Keeping up healthy habits can be a tall task when juggling all the responsibilities of daily life. Wellness often slips down our priority list the busier we get. Knowing the importance of health is easy, but it is often harder to make time for it. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you add quality to your years while navigating a busy schedule.
Set Realistic Goals
Set yourself up for success by making goals that are realistic and attainable. Begin with smaller, more manageable plans that you can build upon as you go. This gradual approach will help build resilience and confidence along the way. As you set your ambitions, let them align with your current schedule and season of life. Then, revisit your approach often, as we all know how constantly changing our schedules can be. This reflection will help keep your goals more successful and tailored to your needs.
Make Sleep a Priority
As our day fills up with demands, sleep tends to get sacrificed. Sleep is one of the most impactful things to our health and wellness. It promotes mental and physical recovery from the day, keeps our immune system working, lowers the risk of chronic conditions, and renews our energy for tomorrow. Aim for a similar bedtime each night and begin with a short bedtime routine. This time allows your mind and body to settle down and prepare for sleep. Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, incorporating relaxing activities like music, reading, stretching, and limiting screen time can set the tone for a restful night’s sleep.
Practice Mindfulness
Jam-packed schedules leave our minds very full, but practicing mindfulness can go a long way to help our well-being. Mindfulness is allowing yourself to be intentionally present and aware in the moment. It asks what, when, where, and how much before reaching for a snack. It’s pausing to practice deep breathing before responding to a stressful or overwhelming situation. It’s paying attention to your environment and surroundings to limit unnecessary injuries. It’s putting your phone down and looking at the person you’re conversing with to avoid miscommunication. Mindfulness allows you to incorporate healthy choices into your day no matter how full your schedule gets.
Move More
Make daily movement a priority. Even if you don’t have time for long workout routines at the gym, be creative with your physical activity. Go for a quick walk after dinner, incorporate a few strength exercises during your lunch break, or add some stretches while watching television. Regular physical activity is beneficial both physically and mentally. It can add a reprieve of me-time into your day while lowering risk factors and improving function for future years.
Establish Boundaries
Our priorities often take a hit as we add more and more to our daily to-do list. We should help people whenever we can, but we must also acknowledge our physical and mental limits. Whenever we commit to too much, we find the quality of our work can suffer along with increased feelings of being burnt out. It’s hard to continue caring for others and giving 100% in our tasks if we don’t care for ourselves. Setting boundaries and learning when to say no keeps us from overextending and underperforming. It keeps health on your priority list so you can continue doing your best for yourself and others.
Schedule Your Preventive Care
It’s always harder to ignore health priorities when they’re on your calendar as an appointment. Schedule preventive care recommended for your age, gender, and family history. Talk with your doctor to personalize your screening schedule. Remember, prevention today will take less time and commitment than managing a chronic condition down the road.
Our lives are busy and constantly moving at a fast pace. Finding small, realistic ways to keep wellness on your priority list can make healthy habits more manageable.
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