So – you want to start incorporating some small, SIMPLE, and easy things to your health routine? Start with these super easy tips. These little habits help me tremendously. They may be obvious to some, but perhaps this can be a little reminder for you all! I will definitely go into these concepts and ideas in way more detail in my future posts – but here is taste 🙂
BEDSIDE WATER. This is literally my number one thing. It seems so obvious, but so many people forget to drink water. Some do not get thirsty (including me) and have to be super conscious about their water intake. It is truly the most important thing you can do! I put a full glass of water beside my bed EVERY night so the first thing I do in the morning is drinking the entire glass before I even leave my bed side. It helps me to wake up and digest. It is important to put water in your body before coffee in the morning. Set reminders in your phone for every hour during the day. Trust me – it may feel irritating at first, but the habit forms. I promise!
PREP + THINK AHEAD. Time – one of the biggest excuses that people give as to why they are not eating and living healthy. It is true. We put everything else ahead of our own self-care – our job, our errands, our commitments. There are so many ways to prepare ahead of time to allow yourself to start making healthy choices even if you are super busy. If we feel there isn’t enough time in each day, set aside a few hours on a Sunday or free weekday night to prepare for the upcoming days. You will find it will save you stress and time in the long run and give you the tools to make eating healthily accessible. This can be as little as pre-packing Ziploc bags for a quick morning smoothie or preparing ingredients to last you a few days of lunches/dinners. If cooking is NOT your thing – do a meal prep service. They are super easy to follow and provide amazing meals with tons of variety.
FIND YOUR SQUAD. Exercise can be daunting, scary and intimidating. I get it – I have been in workout classes where I am so nervous and intimidated that I actually have walked out. That is not good for anyone. Grab a friend and make yourselves accountable to each other. Book the class ahead of time and show up. Just go. No matter how many excuses you have in your head – unless you are feeling physically ill – there is no way you will regret it. In fact, with that release of endorphins, you will want to go back again and again. It is all about starting habits – and there is no time like the present. I have met so many great friends through my visits to workout studios. I look forward to seeing them each week and it motivates me to go!
CROWD OUT. Eating – something I will talk a lot about on this blog. Let’s start simple. The first thing I talk to people about is “crowding out” (credit to IIN Nutrition School for this term). Think about ADDING good things to your diet and less about RESTRICTING the bad foods. I would never want anyone to feel like they are under strict rules or that they cannot enjoy eating. This does not allow us to have a positive relationship with food. My motto is – EATING WELL IS A PROCESS. EDUCATION IS KEY. START SLOW. When you start adding in good nutritious and DELICIOUS foods – there is less room for the bad. Naturally. The more you add good to your diet, the better you will feel physically and emotionally and the more you will want to keep eating those things. I call that self-education. Notice your body. Notice your energy levels when you ADD greens and healthy fats to your lunch versus when grabbing a grilled cheese from the closest fast food place. Listen and react! This will help crowd out the bad. These days, when I do indulge (which I ABSOLUTELY do – more on that later) – I really notice how my body is reacting. That cake is so friggin tasty on impact – but I feel sick hours later. Everytime. That is because I have learned to CROWD OUT the bad and make room for the better. Over time, it leads to self-induced healthy eating. Internal motivation and not external motivation.
FIND YOUR TIME. Self-care. A major buzz word these days – but something I truly believe in. Even if it is 15 minutes a day – find something that you deem to be YOUR TIME. An activity, a tv show, curling into your book. Know that you have that time to find calmness. Find what makes you feel relaxed and make time for it. It is so easy to do an extra set of emails for an hour each night once home from work to get ahead of the next day. And yes, sometimes we are swamped and need to do this. But others – it can wait until tomorrow. Just ask yourself – can this wait until tomorrow? Can I allocate some “me time” with a relaxing activity that will make me feel reset and ready to be even more productive the next day? I think so. For example, my time is the morning. I wake up super early just to sit, relax and enjoy my coffee. In the summer – you can find me in my robe on my porch sipping on Nespresso (with Collagen of course). If I have to be somewhere at 9 am – I am waiting up no later than 7 am. I need the slow moving and calm morning time to set my day. It is a habit that I have become completely accustomed to. This is my main form of self-care. It took time for me to realize my love for and honor that space in the morning and now I cannot go a day without it. Find what makes you feel calm and content. Insert that into your life – even for 15 minutes.Â
Hope these help.
xx,
Sari
