Life is crazy and hectic most of the time, and it can feel like you are doing things for everyone and taking care of everyone else except maybe the most important person: yourself.

Taking care of yourself is something a lot of people put on the bottom of their list, putting everything else ahead of them. The problem with that is that by the time you actually get to the things that you need for yourself you will most likely be overly exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally.

And when this happens this exhaustion from not taking care of yourself and your needs can exhibit itself in negative ways such as being irritable, sick, or even through anxiety and depression.

Here are four ways to practice self-care today to make sure you are well-balanced in all that you do.

Take a break

Are you finding yourself overworked and constantly having way too much on your to-do list?

Part of self-care is understanding when you need to take a break and slow things down for a little bit. Take a break from social media and your phone for a while. Take a day or two off work, or get a babysitter and spend some time alone.

Doing these things will help to replenish and refresh you so you can go back to doing all the things you need to with more energy and gusto.

Make sleep a priority

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Getting enough sleep is essential for your overall health and can be an important part of self-care.

If you constantly deprive yourself of enough sleep it can cause some severe health issues, and somewhere down the line, you may find yourself visiting websites like tetoncancer.com because according to the National Sleep Foundation, not getting enough sleep can increase your chances of getting cancer.

Some things you can do are set a bedtime and make sure not to make any commitments that would interfere with it. Also, ask your spouse or family member to help out with kids when they can’t sleep at night so you can get sleep when you need to.

Fuel your body

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Eating healthy food is a great way to practice self-care, but it’s also good to allow yourself to indulge in the foods you love as part of self-care as well.

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Try your best to eat foods high in nutritional value like veggies, fruits, and lean proteins. But if you are craving something like chocolate or a cinnamon roll, allow yourself to enjoy those as well and treat yourself.

Avoid things and people that trouble you

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We live our lives surrounded by people, and sometimes those people can cause us stress, anxiety, and other issues.

When possible, try to remove the people and things that cause these emotions. Now if it is a case where you can’t necessarily do so because you work with them or maybe if they are a family member, make sure to only have interactions when necessary, and then to take a step back and have time and space away from them.

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Practicing self-care is an important part of your overall well-being and health, and it is not a selfish endeavor. Do what you need for you so you can continue doing what you need to for others.

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10 Ways to Be More Environmentally Friendly

To help us help you, our friends at BiologiQ, manufacturers of eco-friendly plastic resin pellets, have put together this list of tips for becoming more environmentally aware this fall.

Burning

Fall is the season for burning, whether it’s a bonfire, your wood stove, or burning your trash. Keep these two things in mind the next time you go to start that fire: only burn dry wood and never use burn barrels for trash or debris.

Never burn damp wood because it doesn’t burn completely and can release more pollutants in the air. These pollutants will settle around your home, or the site where you are burning, and have been known to cause asthma and other respiratory diseases. Burn wood that has been drying for at least 6 months to ensure that it is completely dry.

Don’t use burn barrels. They don’t burn efficiently and release a lot of smoke toxins, especially if you aren’t burning clean materials. Instead, try to recycle paper, plastic and glass materials; donate old clothing, and grind up old branches and leaves into a mulch or compost for your yard.

Always be aware of your state’s laws regarding burning and burn bans as well. These are set in place not only to prevent wildfires, but to help keep pollution down as well.

Donating Items

Does anyone use the fall as a time to clean out storage? Are you throwing out old toys, clothes, or other items you’ve replaced throughout the year?

Don’t just throw these items away. For one, they take up landfill space, and for two, valuable resources were used to produce those items, so by donating them to someone who needs them those resources are saved.

If you have clothing that your kids have grown out of, dishes you’ve replaced, old toys, find a place to donate them. Homeless shelters and rehabilitation centers are always looking for items to be donated. Search your community to see where that need lies and take in your donation.

If you have other items, like leftover building materials, paint, wood, pallets, nails, etc. there is a place to donate those things too. All it takes is a quick Google search to find where you can send the items that you want to get rid of. Not only will you help the environment, but you can feel good knowing you helped people in need too.

Conserving Energy

One of the leading causes of greenhouse gases that contributes to global climate change is energy production from coal, oil and natural gas. So, conserving and reducing energy usage will only help to lessen that pollution.

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Some ways you can easily conserve energy in your home are through home heating, hot water, and lights and appliances.

When heating your home, reduce the temperature of the thermostat one degree at a time until you reach a temperature you and your family can be comfortable with – wearing sweaters or blankets to stay cozy. At times when you are away from your home, set the thermostat even lower – about 55 or lower.

Keeping hot water use limited. Take shorter showers, wash your clothes in cold water, and install low-flow showerheads and faucets. You can also turn the temperature on your water heater down or try a solar water heater system.

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Turn off the lights when you leave the room. This really does save energy. Use energy efficient light bulbs, turn off appliances and other electronics like computers and printers when they aren’t in use for a long time.

Keep these tips with you this fall as you go about preparing for holidays and family reunions. Help create a better world through these small and simple deeds.

The post 3 Environmentally Friendly Tips for the Fall appeared first on InstantELLA.