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Often when life gets busy, the first things we sacrifice are diet, sleep and exercise. All important things for your body, mind and sanity, but we all need the reminder that healthy living is JUST as important as work and school. Not to mention, exercise and healthy eating is a great form of stress relief. Here are my tips for How to Make Time for Health When You're Busy!
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Schedule Exercise
Every week, I look at my calendar & plan my exercise. I schedule it like a doctor appointment on a specific day, at a specific time. Also, be detailed about they type of exercise you want to do. The more precise, the better. For example, don't write down "workout," try something like "30 minute power walk," "1 hour spin class," "30 minutes weights, 30 minutes elliptical." You get the idea. Make your workout appointment non-negotiable. If you make it negotiable, you will use it as an excuse for you not to do it. Eventually skipping one day will turn into everyday.
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Workout in the Morning
I used be an afternoon exerciser, but was forced to workout in the morning when I switched jobs a few years ago. I actually like that I've become a morning fitter because when I'm busy my motivation to workout decreases as the day goes on. Now I love getting my sweat on first thing in the morning. I not only feel great after it's done, but also have better focus to prioritize my day and I'm more capable of dealing with the stress.
Believe me. I'm not one of those people who when the alarm goes off at 4:30 am thinks "yes! workout time!" Um, no. I'm thinking "do I REALLY have to do this again?" It's like ground hog day every day. What I do that helps me is visualize how great I will feel after my workout and how cruddy I feel when I skip it.
Combine Work & Working Out
If you feel guilty making fitness a priority over work or school, then combine the two. Bring your smart phone to the gym so you can read and answer emails. Bring books and study material with you to the gym that you can read while peddling away on the elliptical or bike. I'm the queen of multi-tasking. I use my time in between weight lifting sets to read emails and draft responses. It also helps me slow down my workout and not rush through it.
Meal Plan
At the end of every week, I plan my meals for the following week. It not only helps me buy the right stuff at the store, but also keeps me on track with my diet & nutrition goals. On the weekend (usually Sundays), I make all my meals and snacks for the week. I also wash, chop & cut all my produce so I have it on hand for whenever I want it.
A few of my healthy meals and snacks.
Scallop & Edamame Quinoa Salad
Easy Eggs Muffins
GF Almond Muffins
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Take a Time Out
Why is it that when life gets busy we never sacrifice work or school? The answer I'm sure is money, but ask yourself this. How much money will it take to pay for the damage done to your body by sacrificing your health right now? Sometimes we need a day to ourselves to reset, refocus and rehab. I call these life timeouts. Take a day off work or school to get caught up. Take the time to get you and your health back on track.
Ask for Help
Never be too proud to ask for help. We ask for help when there's a birth, death or illness. Why don't we ask for help when we're too busy? If it's a big project at work, ask a co-worker for support or discuss options with your boss. If it's life, ask a friend for their advice. Sometimes just having someone to vent to can help you get control. For me, I tend to stress before the busy hits. Talking to a friend always helps me get perspective on how I can and will manage it.
Lora @ Crazy Running Girl says
Meal planning makes the biggest difference! I find that when I have a bad or stressful day, it's too much to think about what to make for dinner so I usually opt for ordering in. If I have a menu, it takes all the guesswork out and is actually relaxing to make the meal.
Megan says
Yes! I would eat horribly if I didn't have meals ready to eat. Long hours at the office & long commutes don't give me any free time. Whatever happened to leaving work at a decent time so you could cook a meal at night?
Emily @ More Than Just Dessert says
These are all fantastic...I've found that I've been able to stick with working out when I workout in the morning and when I mix in some elliptical cross-training with reading to prep for class. Thanks for linking up with us this week!
Megan says
Thanks for hosting & stopping by!
Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut says
Oh man you are so organized! I feel like I fly by the seat of my pants when it comes to meal planning and workouts. I can kind of blame the lack of planning on my roomie (the BF), but really I should take more ownership. I am getting back into planning my workouts though because I just signed up for a 10 mile race--eek!
Thanks for linking up to Did You Know! I'm off to pin and tweet this! 🙂
Megan says
I have a crazy schedule so if I wasn't organized I would never be able to get it all done!
The Frugal Exerciser says
I'm pinning your chicken stir fry and easy egg muffin recipes. I tell my clients all the time about meal planning if they want to be successful in their weight loss journey. I found your blog from the Did You Know linkup.
Megan says
So glad you found me & some recipes too!
Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says
I plan my workouts ahead for the week and schedule times so I am prepared. I do not do as much meal prep as I used to, but I try to keep healthy staples on hand for quick meals.
Megan says
Even when I do prep, I often get busy & forget to eat. Sometimes I have to set reminders on my phone.
Emily @SinfulNutrition says
Meal planning is a bigger for me. I actually love Sunday mornings, when the new ads come out and I get to think up what I'm going to make with what's on sale that week. Nutrition food nerd, what?!
Megan says
Not nerdy. It's smart! I do it too.
RICHARD HICKS says
Good post! I find myself all the time trying to find time to exercise.
Amanda @ .running with spoons. says
Great tips, lady! The first thing to go when things get busy for me is proper meals... I'm good with not sacrificing sleep or activity because I find they contribute the most to my ability to stay sane, but when I'm short on time or have too many things to do, I end up eating cereal for dinner a lot more often than I'd like. I really need to get back into a habit of prepping meals in advance so that I'm not left grabbing whatever at the last minute.
Megan says
I have a hard to eating too when I'm stressed & I DO meal prep. The time just slips away from me.
Elsie @ Sharing Healthiness says
It is so true that when stress arrives, our health comes last. I also tend to be a planner and I have my meals and workouts planned and scheduled. So what I really sacrifice is my sleep. That is one thing I would like to do better!
I really appreciate those timeout days. It is amazing when you focus on yout health how fast you recharge and refuel!
Megan says
Sleep is always the first thing I give up too.
Tina@GottaRunNow says
Great tips! I like to plan my workout weeks with specific workouts, too. That helps me to get the right amount and types of workouts done each week.
Christine@ Apple of My Eye says
Love this post! I am SUPER impressed that you plan out your workout a week ahead. I usually just head to the gym and do whatever works, but I would love to be more organized about it!
Sam @ Pancake Warriors says
Oh Megan this is great! When I'm really busy, I just find ways to work out smarter. I love morning workouts; you feel great all day! But I normally can't get out if bed. So I do high intensity cardio on those days. Done in 15 minutes!! I often go to the at lunch and feel great about squeezing in my workout after I get back! And meal prep/planning is the key to eating healthy when you "don't have time". Thanks for the recipes the scallop dish looks amazing!!
Megan says
Thanks! I need tips on working out smarter. HITT isn't something I've conquered yet, but need to.