How to Live a Healthy Lifestyle Even When Life Gets Busy
One day my daughter came to me and asked me if we could go for a walk. I was in the middle of washing dishes. The first thought that came to my mind was that I was too busy to go with her. How often do you tell yourself that you cannot do something because you don't have time?
The truth is we always find time for things that are important to us. I realized that going for a walk with my daughter was an excellent opportunity to connect with her and take a break from my busy day.
Prioritizing your health can be challenging when you are a busy mom on the go. But think about how you can show up for your family and yourself when you feel your best.
If you are struggling to maintain a healthy lifestyle, here are the five tips on how to make a healthy living stick even when your life gets busy:
#1 Get clear on your “why”
We all want to be healthy. But most people don't have a clear understanding of why this is important to them. They may get excited at first at the idea of eating clean or working out more because of an article they've read or a conversation they've had. But when life gets busy, they give up and go back to their old habits.
It is important to understand why you want to live healthily. When you are clear on that, your "why" can motivate you to stay on track.
Living a healthy lifestyle is a choice. You make this decision because of a deeper desire to feel good, have enough energy to be a good mom, or be a good example for your kids.
For me, healthy living is about feeling my best without pain, skin issues, or fatigue, so I can fully show up in my life. Every time I face a temptation to give up, I remind myself about the consequences it may have on my health.
Bring your "why" to the surface, write it down on a piece of paper and stick it somewhere where you can see it daily as a reminder.
#2 Think small.
Making changes to your lifestyle can be overwhelming and challenging. It is especially true when trying to make too many changes at once. That is why I believe that the best way to start living a healthy lifestyle is by thinking small.
Focus on a couple of tiny adjustments to your routine that you can easily implement.
James Clear writes in his book "Atomic Habits": "A slight change in your daily habits can guide your life to a very different destination."
Think about how a decision to add 15 minutes walk at lunchtime can affect your health. It will give you a break from your busy day and refocus your mind. Fresh air and more oxygen will provide you with more energy and calm your nervous system. Being outside in the sun can also boost vitamin D production, helping you with mood, supporting your immune system, and keeping your bones strong. All these benefits from just the 15 minutes walk.
You can build on those small routines to lead to bigger wins.
What one change can you make today to jumpstart your healthy living?
#3 Plan it out
How many times did you jump into something because you were so excited to get started? Shortly after, you felt overwhelmed and gave up?
Planning is essential to our success. It's also true when making lifestyle changes.
When creating a plan, decide on:
What healthy lifestyle practices do you want to implement (remember to start small)
How you are going to implement these changes
What outcomes do you expect
What obstacles you may face when trying to implement your new habits
How you may handle these obstacles
I see time and time again how missing this step leads to frustration, disappointment, and lack of results.
I encourage you to take the time to map out your steps to get you the results you want.
#4 Get your systems in place / aka create healthy daily habits.
After you decide on your health goal, it's time to figure out which healthy habits will help you reach that goal.
Habits are like systems or processes that lead to specific outcomes. You can design these systems for yourself.
It's not enough to think about your goals. The goal is what motivates you, but the system is how you get there.
Designing your steps to a healthy lifestyle is especially important when you are a busy mom.
So, how do you create these systems? Here are three tips for doing it:
Make your habits as easy as possible to start.
Make a specific plan for when and where you will perform a new habit.
Decide on a cue that will trigger the new habit. For example, you will drink a glass of water first thing after you wake up. The action of waking up is the cue.
And remember that repetition is the key to creating a new habit. You cannot do it just some of the time. You need to perform it consistently until it becomes automatic.
#5 Get support
When you are a busy working mom, having the right support system is crucial to maintain your wellbeing. It is especially true when trying to implement a new way of life.
Getting your family on board with what you want to change can help you achieve your goals. Explain to them why it is important to you to make certain changes in your lifestyle and ask them if they would like to participate with you. Some members of your family might be resistant. Don't force them to go along.
Decide how you want to design your environment for success and what external support you need to reach your goals.
Getting an accountability buddy might be another way to help you stick with your new habits. Having a friend that check-ins with you and motivates you might be very beneficial.
You can also hire a coach that will guide you and support you when making lifestyle changes. If you're thinking about this option, schedule a complimentary 30 minutes discovery session with me to chat about how I could guide you in reaching your health goals. Schedule your call HERE
Making lifestyle changes is not easy. But if you are clear on why you want to do it and how to achieve it, you will succeed. Remember to start with small habits that are easy to implement. Every time you successfully perform your new routine, it will motivate you to keep going. And if you feel like you need support in reaching your goals, let's schedule a free session with me to chat about it.
CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR CALL
Hi! I'm Kinga Zerhouni.
I am a functional health coach. I work with stressed-out and tired working moms who feel like they are drowning in the thousand things they have to do between work and home.
I help them learn how to nourish and listen to their bodies to figure out which lifestyle changes are right for them, so they can regain their energy and feel calm again.