Your daily routine directly impacts your health behaviors.
But what happens when you daily routine gets so busy, you have trouble maintaining your healthy lifestyle?
As your daily routines change, so can your health behaviors.
Eating healthfully and exercising may be challenging with a stressful work or school deadline or new family obligations.
Much of my weight management counseling helps patients plan ahead and ANTICIPATE that life will get in the way of your good intentions.
So not to be caught off guard, it’s helpful to make a plan BEFORE your life gets hectic.
Here are some tips to guide you:
1-Identify Your Core Behaviors
We all have our core behaviors that help us maintain our healthy lifestyle routine.
Core behaviors are the most important eating and physical activity patterns you follow day-to-day that keep you feeling in control of your health. Some examples:
- Starting each day with a breakfast meal, even a nutrition bar and piece of fruit
- Keeping trigger foods out of the home
- Wearing an activity tracker
- Self-weighing at home on a regular basis
- Having healthy snack foods at home
- Taking daily walks with your dog
The goal is to identify your 2 or 3 core healthy lifestyle behaviors that are most meaningful and can be adapted to a busier schedule.
2- Pay Attention to Sleep
Busy times can also disrupt your daily sleep habits, which together can negatively affect your health, mood, well-being and body weight.
Depending on your new schedule, you may need to adopt an earlier bedtime or identify ways to have a more restful night’s sleep.
This may involve limiting screen time, eating and doing work close to bedtime, and not discussing anxiety-producing topics before bed.
If you’re struggling with poor sleep, get more tips here.
3-Make a De-Stressing Plan
It’s important to make a list of activities that will reduce stress and replenish your mind and body.
But what de-stressing activities can fit into your new hectic schedule?
It’s time to make a list:
- Call a friend
- Listen to music
- Do some deep breathing
- Journal your thoughts
- Do a meditation app
- Go for a walk to clear your mind
- Play a game with your smart phone
- Watch funny videos
When stress zaps your energy level, individuals often turn to food for an energy boost.
If this is something you’re concerned about, boosting your daily energy level can make weight management easier.
Be kind to yourself as you focus on progress, not perfection.
RK
Robert Kushner, MD
