Are you feeling a little burnt out? You want to eat smoothie bowls and do yoga like the health gurus on Instagram—but you just don’t have the time. Your full-time job may be, well, a full-time job…but prioritizing your health doesn’t have to be!
If you’re looking for some simple ways to prioritize your health without sacrificing your other obligations, you’ve come to the right place.
Opt for Healthier Lunch Options
Packing a lunch every day can be difficult when you have a busy schedule. Whether you’re waking up too early or getting home too late, there just isn’t always time to prep a meal.
Getting takeout or fast food can’t always be avoided, but when you do decide to opt for a quick bite out, there are some options that are healthier than others:
- Try swapping out a burger for a salad—if you live in a larger city, places like Sweetgreen, Just Salad, and Veggie Grill are all great options for healthy fast-casual food.
- If you’re somewhere with more limited options, try out some of the healthier options at your favorite spots. Panera Bread offers a huge salad menu, Subway has a lot of fresh veggie options for their sandwiches, and even Chipotle can be made healthier by swapping in brown rice or a vegetarian protein.
Getting fast food is understandable, but if you’re trying to prioritize health while maintaining a busy schedule, try to pick options that offer more whole grains and vegetables. Don’t let your busy schedule stop you from eating—just use your best judgement when it comes to fast food! Some days you just have to eat out, no one is judging you.
Meal Prep Dinners
Meal prepping is time saving, budget friendly, and makes eating healthy easier.
Ordering takeout every night is great for a busy schedule—but it can be hazardous for one’s health (and bank account!). It can be difficult to avoid the overconsumption of salt, oil, and calories when you never cook your own food. Meal prepping allows you to take control of what you eat and include ingredients that are beneficial to your overall health. Set aside some time once a week and prepare enough food for several days (this can be just dinner, or every meal throughout the day, it’s up to you).
Once your food is cooked, prepare as many portions as you can into compact containers. After that, the rest of your week you won’t have to worry about making time for food. You can come home after a long day, pop one of your meal preps in the microwave, and BAM—you have a healthy, home-cooked meal ready in seconds.
If you’re new to meal planning: Try using a meal plan system—they offer recipes, grocery lists, and tips on how to cook food that stores well.
Use CBD For Stress Relief
A busy lifestyle is a great primer for stress. While some stress is normal and healthy—an overload of stress can be a damaging force to your physical and mental health. It can cause:
- A spike in blood pressure
- A weakened immune system
- An increased risk of heart disease and depression
CBD oil is a natural remedy for stress that’s easy to implement in your daily life. A CBD tincture is a small “dropper” that can fit in your pocket, and can be used to add CBD oil directly to your skin or mouth, or even in your morning coffee.
If you’re looking for a simple way to relieve stress throughout your busy day, opt for a few drops of CBD oil in the morning. It’s the perfect solution.
Take Quick Meditation Breaks
Meditation is perfect for a busy lifestyle because it can be done virtually anywhere. After all, that’s part of the point of mediation—being able to escape no matter what external stimuli are at play.
Whether you’re sitting at your desk or making your daily commute, a quick meditation to check in on your mental state can work wonders for your health. Even five minute meditations can calm the mind, energize the body, and even help strengthen your memory (a busy lifestyle can breed forgetfulness).
If you’re new to meditation: Try doing a quick guided meditation on Headspace or YouTube. Being alone with your thoughts is a learning curve, sometimes it’s better served with a Sherpa.
Herbal Tea
If you want to ingest something healthy, but you’re not feeling particularly hungry, try sipping on an herbal tea at your desk or right before bed. This is a quick and easy trick that you can implement into even the busiest schedules. Herbal teas relax the body, supply antioxidants, and promote better sleep.
If you already bring a coffee mug to work, try filling it with tea around lunch time!
It’s All a Balancing Act
Of course, prioritizing your health is going to be more difficult when you have a to-do list as long as the ingredient list on a bag of Cheetos—but that doesn’t mean you have to eat Cheetos for lunch every day!
Setting aside a few minutes during your busy schedule to implement simple, healthy habits can work wonders for your physical and mental health. If you’re not taking care of your mind and body, your work will suffer, so don’t forget to take care of yourself!