Actionable Steps to Keep You Healthy and Sane

Anyone in the workforce these days, especially entrepreneurs who find themselves working non-stop, find it impossible to stick to healthy eating habits and keep their lifestyle balanced. This is especially true once the workload spikes, or a stressful project rears its ugly head.  The following are some tried and true tips that can be easily incorporated into your daily life and will add up to real improvements in your health.

Setting up your day for success is one of the best ways to be productive and stick to your health goals. Staying hydrated is key for proper body functions, clear skin, and detoxification. Try drinking one glass of water before you have a cup of coffee or other beverage. Eating breakfast is a must and you don’t have to eat a huge meal, but eat something to get your digestive track going. Aim for foods that will keep your blood sugar steady, like oatmeal. If you don’t typically eat breakfast, try a handful of nuts. Meditation is a game changer, and there are many apps to choose from. You can listen to thousands of guided meditations that will walk you through the process. Try 5-10 minutes in the morning or right before bed. If you stick to it for 2 weeks, you will see changes in your mood and how you deal with others.

Eating healthy consistently can be a challenge for many people. One of the best changes you can make for your health is to stop eating processed food! You are what you eat, so by eating whole foods that are free of chemicals and preservatives, you are changing your body on a cellular level. Studies have shown moods improve, anxiety can be reduced, and positive changes to a person’s health occur just by consuming more plants and fewer chemicals.

Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). CSA is a program where for a monthly fee a person buys a membership to a farm. Fresh, seasonal, and locally grown produce can be picked up at your local farmer’s market or it can be delivered to your home. This is a great way to introduce more fruits and vegetables into your diet. You can find a CSA program near you by visiting www.localharvest.org/csa.

Try going dairy free for a few weeks. Dairy can be a hidden issue for many people, so switch to almond or coconut milk in your coffee instead of cream or milk. If you feel any better after a few weeks, keep it up! Think about ways to get more nutrients into your diet by making healthy swaps. If you have a sweet tooth, instead of making boxed brownies try a black bean brownie recipe (they are just as good)! Drink water with your lunch instead of soda, or get the side salad instead of fries. The more you integrate these changes, the healthier you become.

Stress management can be like a unicorn in this day and age, but it is possible! It may not happen overnight, and there will always be stress to deal with, but finding ways to manage it makes a huge difference to your overall health and happiness. What’s the number one way to deal?  Breathe! Most of us take shallow breaths in our chest, this is a fight or flight pattern and our bodies think danger could be around the corner. When you sit up straight, and breathe deeply (so your stomach fills with air and rises and falls), you are sending a message to your brain and your body gets more oxygen and relaxes.

Essential oils can be a quick way to relax. Scent is very powerful, and it can be a simple way to relieve stress and anxiety. Lavender is great for calming and reduces anxiety. Peppermint, grapefruit, orange, or lemon are the perfect scents for energizing and lifting your spirits. Step away from your desk and get your blood flowing, even if it’s just for a few minutes. At my former office we would have a 3:00 squat challenge. Every day we would meet at a designated area and do 30-150 squats. Obviously, this will depend on your work culture, but it’s a great way to beat the afternoon slump without having coffee or sugar.

Take a look at the bigger picture and get real with yourself. Assess the areas of

relationships, career, finances, etc. What is going well? What could use more attention? Write this down and make a list of realistic steps you can take to improve the areas that need more focus. If you are constantly feeling tired and stressed out you may want to consider testing your adrenals and/or hormones. When basic bodily systems aren’t functioning properly it can cause a whole cascade of problems within the body. Many times the symptoms aren’t the problem; they are just your body’s way of letting you know that something is wrong. Testing is simple and can be done in the privacy of your own home. Once you understand the root issue, it is much easier to put together a plan to address it and making lasting changes towards improving your health. Remember to have fun! What is the point of working so hard and being stressed if you aren’t enjoying life? So schedule that massage, order dessert for once, take your dog on a hike, or do anything that brings you joy.

I hope you will incorporate as many of these changes into your life and see what a difference they can actually make! The secret is that trying to completely change everything at once will not work, you are only setting yourself up to fail. However, if you try one or two of these things each week, and add in new steps as you go, you will find that you are eating healthier, feeling better, and will be less stressed out. Isn’t that worth a try?