Things have recently picked up in terms of my schedule, and quite honestly I’m really enjoying the change of pace and routine. Mostly because I somehow landed my dream job and each day I pray I don’t somehow mess it up!!! All insecurities aside (let’s just gloss right over that lolol), I’ve been incorporating a few health hacks into my daily routine to help ease the transition and prevent being consumed by stress when the workload inevitably picks up. Read on for five easy tips below!
Before getting into some of the details, I first want to say something that’s been an absolute savior in freeing up some much cherished weekend time is Sun Basket’s Fresh & Ready meals. They’re not only nutrient dense made with organic fresh produce, but they’re ready in as little as 6 minutes! They come ready to be popped into the microwave or oven, and clean up is a breeze! They’re so delicious and I genuinely look forward to lunch and dinner time during the week.
Some other tips that have been helping:
- Get organized and plan ahead. Lately I’ve been planning everything from my workout schedule to meals (especially Sun Basket’s Fresh & Ready meals) to even outfits the night before. While this may seem small, saving 5-10 minutes in the morning really adds up. A few extra minutes to slowly sip my coffee and/or just lay on my yoga mat and rock back and forth is a definite win in my book. It also feels extremely silly and childish to lay out your clothing the night before, but there’s nothing worse than staring into an empty closet wishing an outfit would magically appear in front of you. While I sincerely wish I had the technology to make that happen, I’m unfortunately still living in the fashion dark ages. Laying things out not only saves you time, but also fuels that delightful rush of endorphins that used to drop the morning before elementary school.
- Eat whole, nutrient dense meals. Especially when I’m feeling the stress bug a bit more, I pay a bit more attention to nutrition, i.e. increasing the veggie intake, healthy omega-3 fats, well-sourced protein, and lots of fiber. Lately I’ve been ADORING Sun Basket’s new Fresh & Ready meals. These meals use high-quality ingredients and organic fresh produce that are chef-curated for that restaurant quality meal in as little as 6 minutes. There’s no prep required so they’re perfect on those nights you have a true zero desire to do any sort of work and/or kitchen clean up. The flavors are perfectly harmonious, come ready to heat, and are made fresh each week! They allow me to save time without sacrificing on deliciousness.
- Sticking to a routine. While other things in your life are in flux (or in my case you’re learning A LOT and meeting lots of new people), it’s nice to have some structure within my day and night. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day so my body gets physically used to the newness. I even ordered an alarm clock so I could keep my phone out of my room!!! The exciting things you talk about when you’re 28!!!!
- Finding small ways to get movement in. Because I have some extra time in the mornings / evenings with all of my meals ready to go (thanks for making that happen, Sun Basket Fresh & Ready meals!), I’ve been able to add in some movement both before and after work. In addition to exercise, I try to include low intensity movement in steady increments throughout the day. If I’ve been sitting for prolonged periods of time, I make sure to get up and refill my water bottle or walk to the bathroom. A standing desk at work helps, but I’m currently doing office visits with very minimal walking back and forth to patient rooms. I’m lucky enough that I can walk to work right now, but going for walks on lunch breaks is another great option. Parking farther from the office, printing from printers that are far away from you, going to a restroom that’s furthest away, using the stairs, taking 5 minutes on your lunch break to do a few sun salutations, take laps around the building, filling your water bottle only part way so you have to get up to refill it more often are all other options.
- Schedule in mindfulness time. The FIRST life habit I drop when I’m feeling stressed is my morning meditation. So I go easy on myself and don’t force it. Instead, I find little ways to embed mindfulness into my everyday life. Things like: going on a walk without my phone, eating my Sun Basket Fresh & Ready meal slowly and savoring each bite, chewing more during meals, taking out a coloring book to unwind after work, purposefully cleaning a little corner of my apartment, reading a chapter of a fiction novel, doing a few deep and diaphragmatic breathing exercises – anything that gets you re-focused on the current moment with undivided attention.
Check out Sun Basket’s Fresh & Ready meals here and use the code TWIST35 for $35 off your first box + free shipping!
This is what’s been working for me! What about you – thoughts, feelings, suggestions?
Thank you Sun Basket for sponsoring this post. I adore you in every way and it’s an honor to write odes of praise about you on my little slice of the internet pie.