Can you guess what the number one reason people give for not living a healthy lifestyle? Yep, you guessed it: “I just don’t have enough time.” We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and what our lives consist of is what we fill those hours with. Most people aspire to live a healthy life, but many don’t see how it can fit into their already stuffed schedule. It’s easy to cook elaborate meals and make it to the gym every day when life isn’t hectic. But what do you do when you enter a busy season in life? Below are some tips to maintain your healthy lifestyle when it becomes demanding and time is scarce.
Continue to Eat Healthy
- Meal Prep: Spend 2 hours one day a week preparing food for lunches and quick dinners. Prepping a few carbs choices (grains/potatoes, etc.), 1-2 protein sources (chicken, tofu, etc.), along with cutting up veggies make for easy meals.
- Bring lunch with you to work or school: Remember that food you prepped? Make your lunch the night before, by throwing together a few ingredients in Tupperware (for example: leftover chicken + sweet potatoes on top of some salad greens).
- 30 minute or less Dinners: The week before research some slow cooker recipes or quick meals that you can throw together in one pan. Dinner doesn’t have to be fancy to be healthy. A simple pasta dish comes together in minutes! Like this dish
- Less than 5 minute Breakfast: How you start your day can influence the rest of it. Prepping some overnight oatmeal or whipping up quick smoothies are both good options for an easy breakfast that won’t take much time to prepare. Or these two minute paleo english muffins:
- Snacks: No one wants to get ravenous at work. Snacks are always important to carry you over until dinnertime and help avoid that 3pm cookie craving. Try out some new bars or a yogurt bowl is great too!
Staying in Shape
- Make an appointment with yourself: Schedule gym time into your day just like you would a meeting with your boss. If you know spin class starts at 6am every Tuesday, you’ll be more likely to go versus assuming you’ll “find time” during the day.
- Walk: Underestimated as a form of exercise, but one of the most important for our health. If going to the gym really doesn’t work for you, add in extra steps whenever you can. Try walking during your lunch hour or after dinner with a friend/family member.
- Active Weekends: Make plans on the weekends to do an outdoor activity with friends or family. If Monday through Friday is jam packed, hit up a hiking trail Saturday morning or go for a swim Sunday afternoon.
Take Care of Your Mind
- Make sleep a priority: Set a specific time to go to bed and to wake up every day. Making sure you are well rested can positively impact every aspect of your life. Check out my post on how to get the best night’s sleep
- Manage Your Stress: Practice “Self-Care” (such as a bubble bath once a week), let go of commitments that no longer serve you and maintain social interactions (at least once a week, make an effort to see/talk to a friend or family member). Mental health is just as important as your physical health. Maybe even take a day off social media.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle during a busy season can be difficult at first, but it will soon become second nature. Everyone makes time for what’s important to them, so I implore you: make your health a priority.
Leave a Reply