Have you ever felt overwhelmed with things that need to be done?
Has the stress of the day kept you awake at night?
Have you ever felt your productivity slipping because you are doing things that you possibly said yes to, but really didn’t have the energy to do?
Personally, the answer to these questions would all be “Yes” if it was myself answering the questions.
You may be wondering why the topic of today’s post has to do with Self-Care and how that possibly relates to the insurance field. For the next few weeks, it is my hope to share why this topic has become so vitally important to me and how it can help you keep your healthcare costs down.
During the Annual Election Period last year (October 15th – December 7th for Medicare), something was happening when working with clients. Because clients need to purchase either a prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes coverage for their medications, I have to make sure that their medications will be covered and go over co-pays, where to get their medications, etc.
What I noticed is that more and more people are taking the same medications. They would tell me one medication and more often than not, I could name several other medications they took. It didn’t happen every time, but it happened more than I can count. I also noticed that people that didn’t take medications did several things – they walk regularly, they eat a balanced diet, and they all have hobbies that they do on a regular basis.
Because of this, I started doing some research into nutrition, movement of the body, and the effects of taking time to do things for yourself and how this all relates to your health both physically and mentally.
In case you are wondering what medications came up regularly, they were medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and medications to help with sleep. Taking medications is needed for so many conditions, but what disturbed me with this is that they were only a bandaid for medical problems. They weren’t a solution.
Self Care has a different definition for everyone.
For some, it may be sleeping soundly for seven to eight hours a night.
For others, it may be exercise, eating right, taking time with friends, or doing a hobby that you are passionate about.
For this week’s topic, let’s address some top reasons why sleep is so important and how it relates to your health.
Poor sleep can be linked to weight gain, depression, increased inflammation, and a greater risk of heart disease and stroke. It has also been proven that poor sleep can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Better sleep helps improve concentration, productivity, athletic performance, and improves your immune system.
You can see why sleep is so vital to your health and why people do reach out to physicians for help.
I’d like to explore a few options with you that may help you get a better night’s sleep without the use of medication. Of course, if you are on medications to help with sleep, it is important to stay in contact with your physician before going off medication abruptly.
First and probably the most important, get away from the lights of your computer, television and phone for at least two hours prior to going to bed. The constant bright lights disturbs your sleep pattern and tricks your body into believing it is still daytime.
Second, set a schedule for bedtime. Doing this will allow your body to get into a pattern of a specific amont of good sleep.
Don’t use your phone as an alarm clock. If you have to, turn off notifications and make sure that the light from the phone won’t come on during the night.
Third, if you are able, set the temperature of your room between 65 – 68 degrees. When you sleep, your body temperature drops and if your room is too hot or too cold, your body has to work harder to rest.
Fourth, make sure your room is uncluttered. When you walk into your bedroom and feel stressed because of clutter, it will affect the way you sleep. Open your windows in your room once a week and let fresh air in.
Lastly, you can set a routine before bed. Maybe you can drink a cup of decaffeinated tea, (no caffeine after 12:00 pm), spray some essential oils such as lavendar in your room, take a hot shower or bath, or read a book of your choice.
The purpose of self care is to do what helps you the most.
A good night’s sleep is definitely a great place to start.
Terri Trepanier is the owner of Balanced Care Health and Supplemental Insurance and a licensed insurance consultant and broker with Associated Brokers. Licensed in both Maine and NH, her specialty is working with small businesses, individuals, and families with their health and life insurance needs. She is certified to offer health plans both on and off the exchange and is contracted with every health insurance company that offers plans in both New Hampshire and Maine. Her other passion is assisting Medicare beneficiaries with their Medicare Supplemental, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, and Medicare Advantage plans. Terri has seen firsthand the importance of insurancCare is to “Insure Security and Peace of Mind One Family at a Time”.