Tag: habits

#1 Tip for Finding Time to Exercise

I know it’s a struggle to find time to exercise. It doesn’t seem to matter if you are a new mom or a college student—the day feels like a never-ending cycle of tasks that must get done, and working out doesn’t always cycle to the top of the task list.

I have a tip for you that will change the way that you approach exercise. You WILL find time to workout. You might even laugh at the simplicity of this piece of advice, but hear me out. I’ve managed to exercise during periods of my life when I was working 90-hour weeks in an office, and I’ve also managed to exercise when I was a sleep-deprived new mom.

Here’s my tip for you:

Find time to exercise by prioritizing your workout above all of your non-negotiable, must-do tasks.

What do I mean by this?

Well, we all have a list of items on our to-do lists that MUST get done. Paying bills is a good example. It doesn’t seem to matter how short on time you think you are, you somehow find time to pay the electric bill and the mortgage every month. You also find time to bathe. You find time to buy food and toilet paper. These are examples of non-negotiable tasks.

If you are a new mom at home and use your baby’s precious naptime to pay bills, your workout will never happen. Before you know it, the baby will be awake. BUT, if you exercise during naptime, not only will you somehow manage to exercise, but you’ll also find that your bills manage to get paid before their due dates, too. It’s a mini miracle. You will find new time that you never realized that you had by squeezing in your workout before doing the must-do tasks.

This phenomenon reminds me of the tedious process that I used to experience when writing a paper for school. If I allowed myself a month to work on it, I would use the whole month. If I only allowed myself a week to work on it, I would get it done in a week. There was no option to not get it done, and I seemed to work with whatever amount of time I had, even if it was a minimal block of time. Fitting exercise into my life along with other obligations works the same way. Even if I think I’m too busy to exercise, if I just go ahead and do it, all of the other necessary tasks in my life still manage to get done.

Besides the obvious human needs that we all have, non-negotiable tasks will vary from person to person. You need to determine what your must-do list is, and whatever it is, place exercise ahead of the items on that list.

The reason why you are not squeezing in a workout as it stands right now is because you do not consider exercise to be a non-negotiable activity. Make it one. In the beginning, your workout may only be 15 minutes long because your life is so busy. Who cares? Build the habit today. If you build the habit now, you will automatically increase the length of your workout when your schedule allows for it. Right now, 15 minutes may be as good as it gets, and that’s just fine. Commit to a program, even if it’s brief, and fit it into your life like a non-negotiable meeting.

July 17, 2015
Understanding Your Eating Style

Most mornings, I wake up and make a smoothie for my kids. It sounds like a simple and quick breakfast, but in my house, nothing is that simple. My kids don’t consider a smoothie to be a meal. Once I hand them their smoothies, they ask me what else I’m making.

The smoothie, in their minds, is just a drink—an accompaniment to their meal, and not a meal on its own. So, each morning, I make smoothies along with scrambled eggs or pancakes or something else that they consider to be a real meal.

BUT, if I placed all of the smoothie ingredients onto the table and announced that breakfast was served, I bet that my kids would laugh in disbelief at the quantity of food before them. Look at the ingredients in this morning’s smoothie: nut milk, blueberries, a whole banana, a whole peach, and a quarter cup of strawberry yogurt. They would say that they couldn’t eat all of that food in one sitting. It doesn’t cross their minds that they DO eat all of that food in one sitting (in addition to the “real” meal that I’ve prepared).

This got me thinking…

How many adults go through the motions of either buying a smoothie or blending one at home each day without any appreciation for the significant quantity of food that they are consuming? Perhaps some adults realize it. My husband happens to be one of those people, which is why you’ll never see him eating plates of fruit and yogurt and milk. He’s not a big breakfast eater, and the thought of eating plates of food first thing in the morning is just too much for him. A smoothie, which hides all of the bulky volume of fruit, is a perfect solution for someone like him, who would otherwise not eat breakfast at all. He knows he’s getting all of the benefits of fruits, vegetables, nut butters, etc., without actually having to sit down and eat all of that food with utensils.

I happen to be on the other end of the spectrum. If I choose to drink a smoothie for breakfast, I am looking for snacks within an hour, even if I’m not actually hungry. I am like my children, and my brain interprets the smoothie as a drink, not a meal. I would much rather see an abundant breakfast in front of me—a breakfast that I can chew and savor, rather than gulp down. I don’t care about the convenience of having a smoothie in a cup that can travel from the home to the car. I’d much rather sit down with multiple plates and bowls of food to taste. Eating the individual ingredients of the smoothie would be a much more satisfying experience than drinking the blended version of those same ingredients.

If you are working towards healthier eating habits, it’s SO important to understand your thought processes surrounding food so that you can tailor your meals and snacks to complement your tendencies.

Eating mindfully is key.

If you are wondering whether smoothies are a good breakfast option, ask yourself these questions:

-Am I a volume eater? Do I like having lots of food in front of me?

-Do I need various textures of food to feel satisfied?

-Can I be satisfied with a liquid meal?

-Am I better off eating the unblended ingredients of a smoothie in whole form? Do I prefer liquid meals? If so, why? Does convenience and portability have anything to do with my preference for smoothies?

If you answer each of these questions and really consider how and why you think the way you do, you can begin to understand why you eat the way you do. Once you get a handle on why you eat the way you do, you will become more mindful of your food choices and begin to develop healthier eating habits.

In the past, I’ve touched upon the subject of different eating habits. Not everyone has the same approach to eating, and that’s okay. Just becoming more mindful of your own approach and your own inclinations can help you figure out how to create healthy habits that will work for you.

July 12, 2015
Why Multitasking is Overrated

Multitasking. We’ve all heard of this concept, and it is often touted as the answer to efficiency and productivity challenges. We cook dinner while scrolling through social media posts. We compose business e-mails while chatting on the phone. We catch up on our favorite television show while eating a meal. Does any of this sound familiar?

Most of us attempt to multitask on a daily basis because we are drawn to any solution that buys us a little extra time in our busy lives. But when we are multitasking, are we really working efficiently and mindfully? Are we really getting more done in a shorter period of time? Are we producing the highest quality of work and avoiding errors in the process? Are we giving the best of ourselves? I think not, and here’s why.

What “Multitasking” Really Means
The word “multitasking” is a concept that is borrowed from the computer industry. Originally, the idea of multitasking referred to the ability of a computer (single CPU core) to handle more than one task at the same time. An important point to highlight here is that the processor doesn’t actually process multiple tasks simultaneously; It toggles between tasks at a rapid rate.

The processor is able to switch between tasks quickly so that it appears as if multiple tasks are being executed at the same time, but these tasks are being performed serially, not concurrently.

In a similar way, when we think we are multitasking, we are not actually performing tasks simultaneously (unless one of the tasks is something really automatic/repetitive like walking, jogging or chewing gum). When we multitask, we are switching between tasks, just like the processor. Multiple tasks are not being given our full attention at the same time.

Why Human Multitasking Fails
You may now be wondering why we can’t multitask just like the computer by toggling between tasks. Well, the computer is able to keep track of all necessary information on one task and quickly move to another task without losing any information. This doesn’t work out so well for us as humans. We essentially lose information as we move back and forth between tasks—We often call it, “losing our train of thought.”

Each time we lose our train of thought, it takes a while to find that train again and hop back on. You know what that’s like. Try to think of a time when you were busy writing a research paper or composing an e-mail. Maybe you were grooving along at a great pace until someone interrupted you. Even if the interruption was very short, you probably lost your momentum and couldn’t pick up where you left off. You lost your train of thought. In contrast, a computer’s processor toggles between tasks without the train ever becoming lost. All information is retained in memory, and the computer can quickly cycle through tasks at a quick pace.

The Beauty of Monotasking
As humans, I believe the art of monotasking is far more effective for productivity and efficiency. It forces us to focus on one thing at a time—to give our undivided attention to a task.

It’s actually the very reason why so many of us step onto our yoga mats each day. We are looking to clear our minds and just focus on our breath. We aren’t looking to stand in Warrior 1 as we create grocery lists. We aren’t practicing inversions and calculating budgets in our minds. When we hit our mats, we are monotasking. We complete our practice, and then we move on. If you notice, you probably feel much better, too. Life seems more manageable when you are focused on the task at hand.

This week, I challenge you to cut out the daily noise of multitasking. Don’t attempt to tackle multiple activities at once. Focus on what’s right in front of you until you are done, and see if you are more efficient. Be mindful. Put down your phone when someone is talking to you. Drive your car without calling someone. Turn off the TV when you’re eating. You get the idea. Practice being more mindful; Practice the art of monotasking.

May 14, 2015
How 10 Minutes Changed My Day

Despite all of my planning, this morning wasn’t particularly smooth. My alarm clock woke me at 5:45 am. I was groggy and confused. Was it time to get up already? I’m not one to jump out of bed joyfully in the morning, but today felt unusually rough. My sleep cycle was interrupted because my husband had to leave for work in the middle of the night. (Okay, maybe it wasn’t the middle of the night, but 4 am certainly felt like the middle of the night.)

As I sat at the edge of my bed at 6 am, I realized that I had been sitting motionless, staring into space for a full 15 minutes. FIFTEEN MINUTES of staring into space!!! What just happened? I was wasting my precious “me time”! I had to get moving.

I finally willed my body into the bathroom where I washed up, and then I headed into my walk-in closet and put on my workout clothes. I had a brand new exercise outfit to wear today. (Insert sleepy happy dance.)

I pulled my shirt over my head, stepped into my leggings and socks, and then I realized that the store tags were still dangling off of my new clothes. I briefly considered removing the tags with my bare hands to spare myself the annoyance of having to find a pair of scissors, but decided that with my luck, I would probably tear a nice hole into my new clothing if I did that.

I tiptoed past my kids’ bedroom and walked into my office to look for a pair of scissors. Please Lord, don’t let me wake the kids.

The kids stayed asleep, but my scissors were gone! What?!! Last week, the kids “borrowed” my stapler, which was never to be seen again, and now my scissors have disappeared into the same abyss?! Do they not have 8 pairs of kids’ scissors lying all over the house? Ugh. I went down to the kitchen and found another pair of scissors and headed into my home gym to work out. Finally! My morning exercise could begin.

I looked at the time, and realized that I’d managed to move at such a snail’s pace that I had killed 45 minutes in my bedroom, bathroom, office and kitchen. This was going to be an abbreviated workout.

As I stepped onto my elliptical trainer, I suddenly remembered that I received a new pair of fitness headphones to try. Might as well use them! I pulled the new headphones out of the packaging and snuggled each earbud into my ear. The left earbud didn’t feel right. I saw that the cardboard box included a little bag of extra rubber earbud pieces in multiple sizes. I pulled one out of the bag and started changing the removable earbud piece. It promptly fell off, and bounced out of sight. My home gym is not big, but I couldn’t find the rubber earbud anywhere. I actually got onto my knees and looked for a few minutes. I gave up my search and used another rubber piece instead.

I put my new headphones on with the proper-sized earpieces, stepped back onto my elliptical, and started moving.

That’s when I heard it.

“Mama…we’re hungry.”

Gah! The kids were up. I had been up since 5:45 am, and I had gotten nothing accomplished.

I almost gave up right then and there. It was 6:45 am, and it was a school day. But the key word there is almost. I didn’t throw in the towel.

I looked at my kids and told them that I needed 10 minutes. They scurried off.

In total, I exercised on my elliptical trainer for 10 minutes and 44 seconds. Was it ideal? No, of course not, but life is rarely ideal. In just 10 minutes and 44 seconds, I still managed to claim a small piece of the day for myself— for my mental and physical wellness. Although I did not exercise for nearly as long as I anticipated, I maintained structure and routine. When I stepped off that machine, I felt awake, limber, and accomplished. I was energized. I didn’t feel resentful toward my children because I managed to start my day by doing something that made me feel good. It didn’t have to be an hour-long activity. Ten minutes made a difference.

If you can’t commit to long periods of time, go ahead and give yourself a few minutes to move your body. You will see that in as little as ten minutes a day, you can change your mood, your self-esteem, and your whole outlook on life.

May 1, 2015
5 Healthy Things You Should Do EVERY Day

Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be stressful or impossible. You don’t need to overhaul all of your habits at once and plunge into a lifestyle that you barely recognize. Spare yourself the anxiety and shock of a sudden shift in habits by incorporating changes into your life, one small step at a time. The trick is to feel successful. If you feel successful, you will continue down the path of wellness.

Let me introduce you to our short list of wellness tips that you can incorporate into your own life in order to make health a top priority for you and your family. We have boiled it down to five simple steps that you can take every single day to start feeling better immediately.

If you aren’t quite ready to tackle all five tips at once, add one each day until these habits feel effortless. As the old saying goes… “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” It’s just fine to lay one building block today and maybe another one tomorrow.

Once you get the hang of these basic steps and have incorporated them into your daily life, you can continue to add to this list to create a daily plan that works for you.

Make a Meal
Ideally, you’d make all of your meals at home, but I know that life is busy. Some nights, it’s easiest to just order from a local restaurant or to meet friends for dinner. Yes, you can find healthy options and do quite well at restaurants, but at the end of the day, no one will take as much care with your food as you will. At home, you can control the amount of sodium, oil and sugar that goes into each dish. And at home, you can be sure that your produce is scrubbed and the ingredients are fresh and offer a variety of nutrients. At a restaurant, you lose all of that control, so I encourage you to commit to making a meal for yourself at least once a day. For those of you who don’t like to cook or don’t know how to cook, start out with an easy meal. Breakfast is a great place to start. If you don’t have the kitchen prowess to bake an oatmeal cake or make a vegetable frittata, blend a smoothie. A fruit smoothie mixed with greens and chia seeds (or hemp seeds or flax seeds) and maybe some almond butter is a great healthy choice for you.

Go Outside
Getting some fresh air is the quickest way to change your mood and clear your mind. It’s amazing what a little sunlight and air can do—and it’s not all in your head! Your mood really is changing, as sunlight increases the production of the mood-lifting hormone, serotonin. Whether you’re walking, doing yoga, gardening, or sipping your morning coffee/tea, make an effort to set aside 30 minutes every day to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.

Unplug from Electronics
I know that this is a tough one. Right now, I’m fully immersed in the current season of Game of Thrones, and there’s just no way that I’m giving it up. I get it. I’m not asking you to give up all of your favorite shows or asking you to cancel your phone service. I’m simply asking you to limit your time with your electronics by unplugging from it all each day. Start by being more mindful of how many precious hours you spend in front of your television, your iPad and your cellphone. Can you turn it off at a set time each evening? Can you limit yourself to an hour of television every other night? Can you pare down the list of shows that you watch? Can you limit your social media interactions to a 15 or 30-minute block of time? Decide on limits that seems reasonable to you, and enforce them. I know that when I turn off my electronics, I am more productive. I read more, cook more, sleep more, write more, and feel more connected to my own life. I bet you notice the change in your own life, too.

Do Something for Yourself
Make a commitment to do something for yourself each day. Let it be an activity that you love. Let it be an activity that you do purely for pleasure and not out of obligation. I happen to love exercising, but if I’m being honest with myself, there is definitely a component of obligation to my health when my alarm clock buzzes each morning. When I curl up in my bed with a favorite book, there are no strings attached. It’s pure pleasure reading. Find your own activity that brings you joy and do it each day— even if it’s for just a 15-minute block of time. This is one simple way to bring balance into your life.

Move Your Body
Get into the habit of moving your body each day. If you are not already in this habit, start out small. You don’t need to start training for a marathon today if that’s not what floats your boat. You can start with a few minutes of push-ups and crunches on your bedroom floor. You can go for a walk. You can attend a yoga class or go for a bike ride. You can go to the gym or jump rope in the park. The possibilities are endless, and you don’t have to start with an overwhelming exercise regimen. Lay the foundation by building healthy habits. Once the habits are established, continue building upon them.

April 29, 2015
The Power of Positive Affirmations

“Start training like an athlete. Start eating like an athlete. Start sleeping like an athlete.”

One of my favorite fitness trainers gives this simple, yet very inspiring advice on an exercise DVD that I own. I can hear these words in my head, long after I’ve finished my workout.

At the heart of this message is the idea that if you play the part, you will ultimately become the part. Maybe you’re not an athlete today, but by adopting the lifestyle of an athlete, you slowly but surely become one.

Positive affirmations work in the same way. By repeating a motivational phrase and speaking positively, you can transform your habits and attitude over time.

Just as the fitness trainer encourages her viewers to start living the life of an athlete, a positive affirmations practice can help you speak your dreams into existence. You can create the reality that you desire. By repeating positive affirmations each day, you effectively drown out the internal voices that say you’re too sick, too old, too injured, too heavy, too fill-in-the-blank. Your words have incredible power, so use that power wisely.

Affirmations and Yoga
If you would like to incorporate positive affirmations into your yoga practice, I recommend stating an affirmation (out loud or in your mind) every time you do a repetitive action.

For example, you can state an affirmation every time you complete a round of sun salutations. Or you can state an affirmation every time you find yourself in downward facing dog or in mountain pose. Repetition is key. In order for the affirmation to be engrained into the subconscious mind, you must hear it often to truly internalize it.

Here are two basic guidelines to follow when creating your own affirmations: First, keep your affirmation brief so that it’s easy to say and repeat. Here are a few that come to mind: I am strong. I am healthy. I am loved. I am successful. I am enough.

Second, state your affirmation as if it is already true. Speak in the present tense rather than in the future tense. Rather than saying, “I will lose weight and get healthy,” say “I radiate health and wellness.” And rather than saying “I will find a better job and make more money,” say “I attract wealth and opportunity.”

Feel free to create your own affirmations that speak to your spirit, and let us know how you do when you incorporate these positive statements into a yoga practice. You WILL get over the discomfort of speaking positively about yourself. I know it’s uncomfortable at first, but watch your life transform as you make the mind-body connection.

April 24, 2015
Why I Gave Up Moderation

I’ve been debating whether or not I should write an article about this topic for quite a while because it’s a bit controversial, but this morning, I finally decided that it was time. None of this may resonate with you, and that’s ok. I am posting these thoughts because they might be helpful in analyzing your own wellness journey, and they might even encourage you to change your current approach.

As the title of this article suggests, I’m not one to tout the “everything-in-moderation” mantra. I’ve come to the realization in recent years that the concept of moderation just doesn’t work for me.

Let me start at the end, rather than at the beginning: What I have discovered over the past few years is that a wellness journey is very specific to each individual. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another. I have experimented and tweaked habits and tried various techniques to find the wellness path that works best for me, and my ultimate conclusion is that my personality just doesn’t allow for moderation. Rather than fighting this realization, I have embraced it. And I assure you that traveling along a healthy path is easiest when you are fully in tune with who you are as a person— your habits, tendencies, and overall personality.

Let me tell you a quick story.

The other day, I was talking to Kate (our Director of Marketing), and she told me about her former colleague who would open a small bag of pretzels each day at her desk for a mid-day snack. Rather than devouring the entire bag (that’s my style), she would eat a few, and then re-seal the bag with a clip for the next day’s snack.

I just stared at Kate in silence. Cue the crickets. Who was this woman? She must be the poster child for moderation! Incredible! How did she eat five mini pretzels and save the rest for later? She was capable of snacking moderately and moving on with her life? How?!! I’ve run across people like this, and it baffles my mind. My own husband has a very similar personality. He can take one bite of a cookie and say, “That was delicious. I’ve had enough.” My personality would never allow for such behavior.

Let me illustrate my own scenario in the same office setting: I would open a bag of pretzels, eat five, and close the bag with a clip in an attempt to practice moderation. Then, I would return to my work. Rather than concentrating on my work, I would sit and obsess about the remaining pretzels even if I wasn’t particularly hungry. After wasting a reasonable amount of time trying to show restraint, I would re-open the bag of pretzels and finish them all.

Why is it that Kate’s colleague can snack on a few pretzels, and I cannot? Do I lack discipline? No, it’s not that. I have a tremendous amount of discipline. For years, I willed my body out of bed at 5 am each day to hit the gym, even if I went to bed at midnight. I’ve pulled all-nighters to study. I’ve committed myself to strict healing diets in the past to heal from inflammatory conditions. I definitely have discipline. BUT, what I see now is that practicing moderation has nothing to do with discipline!

I am an all or nothing kind of girl. For me, it’s easier to skip the pretzels altogether or to eat them all in one sitting. It’s more of a challenge to eat a few today and then to try and eat a few each day going forward. Moderation is tortuous for me.

I don’t buy candy and cookies and junk food for my house because I can’t just eat one cookie. It’s MUCH easier for me to not have any cookies in sight. Without cookies in my pantry, I don’t even think about them! There is no struggle. When I do want a fabulous dessert, I go to a restaurant and have one. I eat it with great enjoyment, and then I continue on with my life. There are no fabulous desserts in my pantry. All or nothing works for me. Eating junk food on a daily basis in moderation doesn’t.

Today, take a few moments to analyze your own personality. Does your personality allow for moderation? If so, carry on. If you have more of an all-or-nothing personality, don’t fret. Work with your strengths by creating routines. I think I thrive so much on my morning routine because my personality craves the structure and discipline. I don’t leave it up to fate to decide whether I will have a bite of a doughnut for breakfast. My weekday breakfasts are non-negotiable. I plan them in advance, and that’s it! I don’t even have to make a choice to practice moderation because I’ve created habits that work for my everyday life. It works for me and keeps me happily moving down Wellness Lane. I am not sure if it will work for you. It all depends on your own personality. Either way, it’s food for thought. Thanks for reading.

April 17, 2015
3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

Some days, I feel like I work, move and hustle continuously, but when I finally get into bed at night and mentally review what I’ve accomplished, I have nothing to show for it. I know I’m not lazy, and I know I’ve been sitting at my desk working, so where did I lose all of my precious hours of productivity? Well, this is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I think I know the answer. My hours were lost to my iPhone.

I don’t mean that I surf the web for hours or get caught up in video games. Not even close. I probably don’t even spend more than 10-15 minutes at a time on my phone, but I’ve found that even a 30-second break to respond to a text, to mindlessly scroll through photos, or to check for new e-mails is long enough to break my concentration. Once the concentration is broken, it’s a process to re-immerse myself into my work.

Here’s a quick illustration of this point:

As an experiment, I placed my phone, face up, right next to me on the table as I began to write this post. After 40 minutes, I assessed my productivity. I wrote ONE paragraph. FORTY minutes to write four sentences! Geez…Yes, I happen to be a slow writer, but I’m not that slow.

The problem with having my iPhone next to me at all times is that it is a constant distraction—even after minimizing what I thought were the obvious distractions.

Let’s take a look at my current efforts to minimize phone distractions:

-My phone settings are configured so that all social media notifications are turned off.

-My text message notifications are on, but they are completely silent as they flash across my phone screen.

-Even my phone’s ringer is turned to silent mode and only buzzes for incoming calls.

Despite this effort, my phone still affects my productivity.

Here’s what happened during the 40 minutes that I was supposedly writing:

-I received 21 text messages and read all of them as they arrived.

-I responded to 4 of those messages.

-I checked my e-mail once.

-I checked my notification feed on Facebook once.

Each item on the above list probably took less than two to three minutes to address, but the end effect was not just a loss of two to three minutes of productivity.

The smart phone is such an amazing feat of technology, allowing me to travel and work and stay connected at all times, but it is a double-edged sword. This small device that acts as my phone, mini-computer, family photo album, public library, television, instant messaging service, etc, constantly calls for my attention and gives me the constant stream of information and stimulation that I crave. And of course, the more I give in, the more I crave additional information and stimulation. (Hence, the constant checking of the phone.)

I know I can’t be alone in this experience, and I know I can’t be the only one that is fed up with disappointing days of low productivity.

Here’s an idea: Let’s reclaim our days and be more effective with the time that we are given. This is my latest challenge to bring an increased sense of peace and mental clarity to my life. I hope you will join me! In an effort to limit distractions and maximize effectiveness and productivity, I will implement the following three changes in my life:

Reduce Frequency of E-mail Sessions to Three Times Daily
No more frequent e-mail checks through out the day. I am in the bad habit of turning to my inbox all day long—when I am bored, having writer’s block, waiting for a document to print, etc. Instead of continuing with this disruptive activity, I will set aside three specific times during the work day (no less than four hours apart) to check e-mail. While I respond to e-mail, I will focus on that task for no more than 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, I will close my mail until the next allotted time.

Disable All Notifications on Phone
I will turn off ALL notifications on my phone— including text message notifications. Going forward, I will only check text messages during my planned breaks. The only interruption that will be allowed is the ring or vibration for incoming phone calls. I will not worry about urgent texts—there’s no such thing. If there is a true emergency, someone will pick up the phone and call me.

Treat Social Media as a Hobby
Think about your hobbies. Think about what they are and when you participate. No one pulls out a sewing machine to sew for ten minutes every hour. No one stops working to play tennis for ten minutes every hour. As a hobby, there is a special block of time set aside to enjoy it fully. To work well in my life, I think that social media needs to be compartmentalized, just like a hobby. I don’t want to whittle away at my potentially productive blocks of time with a few minutes of mindless scrolling every half hour. Instead, I will set aside two periods of time each day to connect with friends and family on my personal social media accounts. No more three-minute Facebook breaks that disrupt the work flow. I’m done with that. If social media is going to be a hobby, it’s going to be treated like a hobby.

April 9, 2015
10 Ways to Prepare for a Healthy Morning

We all know how difficult it is to break a bad habit. Fortunately, breaking a good habit is just as difficult. Once a habit is engrained, it becomes part of daily life. Just think about your daily routine. You probably step out of bed and walk directly to the bathroom where you brush your teeth, even if you don’t feel like it. This habit of brushing your teeth doesn’t require much thought or stress. It’s automated. By automating a task, it becomes non-negotiable, and it gets done.

In my own life, I have automated a series of healthy tasks so that they feel like a natural part of my life. Every morning, I make my way through my morning routine without feelings of stress or dread.

If you are looking to adopt a healthy set of habits to create a new morning routine, you must find a way to automate these tasks so that they get done each day without a second thought. When I say “automate”, I don’t mean that you become a robot and mentally check out. I mean you get up and do these things without a mental debate of “should I” or “shouldn’t I”. You just do it.

A few days ago, I wrote an article discussing how much I love my morning routine. The routine doesn’t magically happen without planning and effort though. It takes a bit of preparation. I’ve found that the easiest way to get a routine to the point of automation is to prepare as much as possible in advance. Prepping doesn’t guarantee success, but it certainly increases the odds.

In order to help you, I’ve compiled a list of suggestions to help you prepare for your morning as much as possible. These are all tips that I’ve used in my own life. By taking some of these steps to start your morning routine the night before, you are much more likely to complete the routine when you get up. Feel free to incorporate as many of these suggestions as you’d like into your own life. You can do it!

1. For a portable, nutritious breakfast, pre-load your blender with fruits and vegetables before bed each night so that in the morning, you just have to add your liquid and blend a smoothie.

2. Use a multi-compartment pill case to set aside all of your vitamins and supplements for each day of the week. Allocate a little time, and sort your pills for the week. You’d be surprised how much time you can spend unscrewing childproof caps and getting your supplements ready every single morning.

3. Set out all of your exercise clothing the night before, including your socks and sneakers.

4. If you work out at home or practice yoga at home, set up all of your equipment before going to bed. Roll out your yoga mat, place your blocks at the top of the mat, make sure your strap is within reach, and a towel, too.

5. If you work out at a gym (or a studio), pack your bag and set it by the door. I remember the days of hitting the gym at 5:30 am. My brain was barely awake at that hour. If you are planning to shower at the gym and go directly to the office afterwards, I highly suggest that you wear your work clothes (NOT your exercise clothes) to the gym in the morning. Pack your exercise clothing in your gym bag. I used to think that I was saving myself lots of time by wearing my workout gear to the gym, but on many occasions, I found myself standing in the locker room after my workout without a vital piece of clothing. Once, I packed a full suit with stockings and heels, but I forgot to pack a shirt. Total disaster. At the end of the day, you’ve got to do what works best for YOU—even if it takes a bit longer.

6. Try a recipe for one of our make-ahead breakfasts! Oatmeal cake is one of my favorites. I don’t even bother re-heating it because I love eating it right out of the refrigerator.

7. Wash and chop frequently used fruits and vegetables, and store them in a container with a paper towel to absorb moisture in your fridge. Prepping any meal becomes much easier when the ingredients are ready to use.

8. Plan your drinks in advance. Do you want to start the day with a glass of water with lemon? If so, wash and slice your lemon and keep the wedges in a glass container in the fridge. Do you plan on taking your drink with you as you commute? If that’s the plan, make sure that your re-usable water bottle is clean and waiting for you on your kitchen counter.

9. If you have kids that need to get out the door for school, set the breakfast table the night before. Silverware, plates, napkins, placemats, cups, etc. Cutting out the small tasks in the morning leaves time for other things.

10. If your children need packed snacks and lunch boxes for school, do as much of the packing as possible the night before. Make sure napkins, water bottles, plastic spoons/forks and sandwich containers are washed and ready to go. Pack everything non-perishable in advance (i.e., apple sauce, crackers, drinks). In the morning, you only need to add your refrigerated items, and you will feel less rushed.

April 7, 2015
The Secret to Developing & Maintaining a Healthy Morning Routine

A couple of days ago, I posted a photo on my Instagram account along with a caption about morning routines. My morning routine is so important to me— it sets the tone for my day. If I wake up late, my routine is destroyed, and I never seem to fully recover from it. Everything just feels off for the remainder of the day. BUT, if I wake up on time and get through my morning tasks, I feel accomplished and ready to take on the world.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my morning habits. I’m not sure why I’m suddenly so intrigued by my own daily routines as well as the routines of others. Maybe I find it so interesting because we are all creatures of habit, and we do so many of the same tasks over and over.

Think about your own daily routine, and you’ll be shocked by how many of the same things you did yesterday. Given that there is so much repetition in our lives, doesn’t it make sense that the tasks that we repeat should bring us joy and health and a sense of accomplishment?

As you assess your own routine, ask yourself if you are happy with your habits. Do they reflect the actions of the person you want to be? If not, don’t worry. You can create new habits, starting with a morning routine that makes you feel proud and healthy. It’s not as difficult as you may think. I’ll teach you the secret to create a long-lasting, healthy morning routine.

Let’s start by taking a look at my own routine. Here is what I did this morning:

1. I opened my eyes at 5:45 am.

2. Brushed my teeth, washed my face, put my hair in a ponytail.

3. Put on exercise clothing.

4. Went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of room temperature water and squeezed a lemon wedge into it.

5. Turned on a 30-minute exercise DVD at 6 am.

6. Lifted weights at 6:30 am.

7. At 7 am, I poured myself another glass of water and took my pre-breakfast supplements.

8. Packed a lunchbox for my son.

9. At 7:15 am, I went upstairs, woke the kids, and helped pick out my son’s clothes.

10. Headed back down to the kitchen and made pancakes with fruit for the kids.

11. Served the kids breakfast at 7:40 am.

12. While the kids ate, I steamed my kale, heated my vegetable soup, and dissolved my miso paste in a cup of water.

13. Sat down with the kids around 7:50 am to eat my own breakfast.

14. At 8:10 am, I measured all of my daughter’s medications and used the opportunity to take the rest of my supplements.

15. At 8:20 am, I sent my son off to school and told my daughter to bring her homeschooling books down to the dining room to work. As she did that, I went to my bedroom to get changed for the day.

Assessing the list
There are 15 items on today’s list. Guess how many items were on yesterday morning’s list? That’s right. 15. Sure, the kids’ breakfast might be a bit different from day to day, and the exercise DVD may change, but for the most part, I did the exact same things! Who knew I was such a creature of habit?

I found myself wondering why I do all of these things, and how I managed to convince myself to do all of these things each morning. The answer to the “why” portion of the question is quite simple. These tasks keep me feeling healthy, motivated and accomplished. And the answer to the “how” part of the question? Preparation. I cannot stress this enough. Preparation is the secret to creating such habits.

Preparation is the answer.
I cannot wake up in the morning and make pancakes (from scratch) for my kids and then also manage to make my steamed kale and a pot of fresh miso soup, too. It’s just not happening. But with a bit of preparation the night before, it’s possible.

Last night before going to bed, I mixed all of my dry pancake ingredients in one bowl and left it on my counter. I mixed all of my wet ingredients into another bowl and put that bowl into my fridge. This morning, I mixed the two bowls of ingredients together and had pancakes on the table in less than 10 minutes.

Without preparation, brown rice-flaxseed pancakes on a weekday morning would be impossible. WITH preparation, the pancakes are guaranteed. If you prepare the batter ahead of time, you will not fail to produce the pancakes. Do you see the beauty in that statement?

Preparation guarantees action, or at least increases the probability of success. This is why I take the time to make a big pot of vegetable soup on the weekends. I want to increase the probability that I will start my day with vegetables. It’s also why I wash and chop my greens as soon as I get home from the supermarket. I always have piles of kale or collards that are ready to be thrown into the steamer or into the blender for a smoothie.

You may already have a morning routine in place that you love! If so, keep on grooving. If not, start making a list of habits that you’d like to adopt. Keep in mind, your list is your own — you may have 15 items on it like mine, or perhaps seven or eight. Embrace your list and your routine, and start generating a plan for how you will make this wish list of habits a daily reality. By planning and preparing, you will greatly increase your probability of success. Good luck!

April 1, 2015