4 Tips to Help You Overcome the “No Time” Barrier to Eating Well, Exercising, and Feeling Good
Recently, I confided in a friend about how much more challenging it is to find time for exercise and homecooked meals now that my daily work schedule is so jam-packed.
No big shocker, I know.
Also, I know I’m not alone in struggling to find the time to cook, exercise, sleep, meditate, journal or do any number of other healthful activities as often as I’d like. I help my clients troubleshoot these same challenges day in and day out. Let's face it, the real world is busy with lots of competing priorities!
4 Tips to Help You Bust Through the “No Time for Self-Care” Trap
Tip #1: Find shortcuts for making healthy meals.
You don’t have to spend hours a week cooking in order to rely on takeout meals less often. I spend a lot of time helping my clients find practical strategies for consistently embracing gentle nutrition … and meal shortcuts are often a big part of the solution.
A few meal shortcut suggestions include:
Buy prewashed, precut fruits and veggies.
Keep things like snap peas, cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers, baby carrots and other veggies that don’t really require “prep” on hand to throw into your meals and snacks.
Stock up on a few ready-to-eat proteins each week (they go great with the easy-peasy veggies above), such as rotisserie chicken, salmon from the prepared foods counter, frozen falafel, canned beans, deli meats, tuna or chicken salad, or hard-boiled eggs.
Make a salad that stretches—broccoli slaw, grain salad, bean salad, kale salad, tomato and cucumber salad, pasta salad (the options are endless)—so you can throw it together with a simple protein for a quick meal.
Pre-cooked, frozen grains are a time-crunch lifesaver.
Remember that simple meals can be just as nutritious and delicious—loaded toasts, sandwiches, quesadillas, and English muffin pizzas can all be paired or loaded up with colorful fruits and veggies or simple proteins for a quick, balanced meal.
Tip #2: Remember that ALL movement matters.
I can't tell you how many times people have told me they believe a workout only “counts” if it involves a certain (usually lengthier) time commitment or a specific calorie burn. Longer, more intense workouts are great. But, the problem with this "it doesn't count" line of thinking is that our minds tend to let perfection become the enemy of the good, convincing us we should just skip the whole dang thing if we don't have time or energy to do it perfectly.
Any movement is better than no movement and all movement “counts.” So, even if you only have 10 or 15 minutes, that’s plenty of time to go for a quick walk, do some yoga stretches, do a quick weight-lifting circuit, jump rope, throw a dance party, garden, or do any number of other enjoyable physical activities.
Pick one movement and make it happen. Who knows … maybe you’ll find another 10 or 15 minutes for additional movement later in your day. Or maybe you won’t. But either way, remember that any minutes of movement are better than no minutes of movement. Also, one feel-good choice tends to fuel and launch another. So, the more momentum you can create with your self-care choices the better you’re likely to feel!
Tip #3: Combine healthful habits with joyful activities.
As often as you can, combine your healthful habits with something that brings you joy (and maybe even helps keep you accountable). For example, wanna go for a walk? Schedule a walking date with a friend or pick a good audiobook you’ve been wanting to listen to.
Invite a friend over to make a quiche with you for the week or plan a kitchen date with your spouse so you can have a glass of wine or kombucha together while you cook that night’s dinner. Join your kids after dinner for a fun game of tag or family bike ride—you’ll be having fun family time while sneaking in some movement for yourself.
Tip #4: Lead by example.
I’ve noticed that women especially often feel selfish if they carve time out of their busy schedules to care for themselves. But remember two critical things. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself will enable you to show up so much more effectively for everything and everyone else that you care about.
Also, if you have children or grandchildren, they’re watching and learning from your actions. Show them that they—and you—are important enough to cherish and care for.
Cheers to your self-care!
Looking for more healthy recipes that use meal shortcuts? Check out 6 Summer Salads You Can Eat All Week or 12 Protein Toppers for Salads.