Self-care is important. Now more than ever. And spoiler alert: doing self-care together is even more fun and has many benefits. But let’s start at the beginning.

We at Hello Inside are the biggest advocates of taking care of yourself on every level: health, fitness, nutrition, sleep, mindfulness, appearance.
We believe by trying to be the best version of yourself you don’t just feel better, you can also do better and be better.

However, many of us still struggle to indulge in well-deserved time-out for our mental, physical and emotional health. Mainly because self-care has turned into a bit of a buzzword in recent years that implies looking after yourself is a rather selfish act.

But self-care is much more than just “Me, Myself and I”. It’s nice to learn how to prioritize yourself in certain moments, but doing so doesn’t have to be a long and lonely road.

In fact, relationships are one of the essential key areas of the six lifestyle pillars that can directly affect your overall health and indirectly affect your blood glucose levels. Spending quality time with others can help you cope better with stress and make you feel more energized. Doing so allows you to stabilize your blood glucose levels and create a better life for yourself in the long run.

You can measure the impact of relationships and other habits on your health by monitoring your blood glucose levels with a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) device.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at what makes doing self-care together more enjoyable and how you can implement it in your life. But before you start swiping through those dating apps for a match made in heaven, a quick reminder: You don’t need to be in a romantic relationship to benefit from doing self-care with somebody else.

Now that’s sorted, here are six reasons why we’ll help you get over your social anxiety and text your friends/partner/family immediately. 

A squared, yellow sea sponge once said: “F is for friends who do stuff together….” and let’s be honest, he was onto something.  

Whether you’re trying to get the hang of a new habit or have an honest conversation with your best friend, sharing some laughs along the way makes even the toughest parts of self-care easy. 

Also, keep in mind: A deep-rooted belly laugh triggers the release of endorphins, lowers your stress hormones, and increases your overall sense of well-being.

Getting up an hour earlier in the morning just to do something good for yourself, like meditating or working out, sounds like a paradox at first. In what world is sacrificing sleep part of self-care? 

First of all: Don’t give up sleep for anything or anyone, rather establish a new pattern. (Listen to our podcast to learn more about the importance of sleep)

Second of all: let’s be honest here, rearranging your schedule and creating a routine that prioritizes self-care takes quite a lot of effort at first.

But, if you do it with somebody else you can motivate and encourage each other when the going gets tough. 

Third of all: If you just can’t make morning workouts work for you, afternoons are an option, as are evening walks. These may be easier to fit into your and your partner’s schedules.

Along with motivation comes: accountability. You’ve made plans to go to a yoga class after work, but once the evening approaches all you can think about is going home and watching TV.

While self-care looks different for everyone, consciously taking time for activities that improve your overall health can make a big difference. If you have trouble sticking

to your schedule and abandon any form of active self-care faster than light moves, asking a friend or a family member to join you may be the solution. 

This might not be for everyone, but if you thrive on competition (in the healthiest way possible!) and need a little push once in a while, then a lighthearted contest could motivate you to follow through with your self-care plans.

Open your calendar, set a goal for you and your partner, and get started.

The key to a good relationship is communication. You’ve probably heard that before.

We know how much of a struggle it can be to find the right words at the right time (or even any words at all), but expressing how you really feel can change your interpersonal relations for the better.

Sharing the emotional part of self-care allows you to get to know each other on a more vulnerable level. It can help you shift patterns and strengthen the way you communicate with each other.

Whether you decide to go for weekly walks or change up your diet, once you include your loved ones in your plans, you want to be able to trust them.

We are not just referring to the physical trust that a person will show up (=accountability) but also, that he/she/they can emotionally hold space for you and set healthy boundaries when needed. 

Self-care together allows you to explore the dynamic of personal spaces and to learn how to respect each other.

Now that we’ve established the reasons why self-care together just makes sense, let’s put theory into practice. 

As mentioned, we want you to be able to track the effects of your self-care journey. Get yourself and your self-care companion a CGM device, give the following tips & tricks a try and do something good for your mind and body based on reliable, scientific data: 

Nothing affects your blood glucose levels more than your diet. Make individual meal plans that suit your lifestyle and hold each other accountable by monitoring the drops and spikes of your blood glucose levels.

It may also be fun to try one of our experiments in the Hello Inside App together with your partner or friend. This allows you not only to learn about how your body responds to food, but it can also show you how individual everybody’s response to different foods is.

Physical activity helps to process the glucose in your blood and supports your insulin metabolism. Create a new habit together, get your energy flowing for the day and keep each other motivated while sweating it out.

We have already learned that stress can lead to increased blood glucose levels. Try to get comfortable with your CGM device, take note of your levels anytime you’re tense or anxious. Meet up with your self-care buddy and talk it out. Ask questions, compare your responses, and get ready to be surprised.

Rinse and repeat.

See if you notice any positive changes in your data. 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care. While little challenges and competitions can be fun, you should never compare yourself to others. Everyone is different and what works for you might be completely wrong for someone else. Your Hello Inside App in combination with a CGM allows you to explore, where you and your partner differ and in which areas your reactions are more similar.

Spend time with your loved ones, measure your blood glucose levels and figure out together how unique you are. Have fun exploring together!