Adopting healthy habits and lack of time for myself. How can I break out of a vicious cycle?

Adopting healthy habits can be complex, especially when you need more personal time. But remember, personal time is not a luxury, it is essential for our overall health and well-being.

Like many of you, I find myself in a cycle where I constantly juggle responsibilities, leaving little time for myself and the healthy habits I want to build.

One of my current focuses is finding more time for myself.

Say "NO" to New Responsibilities

I’ve learned to say “NO” to extra responsibilities at work when I feel overwhelmed. I don’t do this every time, but when I have too much on my plate, I calmly explain to my boss that I can’t take on additional tasks.

Better Work Organization

I am proud of how I organize myself at work. Of course, it is not perfect. Perfection does not exist, we can only strive for it.

I try not to leave anything for tomorrow. And if I do, I always create a to-do list, but it must be simple and not overwhelming 😊. I need to like my to-do list.

Thanks to my habit of finishing tasks promptly, I don’t often have a to-do list. Sometimes this is a double-edged sword because it feels relieving since I don’t have many pending tasks, which relaxes me mentally.

On the other hand, this “do everything immediately” principle is one of the reasons I sometimes lack time for myself.

I am still working on balancing “do it all now” versus “leave some things for tomorrow.” It’s an ongoing process, but setting realistic daily goals really helps.

ADOPTING HEALTHY HABITS

Find a Regular Physical Activity and Enjoy It

The activity should be something you genuinely enjoy. I love swimming and walking, I always enjoy those. If you go to the gym, for example, just because a friend recommended it but you don’t like it, it will be difficult to maintain it as a regular habit.

Eat Healthy

Whichever diet you choose, ideally after consulting a nutritionist who can best determine your body’s needs, try not to skip meals. That is my challenge. I often skip meals and then become too hungry, so I overeat at dinner.

My second weakness is sweetened industrial juices, although I try to avoid carbonated drinks. I also try to make healthier food choices overall. My husband enjoys preparing healthy meals.

I’m not a perfect example of healthy eating, but who is? I’m just a regular person trying to make better choices. I usually choose healthy food over fast, sweet, fried, or processed options. It is not always easy, but it is a conscious choice for my health and well-being.

So this is another area where I need more discipline, avoiding skipped meals and reducing sugary drinks.

One solution I found is making a pitcher of lemonade and sweetening it lightly with honey.

I also realized that when I’m not hungry but want to skip a meal, I can eat a handful of almonds instead.

Get Enough Sleep

This is a tricky topic. Without enough sleep, I can’t function properly. My therapist mentioned that I may have a form of insomnia because I wake up very early, around 4 a.m., or if I’m lucky, around 5 😉

I’m not even sure I want to change this habit.

Waking up early gives me time to work on my blog.

I am a morning person, full of energy, enthusiasm, and motivation in the morning, ready to take on the world. However, as the day goes on, my productivity decreases. I usually go to bed between 9 and 10 p.m., so I get around seven hours of sleep.

Sometimes, depending on the day, I need an afternoon nap when my routine is demanding.

But after a nap, I often feel even more tired.

Do you have a similar experience?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, do naps energize you or make you groggy?

Don’t Read Terrifying News. Take a Book Instead

My favorite piece of advice is to avoid consuming frightening news. There is so much alarming content out there that it often leaves me feeling anxious and even hypochondriacal, especially when it comes to health topics.

To change this habit, I became a member of my local library instead 😊