Hello friends!
This is my first lesson in being
healthy. And yes, it is a week late. We had some very serious and
important family issues to take care of. Now that things have
returned to normal, I'm back on my blog train.
The first thing I can
say the most basic and important of all lessons in being healthy is, create a routine. If you are anything like me, and I'm pretty
confident that it is much more common than not, you forget
things. If you have two toddlers, you've barely gotten any sleep, and
you are running on 5 cups of coffee, it might slip your mind to
brush you teeth. Or hair. Or get dressed. Actually that last one is
probably on purpose. At night when you should be cleaning your makeup
off and getting prepped for bed, you've probably just plopped on the
pillow with your glasses still on. And maybe it's not always about
forgetting, but it's about being lazy. That's okay too. I've had a
lot of those days when you take up a permanent residence on your
couch and binge watch Netflix. I like those days just as much as the next person, but one thing I noticed once I created
a routine that got me up and moving, I not only looked better but I
felt better too. The house started moving like a well oiled machine
instead of just chaos (well for the most part) and we all seemed to
have a little more energy and pep. I definitely felt prettier with makeup and real clothes on. My skin was clearer and my teeth whiter. I felt
confident and ready to work out that flab. I felt like a badass, just
because I combed my hair. I don't know statistics and I have no studies, but for me I was much more likely to get everything done on my list and then some when I woke up early and got myself together. I was also less likely to lay down and take a nap in exhaustion when the babies took theirs. I. Felt. Good.
But it's not just about me. I don't
know about you, but I am the world's worst mom at remembering to get
my kiddos teeth brushed. They aren't at the age yet where I can just
tell them to go in the bathroom and do it, so I have to help them
with their own routine. And when I was drowning in my stress and
depression it was all I could do to get breakfast ready before I sank
into the couch and let them wreak havoc. We barely went outside or
anywhere fun to play (granted the place I live is literally in the
desert. I wish I were kidding. You have to drive an hour to get to a
Target let alone a cool place to play and explore), never made any
friends, and just sat around. When I decided to get up and actually
live, I realized that not only did I neglect myself, but I was
neglecting the babies as well. Now that we are in the groove, my
daughter loves brushing her teeth so much so that she has dubbed
herself Brushing Teeth Girl (watch out for the comic and tv show). We
go out to the playground. We go out for walks in the stroller almost
every night which helps everyone. I get in shape, my husband gets
some running in for his job, we all spend time together, and we are
getting some much needed Vitamin D.
So here it is. Some tips for starting
that daunting routine. Bedtimes, alarms, workouts, and scheduling
meals might sound so cringe worthy, but I promise you that once
you've started it just makes sense. And then you start getting used
to it. And then you turn around and realize you don't even have to
think about it anymore. And the good thing is, you don't have to do
it the same way as me, or as anyone else. It's up to you. You can be
super strict to the minute, or just have a checklist of things you
know you have to do at some point. Your mornings don't have to be
like my mornings just as long as you are doing the things that keep
you feeling your best.
Write a list.
If you feel like you can't remember
what you need to do before bedtime, write it down. Put a post it to
your mirror to help remind you
Make a chart.
This helps me with the kids. And now my
oldest can check things off as she starts to do them herself. This is
great for children that are getting into school too. Mornings can be rushed trying to make it to the bus on time. Give them an incentive to take care of themselves.
Give yourself time.
You may think you can get everything
squeezed into that one hour before your children wake up. And there
are some days that probably works. But every day is not the same and
you might be dragging a little. That's okay. Don't freak out if you
haven't finished your to do list before someone is up asking for
cereal. When you start stressing about what you haven't done yet, you
board the Overwhelmed Train and that ride is straight downhill. Take a
minute to breathe and relax, and you can get back to it later.
Don't pile it all on one day.
Don't stress yourself out by putting 14
errands and all your housework on Saturday. Do a little each day.
Maybe Monday is your vacuuming day. Wednesday you clean up the
bathrooms. Even if you are a working momma or stay at home, you can
accomplish one small item each day rather than pile it all up on your
weekend off. That way you can go out and enjoy your Saturday instead
of being stuck with rubber gloves on.
Make a meal plan
Having trouble keeping up with dinner at night? Whether you hate to cook, forget to prepped or laid out, or are just swamped at the end of the day, knowing exactly what you are making at dinner time might make it easier to keep up with and less likely to dial pizza. Before your week starts, come up with a meal plan and create a shopping list. You'll know that you have everything in the pantry ready to cook when you get home. This will also help you stay true to a cleaner, greener diet. Give yourself room for a cheat day if you need to, we all know that schedules get busy and hectic. If you are having a particularly tiring day, or especially if you have picky kids, give a substitution meal or two. If chicken parmesan is just too much, swap for some hot dogs. Just make sure you add in veggies
Make it fun!
When you wake up and dread everything
you have to do for the day, it's never going to get done. You are
going to stall, grumble, and procrastinate until you realize you are
knuckle deep in a tub of ice cream and you haven't even bothered to
wipe away the leftover eyeliner circles under your eyes. Wake up with
an attitude of “I can do this!” Play some music while you
work or make it into a game. You'll soon realize your to do list is complete, you look
amazing, and it's only 9!
Get help
This might not work for your own
hygiene, beauty, or health routine. But it will definitely help with
cleaning, housework, or even fitness. Ask your significant other to
give the kids a bath tonight while you wash the dishes. Don't assume
YOU have to do every thing on your list. Split up the chores. My
husband once told me that he would happily help me out if only I
would ask. And I used to rebuttal all the time “well I shouldn't
have to ask, you should just get in there and help” but the truth
of the matter is, I had a list piled a mile high in my head and how
was he supposed to know I wanted the floor mopped and pantry
reorganized? Even if you think it's so incredibly annoying to have to
ask your hubby to help you out, think about this. How much time and effort did it really take to ask someone for help if it gave you one less thing to do yourself? If you are sitting on the couch with a glass of wine watching a movie
together in a sparkly clean house instead of still elbows deep in
nasty dish water, what does it matter if you had to ask? Same goes for fitness. If you need help to get you moving, ask for it! Get a motivator. Go for a run with a friend, take a zumba class, or do something out of your comfort zone. Mix it up so that it doesn't get mundane.
If you need more help on getting your
routine organized, check out my Organization Board. It will help you
stay on track of your daily/weekly/monthly checklist, a weekly meal
plan, and even a grocery list.
