We're all run ragged these days, aren't we?

Dragged in all directions at once by family and work and tech that was meant to make life easy but crazily made us even busier than before.

And it's hard to stop and slow down isn't it? And find a little bit of time to care for ourselves.

But we need to, because self-care is NOT an optional extra we can sprinkle on our insanely hectic lives when the fancy takes us.

A simple daily self-care routine IS a must. Without it, we get tired and we get stressed and we get sick and we crack ...

Self Care's Not Optional

The funny thing is we all give lip service to self care these days, don't we,  and say "Oh yes, yes, yes self care is ever so important."

THEN don't make any time in our day for it.

We are time management gurus coordinating the logistics of complicated non-stop family schedules and charging our way through whatever work chucks at us but struggle daily to fit in even a little self care.

We just keep going and going and going every day until we crash and binge biscuits and wine and Netflix and Instagram.

And hate ourselves for it. And feel guilty.

And resolve to "do better".

And what does "do better" mean? Work harder and harder of course until we crack ...

What a crazy cycle of busy-busy-crash we have all got ourselves into in the modern world.

So how can we break the cycle and build real self care habits into our daily routine? Well, firstly, by keeping it super, super, super simple.

Self Care Has To Be Simple

Us humans are awfully good at complicating stuff. Give us half a chance and we'll make it so hard we need a manual and 10 YouTube videos to get past the introduction. 

And crazy complicated just like crazy busy only makes things a whole lot worse half the time.

So fancy diets and exercise regimes and meditation techniques and what-not won't help most of us get our daily dose of self care. 

The big trick is simple habits.

It turns out habits are a super powered way to change stuff because us humans are great at sticking to them, as long as they are simple.

And the daily self care routine I've got for you here, truly is simple and "stickable".

But don't be fooled by the simplicity, it packs a powerful punch and takes a real crack at our crazy cycle of busy-busy-crash.

A Simple Super Powered Self Care Routine

This simple daily self care routine is based on tiny healthy habits we can easily follow morning and night that can transform our body and improve our mental health ...

1. Go outdoors as soon as you get up
2. Drink 3 glasses of lemon water first thing
3. Walk the mile
4. Let go of a few little things you will be happier without
5. Sit down for a big bowl of vegetable soup 
6. Snack on mixed nuts and seeds
7. Eat berries and an apple

Do they sound too simple? Good. They are, BUT you'll be amazed by how much they help:

• Going outdoors as we get up is proven to reset our circadian rhythm and help us sleep
• Drinking that water first thing restarts our metabolism so we don't rely on coffee and sugar to kick start our day
• Letting a few things go everyday clears our clutter and reduces anxiety
• Filling up on a big bowl of veggies in a soup reduces our glucose levels and that not only protects us from obesity and diabetes but reduces our stress hormones
• Nuts and seeds are jam packed with minerals like selenium that boost our mood and protect us from depression
• As do berries and apples which help keep our gut healthy and as scientists now understand a stressed gut has enormous impact on our mind and mood

That's a pretty big dollop of self care in a ridiculously simple self care routine isn't it?

BUT I've come to reckon, the single most powerful self-care habit for breaking the busy-busy-crash cycle is number three.

And that is walking the mile.

It only takes 15 minutes but it IS life changing. 

The Life Changing Magic Of Walking The Mile

Doctors of all types now agree, that walking is an amazing medicine. It's been proven to reduce and ease:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Blood pressure
• Back pain
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Heart disease
• ADHD
• Dementia 
• Anger management
• AND more.

As we whiz around in our busy days we've got out of the habit of walking and into the habit of hopping - without thinking - into our cars.

Crazily, 30% of our car journeys in typical towns and cities are only a mile long, easily walkable.

Getting back into the habit of walking the mile - and not hopping in the car - can actually help relieve 25 common health conditions. Wow!

But walking's secret power isn't just fitness.

It actually gives us permission to slow down.

To talk to loved ones. To think things over. To bump into people. To be by ourselves. To listen to the birds. To smell the blossom. To crunch in the leaves. To notice stuff wandering along.

And to say NO to busy busy.

When we walk the mile, we can't be in five different places at the same time.

We can't whiz from one thing to another with no time between to digest what happened.

We can't run round and round in crazy circles getting less and less we really care about done.

We have to slow down.

And in today's busy world, that's the single best way we can truly look after ourself every day.

I do hope this simple routine helps, it has been life changing for me.

For more simple healthy living tips do follow me on Pinterest and have a read of these :

• 15 Simple Immunity Boosters
• 50 Simple Ways To Relieve Stress
• 25 Benefits Of Walking Daily
• 20 Natural Antibiotics
• 28 Simple Homemade Remedies

Original images by : Marcy & rawpixel.com