Be Healthy & Happy, Even With a Busy Schedule

We are all starting to return to "normal" life. But normal life was busy. Remember those days when you'd have a packed schedule, with different activities every evening? The pandemic was a terrible, stressful thing for us all, but it did help every slow down and adopt new ways of doing things (no more commute, work from home lunches, etc.). Now that we are busier and maybe even commuting again, it can be difficult to stay healthy (and maybe even happy). Here are 5 tips to help you keep some of those healthy habits in your day, even with a busier schedule.

Meal prep for healthier eating.

Weekdays can get chaotic, with work and school and evening activities. It can be hard to balance all the events and commitments you have and still have time to pack healthy lunches, prepare breakfast and make family meals at dinnertime. But if you dedicate a little time on the weekends or one day a week to meal prep, you can eat healthier, home-cooked meals more often. You can pre-package snacks to quickly add to lunches, bag up frozen fruit to toss in a smoothie, and prep crock pot meals to make for dinner.

Get in a quick morning workout before starting your day.

Too busy or too tired on the way home from work to swing by the gym? You’re not alone! Instead of waiting until the end of the day to exercise, you can get up a little earlier and get a quick at-home workout in before the kids get up. Go for a run around the neighborhood, find a 15-minute yoga video on YouTube or do some push-ups and sit-ups to get the day going. You’ll feel good about yourself knowing you already worked out today.

Eat your veggies.

One way to start making healthy changes is to add vegetables to every meal. Throw in spinach with your morning smoothie, add some carrot sticks to your lunch and make a side salad (top with extra veggies like cucumber, tomato and other favorites!) to go with your dinner. Veggies add a quick healthy pop to your day, while still allowing you to eat plenty throughout the day. Essential vitamins and nutrients are found in veggies, as well. And be sure to mix it up, so you can get as many of the healthy goodies as possible.

Take a lunchtime walk.

As you go throughout your day, you probably find yourself sitting a lot – behind the wheel of your car as you make your way to work, in a chair at your desk hunched over the computer, at home in the evening on the couch to watch TV with the family. All of this sitting isn’t good for your health goals, so try to get up and move whenever possible. Take a walk around your office building at lunch. You can bring friends or coworkers with you and start a lunchtime walking club. You can also consider walking meetings or doing conference calls on a walk.

Drink plenty of water.

Think you’ve had enough water? Think again. A good rule of thumb is eight glasses a day, but you may need even more than that. Water hydrates you, keeping you energized and focused on the task at hand, whatever that may be. Before you leave the house in the morning, grab a reusable water bottle and keep refilling it throughout the day.

Want to add a yoga practice into your days? Let me know how I can help you begin a regular practice with private or group classes.