Is it possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle while balancing our everyday responsibilities? It’s a question I know we have all asked ourselves. There isn’t enough time in the day, we are too mentally exhausted, we have a family to take care of – we all have excuses for why we can’t seem to balance to both a successful career, home life, and a healthy lifestyle. The truth is, the more you focus on wellness, the easier the balance gets.
How can this be possible when you give up time to meal prep, go to the gym, sleep 7-8 hours? The simple answer is efficiency. Your body runs more efficiently when you take care of it. Nutrition, exercise, sleep, and self-care help the body run optimally. This means a clear mind, more focus, improved performance, and overall higher sense of well-being. You become more productive and efficient with your time and feel so much better! Here are some tips to get started incorporating wellness into your busy life.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is necessary to work with a clear mind. People who get enough sleep are more productive and have better problem-solving skills. Prioritizing sleep should be at the top of your list to help you utilize your time more when you are awake. I know, it’s easier said than done. However, when your work to prioritize this first, you can find a place for the rest later.
Power Packed Workouts
Circuit training, high intensity interval training, and other forms of “burst” exercises are great for those who are low on time. These exercises let you increase your heart rate and keep it elevated with little time for rest to pack a full workout into 30 minutes or less.
Plan Ahead
Planning and prepping allows you to save time throughout the week. It eliminates the time necessary to try to organize your day and your routine. No more back and fourth “I don’t care, what sounds good to you?” before deciding on takeout. It also allows you to put thought into your habits lowers and eliminate quick unhealthy solutions.
Find Fuel in Nutrition
You are what you eat, they say. Food can either speed you up or slow you down. Eating a diet of highly processed foods with little nutrients can leave you feeling fatigued, unmotivated, and absent minded. Focus on incorporating whole foods and nutrient dense items into your diet to find fuel in nutrition!
Drink Your Water
Drinking water keeps you hydrated, alert, and energized all day. It is recommended to get at least 8 glasses of water a day. Try keeping a water bottle on you at all times and reminding yourself to drink enough every hour or so. You can also try teas or flavor drops to find more variety if you have a hard time with water.
Practice Self-Care
It’s easy to get lost in responsibilities to others, but the truth is the greatest relationship you have is with yourself. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying you can’t pour from an empty cup. It might feel selfish to take time for yourself, but the truth is if you aren’t working to be the best version of yourself, no one is getting the best version of you. Prioritize yourself so you can be happy and healthy for yourself and for others.
Set Goals
Whether it be for wellness, professionally, or in your family, setting specific goals help you accomplish what you want and stay motivated. It will also help you prioritize and harvest your time. Write down your goals to keep yourself on track. Make sure goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and have a timeline.
It can take some trial and error to find your exact balance, but once you find it - you’ll feel invincible!