E. Feel free to visit my stand store. The link will be in the bio here where you can get on my email list and download some freebies. If nobody's told you that they love you today, let me be the first to say, I love you. And there ain't nothing you can do about it. Go be amazing because you are.