Do you ever get that elated feeling when you are doing it all and killing it? And then almost in the blink of an eye get overwhelmed with everything you have going on? Well, you’re not alone!!
We are all doing so much, from handling at-home duties, cooking, cleaning, and paying bills. We are all just trying to keep it together, from going to work and having endless amounts of meetings to dealing with that one co-worker who seems to make it a goal to be a bigger pain every time you see them. We haven’t even touched on trying to see your friends or at the very least have a phone call with them or remember to send them a Happy Birthday text (Jen, sorry about that)! There is always so much going on, and if you are anything like me your brain is always stuck in hyperdrive just thinking of the next thing that needs to get done. I know, I know! When you stop, think, and look back, how in the world do we do it all? We can all make jokes about how hard adulting is, but dang! Nobody ever told me it was going to be this hard. My parents certainly never made it look this hard!
Now let’s talk about how crazy it sounds to add something into an already packed schedule – but if your health is not already included in that schedule, it absolutely needs to be. Staying healthy is exactly how we can keep doing everything we do and make sure we are doing it well. We need our health to go to work, we need our health to be able to run that meeting like a boss babe! Our health is the one thing that is holding it all together, but we all know it is the easiest and the first thing on the list of things to do that fall to the wayside. Luckily for you, you are reading the right person’s blog because that is the one thing, I understand how to take care of. I used to work in a stressful, full-on 100% of the time, petal to the metal go-go-go environment, so I understand what you are up against, and it often seems almost impossible to keep it all together and make time for you and your health.
So, let’s slow it down for a moment and talk about the little things we can do to help our health out and keep ourselves going so that we can get through our crazy schedules!!
I like to think that there are two major places in our health where we can focus our energy. Luckily, these two areas help with your stress levels, your brain functionality (help get rid of that brain fog we are all so fond of), help you sleep better, and give you more energy to go coach your kids or focus on your family! These two areas are Nutrition and Exercise! SHOCKING, I KNOW!!!
We will start with nutrition! Nutrition is my favorite thing to talk about, mostly because I LOVE food, but also because I love what it does and how it can impact our health. I think food is an underappreciated part of health. We know we must eat to survive, but did you know eating the wrong things cause all sorts of issues in your body. For example, the classic sugar rush and sugar crash dilemma; you have that candy bar at 2:00 pm daily, but you are forcing your body to rush around trying to deal with the sugar until you experience the inevitable crash at 3:30 pm. Let’s not forget you still must get home from work, make dinner, get your kids to practice, or help them with their homework. Now wouldn’t it be better to eat a well-balanced snack like apples and peanut butter or cheese and fruit that will give you a more sustainable boost of energy to get you to the end of the day and beyond. Yes, we all must eat to survive, but we also must think about what we eat to keep ourselves moving, keep your brain and body optimally powered. This means we must stop skipping healthy snacks and meals and actually eat throughout the day. I like to start with protein to help my brain and body keep moving and maintain high levels of energy, then I add a variety of vegetables to help me get the proper nutrients throughout the day as well as keep me full. Did you know that most of the American population do not get enough vegetables in their daily diet causing all sorts of other health-related issues we do not have time to discuss today? Long story short, eat your vegetables and keep the variety. Do NOT forget to stay hydrated! I know you must start your day with coffee, and let’s be real so do I, but be aware of your thirst! You do not need to be drinking gallons of water each day even though if you do you will get your step count up with all the trips back and forth to the restroom. Your body is actually pretty cool, it will tell you if you need water or not, if you are thirsty that is your body telling you that you need some water. Water is prevalent in a lot of different foods, but as we all know our bodies are made up mostly of water so pay attention to your body’s cues and drink up!!
Now let’s wrap it up by talking about exercise, you know the thing that I like to do when I am bored, oh wait I am usually too busy to sit down and breath! I get it, exercise seems like a great thing to do when you actually have the time. There are a million ways to get yourself to the gym or even downstairs to your home gym if you are lucky enough to have one or at the very least out for a walk, run, or bike ride. It is hard to make exercise a priority, and the only way I seem to make time for exercise is to block out time on my calendar. I like to schedule an appointment with myself because the time scheduled with just me is just as important if not more important than that meeting at 10 am next Tuesday, so why would I cancel a meeting with myself if I cannot do the same for any other meeting? What about those days that it is literally impossible to get a workout in? Think NEAT – non-exercise activity thermogenesis. What this equates to are the calories or movements you get in when you are not working out. These movements account for the majority of the calories you burn during any given day. So, when you can’t get to the gym, do some of those drills at your kids’ basketball practice, take the dog for a walk, park further from the door, take the stairs because these little things add up and in the long run will help you stay active and healthy!