Stressful times can be the hardest in which to keep healthy, because you are more likely to be busy, increasingly distracted, your focus spread thinly and your tolerance at a low point.
I find that maintaining a healthy routine when I’m busy or stressed is the most difficult. It’s not necessarily that I don’t have time to maintain healthy habits – if I plan right, these are easy to fit in. It’s more that my tolerance is diminished and I am more likely to not want to put myself through any further unnecessary ‘hardship’ (when you’re stressed, everything seems like effort – cooking, exercising, meditating, you name it). Ironically, it’s exactly these things that reduce stress.
It’s all about the psychology, and there are some tricks that you can implement in order to continue with these stress-reducing and healthy activities – even in times of change or pressure. Here’s some of the techniques that I use (and they work – most of the time!):
Stop the “I don’t want to!” or “I want to!” thought in its tracks the first time around
Don’t even give yourself the choice. If you start thinking about how much you don’t want to go to the gym / cook / eat healthy snacks / do yoga / meditate, and how much you want to sit on the couch / go to sleep / drink wine / eat ice cream, stop the thought process in its tracks before it starts to become a monster. I find that if I think how much I don’t (or do) want to do a particular thing, I can halt it in the first instance but if I think it two to three times or more, I’m a goner. I’ve convinced myself past the point of no return. The trick is to change your thought process once it hits that negative spiral, and start thinking good things like how much you love feeling healthy / eating well / the sensation of yoga. Or if that doesn’t appeal (sometimes we’re past that point), just change your thoughts and don’t think about it at all. Plan your next holiday in your head, or focus on something else that’s fun. Sometimes, it’s all about diversion, and that’s okay.
Plan ahead so that the activities become routine
I am all about planning ahead. Not only does planning ensure things happen, but it keeps you focused on your goals, keeps you feeling more motivated, and you know you’re getting somewhere when you are enacting the steps it takes to get there, because you’ve planned it out. I’ve written a lot about planning previously – check out my posts on three simple ways to start a healthy week and create healthier work days for my tips on this topic.
Enforce a rule: if you don’t do it now, you’ll have to do it later
If I’m too tired to get out of bed in the morning, and I know the extra sleep will benefit me later on, I will happily sleep in. However, rather than feel guilty about it, I’ll make sure that I plan to make up for it later that day. If I’ve been working hard I will just give myself the day off, but if that one day becomes three or four, enough is enough. I will compromise by doing some type of exercise at lunch time or after work, then again the next morning. This is a particularly good rule for those who are time-poor – you are more likely to get up in the morning if the thought of trying to shuffle your schedule later in the day is too much.
Set up rituals around the behavior that you want to achieve
I was at the gym on Saturday and I realised that my mindset totally shifted as soon as I walked in the doors. I’d procrastinated quite a bit while I was at home; I even left the house then went to the shops on the way, and ended up spending another hour fluffing around. In the end, I made it to the gym because I simply didn’t give myself a say in the matter. Despite this initial reluctance, once I stepped through the doors, and started the ritual of putting my bag in the locker, grabbing my towel and headphones, flicking on some music and jumping onto the treadmill I actually enjoyed myself, and stayed there for an hour and a half, having one of the best work outs I’ve had in a while.
By creating rituals around activities, you can instantly change your mindset and kick into a gear that’s almost beyond thinking. You just do. I am trying to find some rituals around writing – I’ve not got quite there yet but I’m working on it! (If you have any comments or thoughts on this, please leave it below as I’d love to know your rituals around writing or other types of creative work!).
Give yourself a day off now and then
It doesn’t matter if you don’t stick to healthy habit patterns every day of the week. Skipping a day or two of exercise here and there is totally fine – as long as you’re working out regularly, you’ll effectively be reducing stress levels and keeping yourself fit and healthy. It’s just when those days become weeks, weeks become months and all of a sudden (it seems) you’ve not exercised in ages and you’re completely out of the habit.
Giving yourself days off is being kind to yourself; it allows you time to rest and relax. When you decide to do so, own your decision and know that it’s what you need. Never feel guilty about it; this just encourages negativity around the act, whether you do it or not. When you get into the habit of feeling guilty, you tend to feel deprived when you’re doing it because you’re having to be so disciplined, and then ashamed of yourself when you don’t stick to your plans. Keep it fun and make sure that you’re taking it easy on yourself. Healthy habits are for life, so it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Do you find it harder to maintain healthy habits in times of change, or when you’re particularly busy?
