In our ever-changing and fast-paced world, sticking to your healthy lifestyle habits is sometimes easier said than done. Most of us know this feeling. Staying motivated to eat healthy, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, drink adequate water, and practice self-care each day is a big task. However, if your daily habits are realistic and smart, not only is it easy but VERY rewarding.
Everyone is busy, and life has a funny way of speeding up and throwing curveballs when we least expect it —or when we are least prepared for it. When life gets crazy, sometimes our healthy habits are the first thing we sacrifice to keep the rest of our life on track. STOP doing that! You can come up with some strategies to avoid throwing your healthy lifestyle out the window when life gets in the way.
Top Priority = First Priority
Erin’s top priority each day is her workout. To ensure that nothing gets in the way of her workout, she does it first thing in the morning — even if there is time later in the day to schedule it. There are too many outside variables that can get in the way and sabotage the workout, if she waits to get it in. It is rare that someone needs something from Erin at 5AM that gets in the way of a workout. Although waking up early isn’t always desirable, Erin believes that it’s easier to wake up at the same time each day rather than early on some days and late on others — it also helps to have a workout buddy waiting for you in the morning.
Be Prepared
Routine and consistency are the foundation for healthy daily habits. For Leanne, preparation is a must-do! Meal planning is a high priority to achieve successful eating habits throughout the week. Every, single evening after dinner, she prepares her breakfast and lunch for the following day. (Spoiler alert: Leanne’s lunch for the next day is what she calls dinner the night prior.)
Then there are those evenings, when her family meets friends out for dinner or they are off the usual routine. Leanne overcomes this roadblock one of two ways. She plans her order at a restaurant based on a healthy choice and saves half of the meal to pack for lunch the next day. Leanne also keeps staple items such as tuna, frozen veggies and microwaveable rice packets in her kitchen for the times when life gets too busy to cook/plan. This meal takes a maximum of 7 minutes to prepare and helps keep her on track!
“Hanger” is real. When we get to the point of serious hunger, we so often default to binge eating which most likely results in unhealthy choices.
Find Small Times to Escape
Reading makes Melissa feel good during her day because it lets her mind escape to a different place. Getting engrossed in a good story takes her mind off of any stressors, and depending on the book, makes her feel as though she is learning something new. Making time for this healthy habit is a top priority. Like Erin, Melissa relies on the solitude of the early morning to find uninterrupted time to read. She wakes up an hour earlier than she needs to every morning, specifically to catch up on the day's events in the newspaper with a cup of coffee. She'll pick up her book for the remaining time before getting ready for work. In the evening, instead of watching Netflix, Melissa will read to unwind. She also listens to audiobooks in the car, while on walks, and while doing household chores. You might also find her with a book or kindle in her work bag, ready to pull out instead of her phone during any idle moments during the day. Carving out these small times to escape to another place helps her feel better in mind *and* in mood
Stick to the Plan
Everyone has the same number of hours each day to get our “stuff” done. We’ve all heard the saying “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” When you have a plan - setting out clothes the night before a morning workout or meal prepping on the weekend or carrying your kindle in your work bag - it is easier to stick to your healthy habits and avoid sabotage — even when life gets in the way.