Everyone knows the importance of sleep, exercise, and nutrition for your overall health and wellness.
However, as life continues to stay busy and the world gets crazier, it can feel harder and harder to try to do it all. How do you fit a full night’s sleep, a balanced diet, and an exercise routine into a single day while balancing work, kids, and everything else?
Here are four realistic, simple ways to prioritize your health and wellness.
1. Start with What’s Easiest
You know that you want to get better sleep, better nutrition, and more exercise.
Where do you begin?
Don’t start with what you think you should do, and don’t try to do everything at once.
Instead, start with what’s easiest.
You should start with what’s easiest because that’s what you’re more likely to sustain. And as you’re able to build up better habits, you’re more likely to make longer strides in supporting your overall health and wellness.
So what’s easiest for you? Is it getting more sleep? Is it adding more veggies and water to your day? Or is it taking a walk every other day?
Whatever it is, remember that baby steps lay the groundwork for consistency and long-term results. Don’t rush progress, and don’t seek perfection. Instead, start easy and start small.
2. Try a Meal Delivery Service
Nutrition is a major barrier for a lot of folks, especially those who never learned to cook or those who stay super busy.
Meal delivery services can be a useful tool if you’re struggling with nutrition. There are a ton of different companies offering “dinner boxes” that come shipped with recipes and ingredients.
You can choose your diet, whether you’re vegetarian or keto. You can also select recipes based on the amount of time you have. So if you only have 20 or 30 minutes at night to fix supper, there’s a meal service for you!
Meal delivery services are useful for several reasons:
- They eliminate the mental burden of having to come up with recipes
- They eliminate the time and energy it takes to shop for and prepare ingredients
- They encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and try something new
- They offer controlled portions so you know how much you’re eating
- They help you learn to cook and diversify your palate
Meal delivery services can help you build better habits by cooking at home instead of stopping for fast food on the way back from work. They also help you make sure you’re ingesting more whole foods and fewer processed foods.
The majority of meal delivery companies offer free trials, so consider giving one a go to see how you like it!
3. Create a Pleasant Nightly Ritual
This tip is for you if you struggle with sleep.
Research supports that following rituals and going to bed at the same time every night can help support better sleep hygiene overall.
So if you struggle to initiate or stay asleep, try creating a nightly ritual that feels right for you.
For example, you could start your nightly ritual with one episode of your favorite show. Let it be a show that you’ve already seen before so that you’re less inclined to get hooked on “just one more episode.”
After the episode, turn off screens and put on your favorite music or a guided meditation. Practice some deep breathing and muscle relaxation to encourage your body to get ready for sleep.
Alternatively, you could try aromatherapy and a bubble bath every night. Many parents use this technique on their kids when they’re trying to create healthy sleep routines. You can purchase lavender lotion to rub on after a bath and try taking melatonin supplements or gummies.
Your nightly ritual doesn’t have to be drastic; just try one consistent thing every night that helps signal to your mind, “Okay, it’s time to get ready for bed!”
4. Pick One Exercise that You Actually Enjoy
If you’re trying to start an exercise routine, don’t go with what you think you should do. Maybe you think you should be running, but you absolutely hate running. Are you going to stick with something you hate? Probably not.
Maybe you think you should be in the weight room, but you have no idea where to begin. Just the thought of it gives you anxiety. Are you likely to stick with it? Probably not.
Let go of all of the expectations and “shoulds” of exercise, and instead, just pick something that is easy for you to incorporate. This is similar to tip number one: start small and easy!
Try walking on the treadmill at an incline while you catch up on your favorite show or listen to music or a podcast. Over time, increase the incline and the speed of your walk. This not only helps you build up strength and endurance, but it will also support other healthier lifestyle changes like better sleep quality.
If individual exercise isn’t your thing, try workout classes! These are a great way to get some exercise under the guidance of a professional. And hey — you may meet some new friends while you’re at it.
Finally, you could try signing up for intramural sports in your community. Plenty of local organizations have community softball or volleyball teams. There’s something for everyone out there!
Health and Wellness in Perrysburg, OH
If you need additional help and support with carving out better health and wellness, contact the professionals at Agents of Healing in Perrysburg, OH.