How to Be Consistent with Your Wellness in a Busy Work-Life Schedule

Guest Writer: Trevor McDonald   LinkedIn // Website  ​

When you're consumed with a busy work-life schedule, wellness is not a priority and often forgotten. We are too preoccupied with the hustle and bustle of life's demands. Opting for what's better is not an option. We prefer to do things that are convenient, easy, and fast. We're eating fast food, skipping exercise, and drinking numerous amounts of coffee. When you do have the spare time to work out, you're exhausted and the only thing you want to do is relax. Since you're seated comfortably on the sofa, why not zone out in front of the TV? Don't feel guilty. We've all done that. So the question remains, how is it even possible to be consistent with your wellness? It takes discipline, dedication, and perseverance with all aspects of your work-life schedule.

Time Management

One of the most critical details to pay attention to is how you manage your time. Organize your time using a calendar app and a virtual assistant. It will clear some clouds from the chaos in your life. Set a schedule to plan not only work, but also your meals, exercise, and free time. A little can go a long way with wellness. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes, enter it in your calendar. Set it on repeat to keep you on track. Be wise and realistic with your time allocation. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself not accomplishing tasks and goals. Inadvertently affecting your overall wellness to a negative state.

Prepare Healthy Meals

If you find yourself eating on the go most of the time, you’re likely eating highly processed fast food items that are loaded with fat, salt, carbohydrates, and sugar. Avoid that at all cost by preparing healthy meals. It’s possible to prepare healthy meals within the same amount of time as getting fast food. Based on The Statistics Portal study in July 2017, a fast food drive-thru service wait time is approximately 4 minutes. This study is based on the quickest fast food drive-thru services. This means that the wait time can be longer. You can prepare a healthy meal in 5-minutes! With meal preparation, it gives you full control to create healthy meals in no-time and done on a regular basis.

Exercise at Work

If you don’t have time to exercise at home, exercise at work. There are many exercises that you can do at your workplace. Stretch and do chair exercises every hour. You’ll forget to do this. This is when an hourly reminder set on your smartphone comes to your rescue. During a break, go for a brisk walk. If you work at a building with stairs, climb up and down the stairwell after lunch to burn off those calories. Don’t sit in traffic. Instead, go to an exercise class or the gym right after work. To make it more interesting, work out with a fellow associate. Having a workout partner will keep you motivated. However you see fit, do something that sparks your interest. You’ll look forward to doing your exercise regimen more often.

Get Plenty of Rest

Without getting enough sleep, you’ll be lethargic and unmotivated. On top of it, you’ll be jeopardizing your wellness and work performance. Make sure you sleep at a reasonable time and no less than 8 hours. Set a reminder during the weekdays if you have too. Save the partying on the weekends and on special occasions. Recharge yourself during the day with power naps from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Any later, it will disrupt your bedtime schedule. A 6, 30, or 60-minute nap will serve you best.

Stay Positive

Wellness doesn’t only mean being physically fit and eating right. You can be in the best shape of your life and love your veggies, but if there’s a dark cloud above your head, what good will that do? When you keep a positive outlook in life, it will help you immensely. Start with practicing mindfulness and light meditation daily. You don’t need to be chanting a mantra while seated in a cross-legged position. You can do this anytime and sit however you like anywhere quietly for a few minutes. Then close your eyes, clear your mind, and take deep breaths. Try focusing on your daily affirmations. Believe in yourself and take action each day to accomplish your goals.

Don’t be hard on yourself if you miss a few days or if you want to treat yourself. It’s okay. Consider it a break, but don’t wait too long or overdo it. Stay positive and think about the importance of your wellness. Then jump back into your daily wellness routines. After all, you’re not adopting new habits. You have a calendar. You eat and sleep daily. It’s a matter of being wiser with your time to incorporate work, life, and wellness altogether. In time, it’ll feel natural and you won’t have to struggle with your wellness again.