Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle Despite Having a Packed Schedule

If you’re short on time and have a long list of things to do, know that you’re not alone. Many people run from one appointment or meeting to the next at rapid speeds. They run out the door first thing in the morning without much of a plan to get them through their days. They live on coffee and protein bars to keep them going.

So, what do you do when you have nothing but a few minutes between tasks? You get healthier, that’s what you do!

Here is how you adopt a healthier lifestyle despite having a packed schedule:

Plan for the day ahead. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to prepare for the present moment. Since you’re already using a scheduling system of some type, why not adapt it to include a To Do List. You can list your three most important tasks, the people you need to write or call during the day, and any other ideas that need to be fleshed You can keep track of your water intake and the foods you’ve prepared for your work week, too, so you’re not stuck eating out of the vending machine.
Keep things simple. There is no need to make things more complicated than they need to be. Learn hacks and shortcuts to save yourself time and money. Learn how to make healthy three-to-five-ingredient meals. Do your grocery shopping after you’ve gone to an appointment and before you head home for the day. Not only will this give you more time to breathe, you won’t be sacrificing your health due to unnecessary stress.
Combine tasks. Get your daily walk in by parking as far away from the door as you possibly can. Use your pedometer to count the steps you’ve taken in the kitchen waiting for your tea kettle to boil and the microwave to count down. Run through your list of things to do in the morning while you’re showering.
Give yourself downtime. No matter how many demands you have on your time, you’ve got to have downtime scheduled for yourself. You cannot maintain a breakneck speed and expect to stay healthy. If there is any gift you give yourself, give yourself the gift of time. Take a few minutes out of the day to do nothing. Sit still and listen to what your body is telling you. If it is asking you to rest, take a short nap just as soon as you’re able to. If you feel thirsty, grab your water bottle and take a sip. It’s incredible what you learn about yourself when you slow down and listen to your body’s cues.

Making lifestyle adjustments takes some time to get used to. Before you know it, however, habits become second nature to you. You do them without putting much thought into them.

The list of suggestions featured above is a starting point for you. They don’t take much time to complete which is why they’re perfect for people with packed schedules. You don’t need to drop appointments or rearrange plans on your days off to make them happen. You simply squeeze them into the free minutes you have between tasks for a happier, healthier lifestyle that sustains you.