It’s the beginning of a new year. ‘New year new me’ might be your motto for the month, however maintaining this new version of yourself during a tight and bust schedule might be becoming difficult. Healthy habits for you might be a simple walk in the evening, or making sure you eat enough of the right nutrients in a day. While these new habits may have sounded easy enough when you set out to follow them, paired with a busy day job and demanding family can leave you exhausted. Despite this, the right planning and implementation can be your ticket to making your better habits stick for good, all while keeping to your chaotic routine.
In this blog post, we will share how to maintain your healthy habits alongside your busy schedule. The truth is that change is difficult, even uncomfortable at times. If you wish to change the trajectory of your health, making the hard decisions to change your habits is essential. Consider the following habits:
Meal prep 3 days ahead
First things first, if you are not only trying to save money, but to also have healthy meals readily available throughout the day, you should prepare your meals 3 days in advance. You might be the type of person who quickly grabs the first fast food meal you can find because of your busy schedule. This type of eating regularly can have adverse effects on your health and will leave you with long-term health problems. Instead, cook your lunches and breakfasts on a Sunday before your week starts, and have 3 days of whole, nutrient-rich meals prepared.
Once you have mastered bulk prepping 3 days, you may even extend this to the full working week. Remember to freeze some of your meals to keep them fresh, but the 3 days of meals can be kept in the fridge and will still be delicious to enjoy. With this, you can track exactly how much of each thing you are eating from protein to carbs, use apps such as myfitnesspal to keep on top of your daily consumption and stick to your calories to achieve your exercise goals. This can help you determine when to have your treats, so you can drink your well deserved ready to drink cocktail at the end of the healthy week!
Bring a 2-litre water bottle everywhere
If one of your New Year habits involves drinking enough water, you should carry a 2-litre water bottle with you everywhere you go. If you are looking to improve your metabolism, stay hydrated and even lose weight, drinking 3 litres of water is recommended by health professionals. Having a 2-litre bottle of water readily available to you during the day will encourage you to drink frequently, and reach your water intake goal. A simple yet effective strategy, who needs an excuse to buy a new cute water bottle?
Walk where possible
Walking is such a simple exercise that most of us do daily, but for those of us with busy working days in an office, the option to spend an hour walking around is not even possible. The truth is that walking is so easily fitted into your schedule, that you just aren’t looking in the right place. For example, if you get public transport to your work, get off a stop early to enjoy a longer walk. Or, always take the stairs instead of the elevator for a more intense yet beneficial walk. If you track your steps whilst doing this, you’ll be surprised how much of a difference this will add to your daily steps.
Perfect your morning & night time routine
Do not neglect the importance of a morning and nighttime routine. If you are a parent who looks after children, your routine may look very different to others. However, we all have some downtime in the chaos to ourselves. This should involve prepping for the coming day, whilst also winding down ready for sleep. Instead of scrolling before bed, make sure any accessory tasks are complete such as ironing your shirt or packing your bag for work. Lay out your clothes for the next day for a seamless morning too. Reading is also recommended at night time to take your mind off any ruminating thoughts.
In the morning, you should have massively benefited from the preparation you did the night before. With your work and gym bag already packed, your clothes laid out, and food prepared for the day, you can avoid rushing out of the door and get your mindset ready for the busy working day.
Make time for good sleep
Speaking of your nighttime routine, no matter how busy you are, you need to make time for good sleep. Busy people are under the impression that there is no time for 8 hours of sleep when this is simply not the case. If you truly wish to be a high performer during your busy schedule the amount of time you sleep determines your success. Sleep is the best opportunity to charge our energy up, allow our brains to retain information, and also allow our bodies to rest and restore. Make the time for good sleep to work optimally during the time you are awake.
Listen to podcasts
Another healthy habit can also be fueling your mind with new and positive information. Sometimes, we struggle to find the time to read new books, and this is a great time to introduce audiobooks and podcasts into your routine. You can listen to podcasts and books as you commute to work and go between meetings. They are so handy, and can also help you to retain life-changing information to better yourself and your habits. Research some authors in the field you are looking to grow your knowledge in, and set a goal to listen to one audiobook within a week.
Bottom line
Overall, it is possible to adopt healthy habits whilst balancing a busy schedule. It will not come naturally, but implementing steps that make the new habit as easy as possible is the first place to start. Become a better version of yourself and prioritise your health, then walk your professional and personal growth to excel similarly!
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