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When we are constantly busy, we’re less likely to take time to properly fuel our body and make self-care a priority. The result? Our mental health and wellness suffers. Poor daily habits and routines can lead to poor sleep and productivity and concentration at work may suffer. If you travel frequently and spend available free time in hotels and restaurants, you might find it hard to prioritize ‘me time’ while on the road.

While there is no magic formula or recipe to instantly improve your wellbeing, we believe that these wellness tips will help you lead a healthier, happier lifestyle even when you’re super busy.

If You Struggle With Eating Well

Plan Your Meals

Want to know how people consistently eat healthy? They plan their meals! One of the leading causes of poor diet choices is simply convenience. For those that lead a busy lifestyle, you don’t always have the time to come home and cook an elaborate dinner. As a result, nutrition can suffer as a result of time management. Instead, plan out your meals on the weekend for the upcoming week.

This makes it easier to create a grocery shopping list (and saves you money from over-buying food items!) and plan your meals for the week. There are a variety of ready in 30 minute, easy meals for your busy schedule and many more that can be made ahead of time and easily reheated. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult and your busy lifestyle does not have to spell disaster for your eating habits.

Make Time for Meal Prep

Once you’ve planned your meals for the week and hit the grocery store for pantry staples and fresh fruits and veggies, it’s time to schedule some time to meal prep. Meal prep is one of the easiest ways to achieve a more well-rounded diet for busy people. Don’t have time for breakfast in the morning? Meal prep a quick and easy breakfast, such as a protein-packed smoothie or overnight oats. These grab-and-go items require little to no preparation in the morning and can be made ahead the night before. Simply toss in the blender or reheat and you’re good to go!

Meal prepping is also a crucial step for both work lunches and healthy evening dinners. If time is an issue, prep your meals for the week in individual containers so you can add them to your lunchbox and take them to work with you. Tired after a long day at the office or a day with the kids? Prepared sauces and one-pot meals can be family-friendly options that only require you to spend a short time in the kitchen to have a savory, home-cooked meal.

There are several ways that you can meal prep, depending on your needs. If you live alone or want individual sized servings, meal prep your food in lunch or dinner-sized containers so that you can easily reach into the fridge for a quick meal. If you’re someone who gets bored easily from eating the same meals each day, consider batch cooking your meal prep. This way, you can have larger amounts of veggies, meats, and snacks prepared that you can mix and match to suit your cravings. For those that prefer the flavor of sauces and marinades or need to feed a larger family, prepare dishes in large quantities that you can freeze for future meals. The possibilities are endless!

Pack Snacks

Another common reason that you might not be feeling your best? You don’t eat (or your portions are too small) during the day and find yourself ravenous at night. When we’re hungry, we’re less inclined to make the right food choices for our bodies and swing through a fast food restaurant on the way home from work. While we are big supporters of intuitive eating (and let’s face it, sometimes a drive-thru treat is exactly what the day requires!), it’s also safe to say that an impromptu food stop might not be the best on our wallets, either.

Instead, make this simple, healthy change: pack a snack. Snacks, such as hard boiled eggs, are great sources of protein, which keep you fuller longer between meals. Processed foods, such as bars and chips, are full of carbohydrates that can cause your blood sugar levels to spike and cause the dreaded 3pm afternoon slump. Meet your body’s needs by focusing on whole foods, such as fruit, nuts, or meats, to satisfy your hunger and keep your metabolism rocking until dinner.

Drink More Water, Instead of Caffeine

Feeling a crash coming on? Instead of reaching for a cup of coffee or a chemical-filled energy drink, reach for a bottle of water. Did you know that our brains are 85% water? When we are dehydrated, we’re more likely to experience brain fog, lack of concentration, and short term memory issues. Caffeine can also be a diuretic, which can lead to additional fluid loss when drank in excess.

Another side effect of dehydration? Your hypothalamus is responsible for regulating both of these signals, which makes it difficult to differentiate if you are hungry or if you are thirsty. Instead of reaching immediately for a snack, make sure that you are getting the recommended 100 oz of water per day.

Make The Best Choices in Restaurants

If you enjoy eating at restaurants, don’t worry, we do, too! Having a relaxing dinner or happy hour does not mean that you have to neglect your nutrition. Before heading to your favorite restaurant, check out the menu online. Most restaurants have their menu available on their website and it’s an easy way to make a healthy dinner decision before you go. While we don’t believe in overly restricting ourselves, choosing your meal at home can prevent you from feeling forced to make a quick decision while seated at the table and also avoid making an impulse decision solely out of hunger. (Remember that part about snacks?) Plus, it’s a great way to ensure that the restaurant’s meal options suit any dietary restrictions you might have, such as allergies or intolerances, and that it is within your allotted dining-out budget.

Limiting excess oil and grease, as well as avoiding fried foods, can help you make a lighter meal choice. While we love a good cocktail, try to avoid excess drinking (or sip a mocktail!), as your impaired reasoning leaves you more likely to eat past your body’s natural “full” signals. When it doubt, stick to grilled options, flavored with seasonings or dry rubs, and avoid heavy sauces, creams, or sugary options.

Embrace Easy Home Cooking

Cooking your meals at home is one of the easiest ways to make sure that you know which ingredients you’re eating. Creating a healthy dinner is also a great way to include self-care into your daily habits and routines, by taking time to yourself and enjoying the process of watching a meal come together. Cooking a meal together is also a fun date night task for couples to do together. Plus, it’s another low-effort way to save money!

Cut Out Processed Foods

You might not realize it, but many of your favorite prepackaged foods are full of added preservatives, flavorings, faux sugars, and artificial ingredients. These components may make your favorite sugary cereal or chewy bar tasty, but they can wreck havoc on your body. Even though they are zero calories, artificial sweeteners still cause the same blood sugar response in the body as regular sugar. This causes an insulin reaction that can leave you feeling tired and sluggish later in the day.

Artificial ingredients, specifically gums and stabilizers, can also cause gut issues, such as gastrointestinal distress or irritable bowel symptoms to flare up. To combat this, read the ingredient labels on any packaged food that you buy. A good rule of thumb is to only purchase items with ingredients that you can pronounce to prevent buying those dreaded “franken-foods.”

Eat More Protein

As we mentioned previously, eating protein is a delicious option that the body uses for slow energy fueling, meaning you stay fuller, longer. Protein is also a macro nutrient that our bodies often do not get enough of, yet need in large daily quantities to function properly. Protein can be found in animal sources, such as meats and dairy, as well as plant-based options, such as beans or nuts.

While the daily dietary recommendation for protein can change based on your activity level and your body composition, the DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. This means that the average sedentary male needs about 56 grams of protein per day, and the average female needs 46 grams per day. However, many nutritionists would recommend higher levels of protein in your diet, especially highly active individuals.

Try A Daily Multivitamin

While we would encourage you to get in all your daily vitamins and minerals from whole foods in your diet, crucial vitamins (specifically vitamin D) are often poorly absorbed into the body or limited in our food. These daily nutrients are critical to ensure that your body is functioning optimally and recovering from exercise.

Water-soluble vitamins, such as B-vitamins, can be taken each day with little issue. However, fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, K, can remain in your body and cause toxicity if taken in too high of quantities. Always discuss with your doctor before taking any supplements to ensure that you are taking the right multivitamin for you. Frequent and routine yearly bloodwork will help you and your doctor stay up-to-date on your body’s requirements.

If You Struggle With Movement

Commit to Moving Your Body Each Day

A healthy lifestyle is not complete if you are not spending time each day moving your body. We recommend getting in at least 15 minutes of exercise each day, to not only get the blood flowing, but also for a dose of mood-boosting endorphins. Whether you prefer to get your activity in during a gym workout, or you enjoy spending time outdoors, this is an ideal time to leave your phone at home and disconnect from the stresses of work and life.

Plan Your Day

Want to take the guesswork out of your daily schedule? Set reminders for yourself! Even with a busy schedule, you can organize and prioritize your health. Want to get in a workout? If you know that you won’t be likely to hit the gym after work (or won’t want to), schedule a lunchtime sweat session or set an alarm to get in a quick 30 minute workout before your workday begins. Knowing that you are setting your alarm to get up in the morning is key to making these actions happen. If you set the reminder for yourself, and tell yourself that being healthier or feeling better is a priority in your life, you will be much less likely to skip on a workout or an activity that you enjoy.

Switch Up Your Routine

If you find yourself frequently unmotivated to workout, perhaps switching up your workouts could help you make the change. With regards to many things in our lives, when you are bored with an item or a task, you simply do not have a desire to include it in your daily life. Switching up your routine could be as simple as changing the time of day that you often workout, trying a new workout style or class, or making plans with a friend to decompress with a long walk. Any of these simple swaps could be what you need to kickstart a new habit and get excited about exercise and moving your body.

Keep a Pair of Shoes In Your Car or Bag

Being ready for an impromptu workout or relaxing activity can be as easy as keeping a pair of sneakers with you. Even if you don’t plan to make a trip to the gym, you can lace up your shoes after a long work day and go for a walk. Better yet, enjoy your lunch break outside (and soak in that vitamin D) by listening to a podcast as you stroll.

Give Yourself Grace

One of the hardest parts of focusing on daily, intentional movement is the pressure that we place upon ourselves. When it comes to feeling our best both mentally and physically, we often put too much pressure on ourselves to workout or hit the gym daily. Committing to moving your body shouldn’t come with a qualifier.

The form of exercise that is best for you is what is best for your body. That means that movement is, in itself, self-care. There is just as much value in a leisurely hike with friends as there is in a vigorous sweat-inducing strength training class. If you struggle with incorporating movement or exercise into your daily routine, start by taking it slowly. Stand up from your desk and take a few shoulder rolls and forward bends. Close the browser window on your email five minutes earlier to take a walk break around your home or apartment.

Get out of that all-or-nothing mindset.

If You Struggle with Finding Time For Self-Care

Schedule Downtime

Self-care is the final piece of the healthy living lifestyle puzzle, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the least important. While it’s possible to eat well every day and be consistent with movement and exercise, it’s not possible to have a fully rounded wellness routine without taking time for self-care. We don’t just mean spa days and bubble baths, either; self-care can come in many forms, such as scheduling quiet time or even buying yourself flowers. A healthy self-care routine starts with adding in little actions and routines that are important to you that allow you to rest, recover, and recharge both your mind and your body.

Take Yourself on a Date

While we often associate dates with a friend or a partner, taking yourself on a date can be the very best form of self-care. Because—let’s be honest—you know exactly what you would want to do. Spend a day doing all of the activities that you enjoy and treat yourself to a few of your favorite things. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could always become a tourist in your own city by checking out places that you have never been before or planning a staycation.

Make Journaling a Habit

We’ve likely all been here: it’s time for bed and you are wide awake, an endless list of tasks, projects, and tomorrow’s to-dos on a scrolling loop inside your head. This constant brain noise makes it hard to relax and slip into a restful slumber. Journaling can look different to everyone, but setting aside a small amount of time—either before bed or when you wake up in the morning—to dump this clutter from your brain can help you relax and feel more organized and ready to take on the day.

Journaling can also be part of a gratitude practice, by challenging you to write down items that you are thankful for each day. This simple action helps you to identify the good, even on days when you are super busy.

Try Meditating

Meditation is another great way to reduce the noisiness in your brain. A meditation session could be as long (or as short) as you want it to be, but regardless of length, it can teach you to find stillness and focus on your breathing. It’s also a great way to reset during a stressful time, prepare for a busy day, or simply find a mantra that best suits your life.

Get More Sleep

An often overlooked part of a healthy lifestyle, sleep plays a crucial role in your body’s daily functions. Poor sleep can cause a lack of concentration, poor memory, overeating, injury, or lack of recovery. Sleep is especially important for high activity individuals or athletes, as much of the body’s natural recovery is done while you snooze. Sleep also helps to regulate the body’s natural cortisol levels. When cortisol levels, the body’s stress hormone, are high, you may experience muscle weakness, high blood pressure, and increased hunger. The body’s immune system is also much more prone to illness when these levels are high.

If you have difficulty sleeping, start by making a nightly sleep hygiene routine. This could range from shutting down electronics several hours before you want to sleep to avoid blue light rays, taking a nightly bath, or reading a good book. Anything that can help you relax before bed will promote deeper sleep and leave you feeling more rested in the morning.

Ultimately, we are all affected by busy lifestyles, whether it be through the rise of social media and connectivity apps such as Facebook and Slack, the hustle culture mentality, or a blurred work/life balance. But, no matter how busy you are, there are always simple, actionable steps that you can take daily to prioritize yourself and make your wellness routine a success. If you feel that there is never enough time in the day, you are not alone! But, you can make the most out of your day by showing your body the care it deserves.