Pick Yourself Up and Move Forward

I've been hearing a lot of booing and hooing this week about staying focused and on track.  It happens to everyone at some time or other.  Living a busy life gets in the way of planning meals, cooking and packing meals, getting fitness in, managing stress, sleeping well and enjoying fulfilling experiences and hobbies.  That's a tall order.  I didn't even mention work.  Here are some basic ideas to keep you focused and in the moment:

Step 1:  Be realistic.  What can you do?  What is possible given the kind of schedule you have with the demands on your time?  Then, what will you do?

Step 2:  Set small goals.  Make them doable so that your health and wellness aspirations don't add to your stress.  Maybe a small goal might be taking a ten minute "recess" twice a day.  Walk, drink water.  Leave your phone at your desk.  Maybe a small goal might be picking up a nutritious dinner from the grocery store deli just to make life easier.  Take the help where you can get it.

Step 3:  Be honest.  Everything in your life is not an A-1 priority.  What HAS to be done?  What is NICE to get done?  What can WAIT?  Prioritize the list to calm yourself down.

Step 4:  Drink a lot of water.  Whenever you get up to use the restroom--get a drink.  Stay hydrated no matter what the temperature outside.  It helps keep fatigue at bay.  It makes everything work better.  It takes no time to drink water.

Step 5:  Ask for help.  If you are overwhelmed and cannot manage, try talking to the people who might be helpful.  Let them know you need an assist.  Let them know where you are so that you don't feel so burdened and frustrated.

Step 6:  Breathe in and out, slowly, through the nose.  Roll both shoulders back and down. Concentrate on a happy place in nature.  No matter what, the sun is going to rise again tomorrow no matter what happens today.  Stay mindful and in the moment.  That relieves stress and promotes happiness.

Step 7:  Give yourself extra credit.  What is something fulfilling that you can do to help get you through the day.  No, a bouquet of flowers won't solve your problems, but it might be just the pick-me-up you need.  A home facial or bubble bath?  Ten minutes to read a book?  It all counts.

This doesn't sound like a path to healthy eating.  Yet, it is.  The Beyond the Scale program in Weight Watchers has three pillars:

1)  nutrition  -- get it in, healthy meals and snacks and limited treats.
2)  fitness  --get it in, set small achievable fit goals.  See the "fitbreak" app for more ideas.
3)  fulfillment  --get it in, ME TIME, you deserve it. Make it happen.

Have a great weekend.  Stay strong in the windchills and keep moving forward.  The sun will come up tomorrow, and there is more joy waiting for you on the path to your long, healthy, happy life.