Starting to live a healthier lifestyle can be a daunting task if you don’t know how or where to start. As a trainer, that was always one of things I would hear the most. I want to be healthier but I don’t know what to do. I would tell my clients that just start and make small decisions each day. Don’t try to overhaul your life because it will only work for a short time. Just focus on small and manageable things that you can consistently.
habit 1: schedule your workouts. if you schedule going to the gym like you would going to dinner with friends and family. You wouldn’t cancel on them so don’t cancel on yourself. if you don’t have a gym membership but use an app at home it’s the same thing. Schedule your workouts.
bonus: If you write out your workout plan a head of time or place it somewhere you see it all the time will help get you in that habit. I initially wrote my workout plan in my planner, but I don’t look at my calendar as much as I thought I would coming up with plan b.
habit 2: put the gym bag in the passenger seat. this is more mental and visual reminder to go workout. when you see your gym bag, it will be a reminder to go to the gym. This goes back to scheduling, but find a time that works for you. It may be before work then you should put your gym bag where you are going to see it first thing in the morning.
bonus: if the gym can be on your way home from work. This is will reinforce that habit.
bonus: Pack your gym bag the night before. That way everything is in there. if I pack in the morning I will always forget something.
habit 3: get 6-8 hours of sleep every night. Everyone is different on how much sleep they need to be productive. I am more on the 7-8 hours of sleep. Try and go to bed and wake up the same time. I purchased the sleep premium on my phone which wakes me up on my lowest sleep rem.
habit 4: move your body at least 5 minutes every day. Motivation follows action. You WILL NEVER be motivated to workout. You just won’t – it’s proven fact! Some days you aren’t going to be feel the workout, and that’s ok. But try to move at least 5 minutes and if you still aren’t feeling it stop. Most of the time you just need to the push to start, and you’ll finish the workout.
habit 5: drink water. One of the most simple steps to living a healthier lifestyle is drinking more water. You’ll be hydrated which typically solves so many other things. there are several ways to know if you are drinking enough water. I tell people to drink half your body weight in ounces. For example, if you are 160lbs, drink roughly 80oz of water. I also tell people if you aren’t drinking a lot of water right now to ease your way into the 80oz of water. Start with 20oz and increase the amount each week. Trust me. I struggle with getting my daily water intake. Here’s 10 tips that have helped me.
bonus: Find a cup that you want to drink from. That has been my biggest motivator for drinking more water. My favorite are my Buc-ee’s that change color.
habit 6: limit alcohol and caffeine. YOU WILL NEVER HEAR ME TELL PEOPLE TO NOT DRINK alcohol or caffeine.
habit 7: get outside. It doesn’t have to be anything special. A Walk to the mailbox. Walk around the block. Go to a nearby park. Visit a State Park or National Park. It doesn’t matter but get outside and get grounded. I have gotten into hiking more and I notice a huge change in my mindset. This has been something that has helped me live a healthier lifestyle. Being outside clears my head and I’m much more creative.
Bonus: if you are in the Peoria area, my favorite State Park has been Jubilee College.
habit 8: read. If you don’t like to read, start small. Read an article about something that interests you. Go to the library and grab one. There is also so many apps for audiobooks. There really is no excuse or reason not to read.
habit 9: take vitamins. check with your doctor to start taking anything new. Do your research.
habit 10: meal plan and prepping. Not only does meal prep but meal plan. To live a healthier lifestyle it all starts in the kitchen. Plan an afternoon that you are going to prep for the week. Mine is Sunday afternoon from about 2p-4pm. First I plan what I want to eat then prep all my meals even my snacks. This has helped me eat everything I purchase before it goes bad.
habit 11: declutter your home. spend some time deep cleaning your house. Get rid of things that no longer serve you. it can be as simple as a little bit each day or take the whole weekend. it doesn’t have to be all at one time. Find a schedule and system that works for you.
bonus: not only declutter your home but declutter your space. unsubscribe from things that no longer interests you. unfollow people who no longer serve you.
habit 12: brain dump or journal. sometimes it can be as easy as setting the timer for 25 minutes and writing whatever comes to your mind. I know I feel better after a brain dump. Sometimes I thing about so many things but when it’s time to actually write it out, it turns out I am not thinking about that much.
habit 13: get finances in order. my favorite site to use is mint. I can organize all my finances and track where I am spending money.
habit 14: plan and prepare. plan as much as you can. you know the saying if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. But also don’t plan so much that you don’t implement the plan. There is such a thing as too much planning. trust me.
bonus: create a morning and evening routine.
habit 15: work on your goals. what do you want to accomplish in the next 3 months? 6 months? 12 months? write them out then work on steps to accomplish them. i don’t use them anymore, but Powersheets were an awesome way for me to track my goals.
tip: can be done in a weekend or a night. i am working through my goals right now, and it has taken me a few weekends. But I am being more details about my goals than I have in a long time.
habit 16: be intentional with your time. This could also be setting boundaries, which is extremely importantly to living a healthier lifestyle. Setting boundaries can be difficult at first, but it’s so important for personal well being.
habit 17: say no. If it’s not a heck yes, then it’s a no. Starting saying no to things that don’t fit with your goals. TRUST ME! I know it’s tough but you gotta learn to say no. I use to have the worst time saying no to people because I wanted people to like me and I didn’t want to let people down. But saying yes to everything is exhausting. This was a straight struggle for me at first, but turned out to be the best things to a healthier lifestyle.
tip: saying maybe to things and telling people I needed to check my schedule. Gave me some time to really think about it. It also made saying no a little easier.
habit 18: take some to be alone. this can be rest or spending some time by yourself. give yourself time to unplug. Whatever alone time looks like for you, take it.
Bonus: use your PTO. If you have it don’t save it because you never know when the company might restructure and you’ll lose time. We all need time away from work, our friends, and our family. We need that time to pour back into yourself.
Remember to fill yourself up first, and give others the overflow. Don’t give to other first if you are depleted. I speak from experience on this.
habit 19: schedule self care. my self care is doing spa nights. it can be as simple as a face mask and as detailed as a full skin care treatment. This is something that I started when we all had “2 weeks” off from work. My 2 weeks ended up being close to 6 months, and I didn’t really leave the house. I started spa nights on Sunday just so I knew what day it was. It has turned into something that I really enjoy doing.
Bonus: If you are have a tight budget they’re reusable products. I got a reusable mask at TJMaxx. Also Pacifica has a bunch of reusable products that I absolutely love.
habit 20: simplify your wardrobe. If you don’t want to simplify your wardrobe, plan your outfits. I set out my clothes the night before, so I don’t have to think about it in the morning. I’m currently working on creating a capsule wardrobe, but it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be.
I hope that these habits have been helpful for you, but it’s all about finding a system that works for you. It’s all about small changes that you can make, and not a complete overhaul on your life. I recently tried to do that, and I put myself in an extreme depressive state. I literally couldn’t get out of bed for a week. Focus on one habit at a time, and when you are ready add a new habit. I would start with easiest habit or one you are most excited about and go from there.
