4 Seriously Simple Ways Busy Women Can Take Charge of Their Health
Today’s post is by guest blogger, Brianna Lamberson, a Certified Holistic Health Coach and author.
Most women I know, including myself, aren’t just busy, we’re slammed. When we get overwhelmed, our health tends to get put on the back burner. Wouldn’t it be amazing to take charge of your health without having to sacrifice time or a lot of effort?
We’re hardwired for multi-tasking.
By nature, women are detail-oriented multi-taskers. We process emotions more and feel more pain than men. And we use both sides of our brains, while men tend to only use the left. The reason we feel like we have a lot going on is because we do!
When we have a lot going on, the first thing to be sacrificed is our self-care. Our health becomes a non-priority, something we can put off till another time. But health can’t wait. You can’t wait. You deserve to be as healthy as you can, less overwhelmed, and more balanced.
Sure, there are tons of things we can do to be healthier, like swapping conventional food for organic food, reducing sugar intake, and going all natural in the home. However, the foundation of good health, I believe starts, with the basics.
1. Healthy Mindset
First it starts with mindset. Everything starts with mindset. We have to allow ourselves the permission to be healthy.
If you struggle with overwhelm and finding time for healthy living, then I want you to start today with a fresh new attitude. Imagine your mindset as new pair of house slippers. You have an old, worn-out, comfortable yet stinky pair you keep meaning to replace. Getting a new mindset is like getting a new pair of house slippers. You don’t have to do anything major other than deciding to slip the fresh, new ones on.
Right now I want you to decide on your new mindset. I deserve to be healthy. Being healthy isn’t hard. I’m healthy and I make healthy choices. I’m moving in the right direction.
Don’t discount the power of saying those words out loud. I know you’re tempted to skip it or maybe you’re even be a little skeptical, but I dare you to try it.
Action Step: This week go back to this statement again and again as if it were your mantra. I promise if you do, you will make healthier choices.
2. Water
Water helps us lose weight, have high energy, sleep better, poop better, and have clearer thinking. A lot of health problems really begin with dehydration.
One of the girls in my group coaching program was having trouble with the way tap water made her stomach feel. This was the main reason why she avoided drinking water. Once we talked about the pH level of purified water versus that of tap water, she decided to try it.
Immediately, she tasted the difference and felt no heartburn whatsoever. She’s now committed to getting more water into her life.
Action Step: Keep track of the amount of water you consume by using a 1 liter water bottle. Your goals is to consume at least 2 – 4 liters of pure, filtered water a day.
3. Do You Have 12 Minutes?
If you hate working out or love it but can’t find time, then I have huge news for you. You only have to work out for a minimum of 8 – 12 minutes a day.
Yep. You read that right.
The focus needs to be on old fashioned high-intensity training that you probably did in P.E., like jumping jacks, sit ups, squats, and push ups. The truth is long, brutal workouts are hard on the body and the adrenals. Sometimes working out can actually make you gain weight.
You can get as many cardiovascular benefits from 12 minutes of vigorous activity like jogging, chasing your toddler, or raking the leaves in the yard as you would from an hour of running on a treadmill.
Action Step: Set a new goal for yourself. Decide how many days a week you’d like to do this. Mark them in your calendar and when the day comes, set a timer for 12 minutes and get moving. You don’t even have to leave your house or change your clothes. The point is to move your booty.
4. Sleepy Girl
Blessed sleep. How I love thee.
Seriously friend, you have to prioritize sleep if you’re not already. Did you know the time you go to bed matters more than the number of hours you sleep?
When you go to bed at 9:00 and get 8 hours of sleep and wake up at 5:00, you actually feel more rested than if you went to bed at 12:00 and woke up at 8:00.
I really recommend getting to bed before 11:30pm if at all possible. I know this can be a challenge, but the benefits far outweigh the hassle of making it a new normal. Proper sleep manages our weight naturally, balances our hormones, increases energy, and promotes a healthy mind.
Action Step: Instead of thinking about the number of hours, start to focus on the time that you go to bed. If you need help getting to sleep, try melatonin or a magnesium oxide supplement. Set a timer on your phone for bedtime.
L
et’s not stop here!
If you want to learn more about how to optimize your health and life with simple changes, you’re invited to subscribe to my blog where you’ll get access to a free 7-day video course all about how to live a cleaner, better life from the inside out.
Brianna Lamberson is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and author of Simple Is The Cure. She helps stressed out creatives simplify life and health so they can achieve their dreams and change the world. She and her firefighter husband, along with their dog Beau, live in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can find her at http://briannalamberson.com/.