How to take better care of your mind and body as a woman

The mind and body are two powerful things that women possess and taking care of them is key to living a better life. 

Dr Lee Kingma, a professional coach, says: "A healthy body leads to a balanced mind. And reverse applies – a balanced mind, emotions and thoughts lead to a healthy body."

Paying attention to your mental state is crucial. 

Dr Kingma says some of the ways women can boost their mental health during this Women's Month is to have internal dialogues with themselves. 

"This means having positive internal dialogue with ourselves. We can all identify with the internal ‘WhatsApp Group’ conversation we have in our minds which can sometimes exhaust us. We all pay attention differently and it is very useful to gently check ourselves by asking the following questions when we get into our mental ‘hamster wheel'," says the coach. 

READ: Six tips to help boost women's mental health during the pandemic

Below, Dr Lee offers questions that women can ask themselves. 

Am I being hard on myself or others?

Is this thought I am having even true?

Am I taking things too personally?

Why should everything be perfect when doing my best will suffice?

Am I caught up in a cycle of need to control when I should be letting go?

Am I swallowing my feelings rather than asking others for what I need?

Am I accepting of the things I failed at as lessons to differently in the future?

Do I take things too personally and then get overwhelmed by my feelings?

Do I overthink and not allow others into my personal space to my own detriment?

Taking care of your body

Sister Beverley Sebola, from Life Casternhof Hospital in Midrand, highlights the importance of taking care of one's body, which in turn boosts mental health. 

READ: Food that can help ease stress

She says a healthy diet plays a huge role in a person's well-being. 

"Eat well. It's not just about choosing whole grains, limiting caffeine, and eating the right serving of vegetables every day, although those things are important too," says Sister Sebola. 

Getting enough rest and surrounding yourself with people that are good for you is also beneficial to both body and mind. 

"Get enough rest. Surround yourself with positive energy and people who can boost a sense of self, and reduce stressful thoughts that might keep you up at night,” says Sister Sebola. 

She adds that one should do things that they love and make them feel energised. 

 “Basically, whatever makes me feel good, happy and sleep better at night," says sister Sebola. 

"That could be recharging by going out with friends for the evening, visiting the beauty or nail salon, or enjoying a home-cooked meal," says Sister Sebola. 

Lastly, she says: "Daily exercise is a must and watch your vitamin intake".

READ: How to better manage your finances this Women's Month

Image courtesy of iStock/ @fizkes

More About Dr Lee Kingma

As a former HR executive at Juta Publishing for 13 years, Lee has coached and mentored employees in managing their careers successfully in dealing with the complexities of life and the world of work. She has consulted both in SA and internationally.

She holds a Doctorate in Human Resources Management and a Master of Business Administration. She completed professional coach training at UCT and is registered as a PCC coach with the International Coaching Federation. She is a published author of ‘What’s you Tribe – Using the Enneagram at work and life'.

During the last four years, she established her own practice, focused on leadership, resilience, and coaching at both executive and middle management levels.

Life Purpose

"To bring hope and clarity to my clients using my powers of resilience, humour, and life wisdom so that I, my family, and all whom I connect with may have more ease."

Recently, Lee has been supporting many clients virtually, both individuals and groups, within vastly different contexts, to ‘Cope while in Cocooning’ during the lockdown period due to the pandemic.