As promised, here is your free resource!
I’ve worked with with a lot of people who want to achieve a greater sense of health and well-being.
And you know what the biggest challenge I hear is?
Lack of time.
Our world is fast-paced. A lot is thrown at us. Between family, work, various activities, chores at home, and the never-ending “to do” items that pop up, it can seem impossible to have any time to focus on your health.
I’m far from perfect at time management. However, there are 10 things that I find extremely helpful when it comes to making time for my health.
In fact, doing these things helps me to free up about 10 hours per week! That’s a lot of time that can be devoted to things like:
Physical activity
Healthy food prep
Extra sleep
Meditation
You name it!
I hope that these practices help you as much as they’ve helped me. Here they are!
#1. SERIOUSLY LIMIT SCREEN TIME.
I know, I know, you’ve probably heard this a million times. But this one is huge. TV's, phones, and devices can be a nice way to unwind, catch up with friends, and learn new things. But they can also be HUGE time wasters. If we aren't conscious with their use, they can quickly rob hours of our day.
Personally, aside from an occasional movie with my husband, I rarely watch TV. And I try to limit non-productive screen time to less than an hour per day.
PRO TIP: The key word here is “nonproductive” screen time. Think of ways you could turn non-productive screen time into productive screen time. For example, if binge-watching Netflix or scrolling social media is your thing, do it while walking on the treadmill or riding a stationary bike. Let your guilty pleasure be motivation to do something productive (such as being active)!
#2. PUT EXERCISE BEFORE HOUSEWORK.
In case you're looking for permission, I'm giving it to you! 🙂 I don't know about you, but if I waited to exercise until all house chores were done, it would never happen. Housework never ends. There's always something to do at home.
Regardless of how high my laundry pile is, physical activity comes first. The good news is that this doesn't mean your home has to be a disaster. Exercise gives you energy, which will help you to efficiently tackle the day-to-day chores around the house.
#3. READ WITH YOUR EARS.
During mundane tasks that don't require a great deal of mental effort, such as folding laundry, doing dishes, picking up the house, or running/walking, this can be a great time to expand your mind with audiobooks and podcasts.
I learned this trick in PA school, when I found it much more enjoyable to re-listen to lectures while outside getting exercise, rather than spending all my time in the library. Audio format is how I prefer to do most of my "reading," mainly because it allows me to do other things at the same time.
#4. TIME YOURSELF.
This works great for tasks I don't enjoy doing. When it’s time to do these tasks, I find myself needing to get something to eat or drink... needing to talk to someone... checking e-mail... pondering life... anything to avoid the unpleasant thing that needs to be done. But procrastinating only prolongs the pain. By timing myself, it forces me to focus on the task at hand, not get side-tracked, and knock it out quickly.
#5. BATCH-COOK LIKE A BOSS.
I have a family of four. But I cook for an army. It's not unusual for me to quadruple a recipe. If I'm going to go through the trouble of cooking, why not get several meals out of it?
At a minimum, I make enough for another entire family dinner or for several lunches later in the week. In addition, I have learned that my freezer is my friend. It's both efficient and economical to freeze home-cooked meals and enjoy them later with minimal preparation and mess.
#6. BECOME A MORNING PERSON.
I know the night owls will disagree with me here, but several studies have linked rising earlier to higher productivity. This is another trick I learned in PA school, where I found it much more helpful to go to bed at 10 PM and get up at 4 AM to study, rather than stay up til 2 AM when my brain was not functioning as well. (Note: It's important that you go to bed early for this to work.)
#7. RECRUIT HELP.
Delegate, my friend. In my household my husband and I both work outside the home, and we both help with the housework. Our young kids are also perfectly capable of cleaning their rooms, picking up their messes, helping with clean-up after meals, and folding their clothes.
If you can afford it, hire help for chores and projects around the house! It took me years to finally do this (mainly because it's hard for me to pay for services that I can do myself). But it can be a huge help, freeing up your valuable time for things that are more enjoyable and important to you.
#8. GET CREATIVE.
What are some creative ways to add healthy activities into your day? How about a walk during your lunch break? You don't necessarily need to get drenched in sweat to experience the befits of exercise. A daily walk is great!
What are some quick strength exercises you could do at home in the morning before taking a shower? It doesn't have to be an hour-long workout. Every little bit helps.
How might you incorporate exercise or food prep into family time? Examples include outdoor family activities or cooking together as a family.
#9. SIMPLIFY.
The less stuff I buy, the less stuff I have to keep up with (which frees up my money and time!). If I step inside Target, I'm done. One hour and $300 later, I have a car load of stuff I never knew I "needed." So I try my best to avoid places with lots of shiny things that take my focus away from what is important. A healthy, low-maintenance life is what I strive for.
#10. JUST SAY NO.
Say yes to the things that are truly important to you, but politely decline the rest. This one is easier said than done, but so important. When you say yes to one thing, you're saying no to something else (such as family time, exercise, sleep, etc.). If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When it comes to making time for your health, please keep these things in mind:
Healthy living isn't just about your body. When your physical health improves, so many other areas also improve. For example, decreased stress, better mood, increased energy, healthier relationships, greater discipline, enhanced focus, and higher productivity.
It's important to focus on progress over perfection.
Small changes lead to big results over time.
I look forward to sharing more information with you. But please remember, knowing the information isn’t enough. We don’t benefit unless we practice it.
Which of the above actions will you practice today, and what will you do with the extra time on your hands? 🙂
Take care,
Kiley
