(THIS IS ALSO CROSS-POSTED ON SUBSTACK)
I don’t know about y’all, but I cannot BELIEVE summer is more than halfway over. In fact, where we live, school will be starting again in less than a month!
Most of the moms I know tend to fall into three categories:
The ones who LOVE the Summer with their kids. The fun,
the craftiness, all the “adventures” they have, and dread school starting again
in the Fall;
The ones who LOVE when school starts back up for the
stability and the regular routine it provides;
And the ones who are a mixture of both – they enjoy certain
parts of the summer (not having to wake up so early, some of the activities and
vacations, etc.), but they also look forward to getting back into a regular
routine and not having to hear, “Mom! I’m BORED!” 500 times a day!
This warp-speed passing of summer also means you might have let time get away from YOU, and haven’t been able to put as much energy or focus on your own health goals as you would’ve liked.
So, I thought I would go ahead and throw out FIVE IDEAS to help you get a few “WINS” under your belt before the insane Back-to-School rush begins and you’re caught up in the chaos again.
- Drink Green Tea. If you don’t already, it has amazing anti-inflammatory properties, helps speed up your metabolism, protects cells from free-radical damage, regulates blood sugar levels, protects heart health, and may even help prevent certain cancers (although more research is needed). Iced green tea for hot summer days is a winner all around.
- Dance! How often do you put on a few of your favorite songs and just let go?! Did you used to hang out with your friends as a teenager during the summers and dance? Maybe it’s time to dust off some of your teenage favs and dance your little heart out. For the cardio, for the mood boost, for the stress relief, and for the fun.
- Grab a few Extra Fruits and Veggies When They’re On Sale. Summer is the best time to grab some extras vegetables and fruits your family enjoys and prep them. If you’re already getting a couple of zucchini, buy a few more, cut them up, and freeze them for a couple of months down the road when life has gotten more hectic and you need a quick meal to throw together.
- Actually Meditate. Like, put on a 3-5 minute meditation video or podcast and legitimately meditate. I’m phrasing it like that because I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve told myself I’m going to meditate only to get distracted, lose focus, get bored, or straight up doze off. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, it would be helpful for my stress management, deeper breathing, improved focus, improved mood, and better regulated nervous system which helps balance hormone levels (a VERY simplified version of why you want to eat when you’re stressed because of spikes in certain hormone levels).
- Stretch. If you’ve read any of my health coaching posts or articles, you know I am a HUGE proponent of stretching for health. Why? For starters, I don’t do nearly enough of it myself. Second, as a massage therapist for years, I can’t begin to tell you how many of my clients would have saved themselves a lot of aches and pains, and done their overall health a WORLD of good, simply by stretching a little bit every day. So, if you’re looking for another quick, easy “win” to push yourself in a healthier direction, stretching is a good one to try.
These five wins will give your health and wellness a bump, they don’t require a lot of extra time or effort on your part, and they have the ability to actually make a MEANINGFUL IMPACT on your health!
Summer seems to fly by quicker every year. I know my own
health goals and plans slipped through the cracks as each week passed, and I
told myself, “There’s still plenty of time. I’ll get started next week.”
Well, now our summer is almost over and I’m personally
feeling like I let myself down. So, for the next few weeks we have left (and
even into the Fall), I’m going to take the time each day to get a few “wins”
under my belt and build my momentum.
I’m going to make it easy, and I’m going to make it FUN!
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