It is important to plan your week when it comes our health goals and it can be the key to your success. By simply hoping one day we will have the time to get healthier will not happen. Life just seems to get busier and busier as we gain more and more responsibilities. Quite often the only way to have the time to exercise, plan meals, stop and eat well and sleep well is to plan it into our schedules and vehemently protect our plan. There will be many factors that will attempt to threaten all our hard planning work but this is where the word ‘No’ comes in handy. We have to learn to be a little selfish in this regard and realise that, ‘I am the only person who can look after me and if I do not look after myself then I will not be able to look after anyone else.’
For the coming week, grab your diary or a piece of paper and write out your week, ensure to include the following items in your plan. Try to leave margins in your schedule to give you plenty of time to get to appointments and to allow for activities that end up taking more time than expected.
Rest & Sleep– prioritising enough time to wind down and sleep is important for our overall mental and physical well-being. Rest and relaxation is just as important and needs to be factored into our schedules, even if it is just half an hour per day or on the weekends.
Exercise– incorporating some aerobic (‘huffy puffy’), resistance (weight-bearing), and stretching type exercise throughout the week provides a great balance and helps to ensure that our bodies do not become susceptible to injury. Remember that the idea is to slowly build up how much you do and that some exercise is better than none.
Time for Meals– so many of us eat standing up or at our desk. Rather, make the time to stop all other activities and just concentrate on your meal. This helps with digestion and gives your mind a much needed mental pause.
Meal Planning & Shopping– meal planning takes around 30 minutes once a week. Once the meal plan is done, shopping becomes easier. Buying produce several times per week helps to ensure you are eating good-quality and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Goal Planning – once per week review how you felt your week went. Did you achieve your health goals, is there anything that you would like to do differently etc.? Planning your health (and work/life) goals for the week ahead helps you to move forward and stay on track.
The next step is to place this planner on your fridge or in a visual place so that you stick to your weekly plan.
#healthyhabits #healthyliver
Dr Cris
Holistic Medical Doctor, Author ‘Healthy Habits, 52 Ways to Better Health‘ and Healthy Liver
