When life starts to get busy it can be easy to fall into bad health habits without even noticing. You might eat out a little more, skip a workout, have an extra glass of wine with dinner or not get enough sleep. At times like these, it can be handy to have an arsenal of practical tips on hand to help you stick to your health goals and get you back to living your best life.
Sticking to your health goals during busy times like this can help prevent you from getting sick or rundown, keep you feeling great both emotionally and physically and keep your energy levels up and stress levels down. The following are some simple and easy-to-implement tips to help you stick to your health goals when everything seems impossible.
Practice healthy habits first thing in the morning
Starting with your healthy habits first thing in the morning will set the tone for the rest of the day. By starting off on a good note, and ticking off some of your healthy goals early on, you will be more likely to stick to the rest of the goals as the day gets busier. If you plan on fitting in a workout or a walk then set your alarm a little earlier in the morning so you can get it out of the way as soon as you wake up.
After your workout, choose a healthy breakfast option. Things like smoothies or grab-n-go breakfast parfaits are great to prep ahead of time if you know you are going to be in a rush. They make it so easy to jam lots of goodness into one meal. You can even pre-pack smoothie bags and have them stored in the freezer ready to blend so it won’t matter how busy you are, you can still fill your body with nutritious food.
Stay hydrated
Fill your water bottle first thing in the morning to reach your water goals for the day. If you are going to be out of the house for a while, bring your water bottle with you. If you don’t have a good reusable water bottle, invest in one. This will make it easier to take water with you on the go.
Staying hydrated can help you feel less sleepy and less hungry, and can also help make you feel better overall throughout the day. A great way to stay hydrated is by making up a couple of batches of lemon chia water and having them ready to grab and sip in the morning. This has the bonus of keeping you fuller for longer. Another way is to make up a pot of your favorite herbal tea to sip at your desk while you work.
Schedule healthy lifestyle habits into your day
Schedule your meals into your day to help make sure you are allowing yourself the chance to eat a well-balanced and healthy diet. If you work your day around these times, you can avoid the drive-thru and make it easier to stick to a healthy diet.
If you want to exercise each day, book a class or a block of time for walking or running into your schedule. This way you will be less likely to skip it even on a busy day. Guilt is a powerful thing and you will know you are letting yourself down if you don’t stick with the commitment.
You can have the schedule on your phone so you can access it at all times, or if you prefer a paper planner and the satisfaction of ticking things off as you get them done then pick a good one and make sure you use it. The key is to have your schedule accessible so that you don’t just schedule it and forget it.
Plan and prepare meals ahead of time
Meal planning and prepping will make it just as easy to grab something nutritious as it would be to hit the drive-thru. If you need to, prepare a week or even a month ahead if you can. This will make eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle a breeze.
There are several apps out there that can help with meal planning. They will usually have an option to write the grocery list and some can even help with doing an online grocery order to be delivered, which is such a time saver and stops all those treats from being thrown into the cart when you are doing the shop yourself.
You might prefer a good old paper and pen meal plan. Rip recipes from magazines or print off recipes you find online during the week, and keep them stored in an inexpensive ring binder, then pour yourself a cup of tea and decide what you want to eat for the week.
Spend some time on the weekend or on a day off preparing some meals or snacks that can then be eaten on busy days. This can be as simple as making a double batch of granola for breakfasts, some freezer-friendly mini muffins for lunchboxes or casseroles that can be popped into the slow cooker for dinner.
Get moving when you can
You may not always have the time to fit in a workout multiple times per week, but even on days you can’t get to the gym, you can increase your step count by making a few simple changes. Small changes like these can really add up.
You can easily add more movement to your regular daily activities by adding some slight modifications to your routine. For instance, while out running errands, park your car a bit further away than usual, take the stairs instead of the elevator or get off the bus a stop or two earlier.
If you find yourself getting tired or losing focus at work, then stop what you are doing and take a quick walk around the block. Motivate yourself by getting a step tracker and setting a goal each day. Set yourself reminders to get up and move if you have to.
Getting up and going for a walk can be great for mental clarity and focus. It also means you are getting in some extra steps without even trying.
Make time for sleep
If you want to get more done in your day by getting up early, this is going to mean that you will need to head to bed a little bit earlier. Make time for sleep by scheduling a bedtime for yourself and setting an alarm on your phone so you stick to that bedtime. Similarly, set an alarm for the morning that allows you the time you need to get everything done before the busy day starts.
Wrapping up
No matter how busy life gets, it is important to take the time to implement healthy habits. Even if you’re short on time, you can still make small tweaks to your routine to make sure you are practicing healthy lifestyle habits. Getting up earlier, filling your water bottle, planning and prepping some meals for the week and getting your body moving will all help to keep you on the right track and lower the stress and chaos a busy day can bring.
Donna Mansour is a recipe developer, food photographer and the creator of the food blog Whole Food Bellies. She is obsessed with kitchen gadgets and has them all. In her free time, she loves hiking, reading and spending time with her three kids and sausage dog Odie.