It's easy to get off track the health train when life gets busy, time is scarce and stress levels start to rise (ummm Holidays anyone??!?). Felix was born just 12 weeks ago and I've finally started to get back into the healthy routines that help me to feel good and grounded, but up until now it was rough and my health and sanity definitely took a dive.
Outfit Links: Sports Bra and Leggings - Target, Black & White Check Flannel - Old Navy, Beanie - Walmart
BUT....you don't have to let yours take a dive like mine did (unless you have a newborn and a toddler...then there might not be any avoiding it for a period of time...just kidding! You can keep your health and sanity in check too).
I've found that no matter how scarce time gets (and any of you Mommas out there and/or boss babes running careers KNOW it gets SCARCE sometimes) there's always a few things that can be done to help us realign with what makes us feel good without needing to make a big production of it or carving out a lot of time.
1. Get outdoors
Stepping outside for some fresh air in nature is soothing to the soul. It strengthens our root chakra which helps us to feel grounded and safe, and eases pent up anxiety. It's a great way to sneak in exercise and if you have kids it's a wonderful excuse to get them to run around and get all their crazies out, as well as teaching them to appreciate the beauty of the great outdoors and our incredible Earth. It's the easiest way to shift your vibration from stressed out to calm and connected...even if its just stepping into your backyard to drink your morning coffee...get outside! It always does the trick.
2. Eat Dark Leafy Greens
I love to eat healthy, nourishing foods every day, but over the last two months I've been eating a lot more take out and easy meals due to the fact that I'm exhausted and barely have the energy to pick up the phone to order take out lol. But no matter how bad my diet has been on any given day, the easiest way to not totally blow it is to eat some greens. I love a good salad with all the yummy fixings, and they're easy to sneak into smoothies as well. They're high in vitamins A,C, E, K and folate and minerals such as iron, magnesium and calcium. They contain anti-aging/cancer fighting antioxidants and are good for your heart/help lower blood pressure. They feed the good bacteria in your gut which aids in digestion and nutrient absorption and even provide UV protection at a cellular level through the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin. Basically...they're the superfood of all superfoods. Is there anything they can't do?? When your diet has taken a plunge, sneaking in some dark, leafy greens can help turn things around.
3. Move Your Body
Seems pretty obvious right? We've all heard how exercise helps to release "feel good" endorphins...but why is it that when times get stressful, our workouts are often the first thing to get pushed aside? One of the best ways to be productive and get work accomplished is to take little breaks throughout the day so that we don't burn out and/or get distracted. Why not use one of those little breaks as an opportunity to get active? It helps to clear our minds which makes us more effective at our work when we return to it, and those endorphins definitely help to elevate the mood. Not to mention, cardio helps to bring oxygen to our brains which greatly improves our mental functioning so we can handle those fussy toddlers and/or work dilemmas with a little more grace and ease. It doesn't have to be long or crazy hard. Some days I just do 10 minutes of cardio at home (squats/jumping jacks/laps around the pool) followed by a couple minutes of stretching/yoga and that 10-15 minutes makes me feel like a brand new person. It's also no mystery that working out helps us to sleep better at night... and better sleep = a healthier/happier you!
4. Tidy Up
Admittedly, I'm not the world's tidiest person. As much as I LOVE a clean space, I'm not always the best at constantly picking up...therefor messes accumulate and my stress levels rise. Clutter in our living spaces leads to clutter in our minds which leads to STRESS. I know this all to well...which is why I've been working hard over the last few years to become a cleaner person. There is a direct link to my house being clean and a feeling of deep inner peace...not to mention WAY more productivity at work and higher feelings of self esteem. BUT...having 3 kids (especially a toddler who gets into EVERYTHING) can make keeping a house clean almost impossible. Instead of stressing out over the house needing to be perfect at all times (because it won't!) I set aside time every night to do a pick up. Nothing crazy...but just tidy enough to where I won't lose me mind lol. Also, if you're super busy and/or cleaning just ISN'T your thing (I feel you!) then hire a house keeper to come once a week or every other week. Might sound indulgent or too expensive, but delegating responsibilities is KEY to reducing stress and improving productivity. The happier you are the more you can slay at life...so its not indulgent...it's survival and you living your best, happiest life! Totally worth it.
5. Unplug and Connect with Your Loved Ones
You know....s t o p s c r o l l I n g. Yup. You heard me. Turn that phone off and put that time sucker away. We all know it causes us stress, sucks up our time and depletes us so why do we fall victim to it's mindless temptations so much??!? Well....for one....most of us are addicted to it. We can't go ANYWHERE without our phones and can't stand in line at the grocery store for even 1 minute without pulling it out for fear we might get bored and/or actually have to talk and connect with the REAL humans standing right there with us. Am I right or am I right? It's cool...I'm guilty of it too. We all are. But the key to not letting it get the best of you or depleting you is to delegate time every day that you are NOT allowed to be on or near it no matter WHAT. For me, that time is in the evening from around 5pm until I put my kids to bed. For those couple hours I am completely unplugged and connected with my kiddos. It fills my (and their) emotional cup up and reminds me of what and who really matters in life. Also, I try to be conscientious of how much time I'm on it throughout the day. This can be tough because I run my business through instagram which makes it necessary for me to be online a bit more than most, but I find that if I allot just an hour in the morning, 30 minutes in the afternoon and another 30 minutes before I pick up my kids...that's usually enough time. There are also apps like In Moment that you can use to monitor how much time you're spending your phone each day. If you feel like you need to cut back, this can be a great way to point out just how much time and energy you actually are giving to scrolling each day. You might be surprised at how much it is....and seeing that number might just be the motivating factor to get you to cut back.
And there you have it! I hope these tips help you to get back on track if you've fallen on stressful and/or unhealthy times. As always, it you have ANY questions at all please comment below and I'll get back to you asap. Much love to you all! Stay healthy my friends...
Outfit Links: Check Flannel - J.Crew, Nirvana Shirt - Free People ( no longer in stock so I linked a similar one), Joggers - H&M, Sunglasses - Dolce & Gabbana, Purse - Chloe