Self-Care Tips For The Colder Months

With the winter blues creeping around the corner, it is more important than ever to take care of our health. I am so excited to partner with Washington Healthplanfinder again to share the best self-care tips and talk about ways I am caring for my well-being.

 Washington Healthplanfinder is a platform that I have been using over the years to enroll in a health and/or dental plan. I began using it after starting a new job at a small business a few years ago. Their tool made it easy to find, compare, and enroll in a health and dental plan.

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE BEST SELF CARE TIPS TO CARE FOR YOUR HEALTH

First Things First, Health Insurance!

Being covered is a great source to be empowered to plan for the unplanned moments in life. For the first time, I enrolled during the special enrollment period which I was able to qualify for since I lost my health coverage after leaving my previous job. Be sure to enroll in your individual health insurance plan during open enrollment November 1st-December 15th for coverage that begins on January 1, 2022. There are a number of ways to explore your coverage options with Washington Healthplanfinder: you can use the WAPlanfinder mobile app, visit one of their in-person enrollment centers, chat over the phone, or schedule a virtual video call.

Take Your Vitamins

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was experiencing severe hair loss and decided to get my vitamin levels checked out. It turned out some of my levels were much lower than normal. Per my doctors’ recommendations, I now take supplements and things have thankfully returned to normal. I highly recommend consulting your doctor and/or naturopath to ensure you are giving your body all the nutrients it needs.

Stay Active

Although we are working with shorter days and colder weather that makes us want to cozy up in bed all day, it’s important to take some time to stay active. Our physical health could impact our emotional and mental well-being. A few movements a day can make a big difference. I personally join monthly challenges for workouts to keep myself motivated and go on brief walks during the day. I used to take my daily walks in the afternoon but to be safe I have adjusted to morning and/or lunch walks to get fresh air and spend some time outdoors.

Meditation

This is a great way to care for your mental well-being.

 Meditation has enabled me to be intentional with my thoughts. I frequently take inventory of my thoughts and center them in positivity. It has become a part of my daily routine and helps me ease into my day as well as manage my stress levels better. I have also noticed positive changes in my happiness and memory as a result.

Therapy

One of the important things I look for when searching for a health plan is access to therapy. As you may know, I believe that the benefits of therapy could be life-changing. Coming from a culture that has many stigmas around mental health, it was initially very difficult to bring me to care for my mental well-being by going to therapy. But I am glad I decided to go against the stigma since it has been an instrumental part of the care that has given me the inner peace I have today. 

I hope you find this post helpful as you continue to care for your health and find a health plan for your way of living. I would love to know how you are prioritizing your health at this time, please share in the comments below.

Thank you for reading.