While you may be expressing your affection to someone else this month, it’s just as important to love yourself in order to look after your health. Follow these helpful tips for giving yourself some TLC this month.

Embrace those endorphins

For those of us that don’t enjoy exercise it can be hard to stay motivated (that’ll be a lot of us then!). However, whether or not we look forward to working out or not, for many of us, the buzz from endorphins whizzing around our bodies after a workout is what keeps us inspired to go back for more. Stick with it and you’ll find you enjoy it more and more each time until (hopefully!) it becomes part of your daily routine. Your body will love you for it.

Eat well

Nutrition not only benefits the body, but the mind too. Eating a healthy, balanced diet in combination with regular exercise, does of course lead to a better physique, which in turn will make you feel better about your appearance, boosting your confidence and self-esteem. Healthy habits also help prevent certain health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, all major killers.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

If you often feel tired, there is a high chance that it could be due to inadequate consumption of water, which results in the body functioning less efficiently. In fact, fatigue is one of the first signs of dehydration. Water is also an excellent detoxifier as it acts to flush out toxins from your body, stimulating digestion and boosting the appearance of your skin. It also stimulates kidney function and reduces kidney stones by diluting the salts and minerals in urine that cause kidney stones. A win-win if you ask us.

Keep a positive mental attitude (especially during winter months)

A negative approach to life and self-criticism leads nowhere positive. Refuse to criticise yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, you’ll see life much more positively.

Praise yourself for reaching exercise milestones

Setting goals, whether for exercise, healthy eating, or even achieving something at work, will keep you motivated and driven. What’s more, you can celebrate with each milestone met and give yourself a big pat on the back. Keep trying to stretch yourself by setting new targets as soon as the last has been met.

Think like a kid

Remember the things that gave you joy as a child and incorporate them into your life now. Find a way to have fun with everything you do. Let yourself express the joy of living. Make time to do the things that you enjoy and have fun! Life is for living after all.

Take control of your health

Poor health can leave us feeling low, both physically and mentally, and can often take over your entire consciousness. So, do something proactive about combatting it! Health plan schemes, some from as little as £2 a week, can act as the protection you need in your time of need. It’s always the right time to take positive control of your health, so act sooner rather than later.

Andy Wilkins is CEO of Plutus Health.