We all know the feeling when we’re having a stressful week – you’re wound up, preoccupied, and too tired to shop for healthy ingredients or prepare healthy meals, so you tend to reach for whatever’s easy and convenient. Unfortunately these convenient options aren’t always the healthiest!
But we don’t have to turn straight to the cookie jar or the takeaway menu when things get a little hectic. Here are some handy tips to make sure you’re still eating well and getting all the vitamins and nutrients you need, even when times get stressful.
Implement routine – Structure! Structure! Structure! Regularly scheduled meals are essential in maintaining a healthy lifestyle – not only for you, but also your family. Try to regularly schedule lunches and dinners at the same time every day. Difficult as it can be, teaching your body to eat at specific times will reduce the tendency to indulge in quick (and often sugary) mid-meal snacks and nibbles. Having a specific dinner time also forces you to think of meal plans and prepare ahead of time. If possible, try to create a 5 day meal plan the week before and organize to buy ingredients beforehand. This way, when things become stressful (as they are inevitably bound to), you are not left desperately figuring out what to make (or worse, order in). A little bit of pre-planning will not only reduce the need to order unhealthy take out, but will also allow you to organize healthy meals in a way that will let you get on top of your daily fruit and vegetable intake for the day.
Exercise – Staying active is particularly important during times of stress. With work stressors and family obligations weighing down on most parents, it can be difficult even to find a free 30 minute period to fit in exercise (the difficulty is increased tenfold if you are a single parent). But the truth is, exercise may be the most beneficial tool you have at your hands to combat stress. So, it makes sense to take time out in your day – even as little as 30 minutes – to work on your physical health and mental well-being. Forms of exercise could include joining your local gym (gyms offer the benefits of structure as well as free classes) or even going down to the local park and engaging in a brisk 30 minute walk. Exercising especially tends to get placed on the back-burner when you have children, are a stay at home parent, or a single parent and time is at a premium. Don’t hesitate getting help looking after the kids so that you can find time to exercise (whether this be in the form of grandparents or child support from your partner to hire a babysitter. Also, be sure to check with your local gym as most of them offer babysitting services when you use their facilities. Or, maybe you could trade off babysitting for a friend while each of you takes a turn to workout?) You owe it to your health – both for you and your family!
Getting some quality z’s – Never underestimate the effects of a good night’s sleep! Aside from eating well and exercising, getting a good night sleep is a prerequisite for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. People who regularly get quality sleep tend to be healthier (since sleep strengthens the immune system) and are more readily able to deal with stress. Moreover, research shows that even if you eat healthily and exercise regularly, not getting the requisite 7 to 9 hours sleep per night will nevertheless place you at risk for obesity. So why sabotage all that hard work by having poor sleep habits?
By adopting these lifestyle changes, not only will you see gradual improvement in your stress levels, but you will also be pleasantly surprised by changes in your mental health well- being and your overall quality of life.
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