Replace bad habits with good ones
Some game-changers to shake up and improve your wellness routine
I pride myself on my parallelparking skills. But now that I have a reverse camera in my car, I wonder how I ever parked before this technology. With food and exercise, too, a simple tool or new habit can make what once felt difficult seem effortless.
I call these tools game-changers. Pouched wild salmon is a gamechanger for me. Fresh salmon is too expensive. But I really want to increase my intake of omega-3 fatty acids, and wild salmon is the best option. I now order precooked portions of wild salmon online and enjoy it regularly for lunch.
When you open your mind to exploring a problem, a tool or change of perspective — even something extraordinarily small and basic — can have a profound impact.
Some game-changing ideas:
NUTRITION
Stock your freezer and pantry: Find frozen, canned and jarred products that can be incorporated into your routine so you always have food ready to go. I have blueberries, spinach, burgers and bread in my freezer and canned soup, tuna, beans, almond butter and olives in my pantry. Life is easier when you have food available for dinner. Read the ingredients on the label to ensure you’re eating whole and real ingredients, and watch sodium levels.
Outfit your kitchen: A slow cooker, sharp knife, quality blender, programmable coffee maker, airtight storage containers and an allpurpose pan can make cooking and prepping much easier tasks. If you notice one step of your cooking is slowing you down, it might be worth investing in a product that will make you more efficient. Stash on-the-go snacks: Find single-serve options for your favourites so you can eat in line with your values, no matter where you are. Coffee, tea, nut/seed butter, nuts and seeds, crackers, oils, fruit, bars and powders can help you eat nutritiously during a busy day. Pack your lunch the night before: When cooking dinner, prep lunches for you and your family so there is one less task the next morning. Prep food in batches: If you’re going to take precious time to prep food, make several servings at a time. Chop vegetables and cook proteins and starches to last the entire week instead of one meal.
EXERCISE
Choose your clothes the night before: Incredibly basic, but a true game-changer! If you want a morning workout, have your gym clothes ready at your bed and pack your work clothes the night before. If you want an evening workout, have your gym bag ready at the door so you never have the “forgot my gym clothes” excuse.
Add squats and pushups: These two exercises can work many muscles. Adding a five-minute workout into your day — three sets of 10 squats and pushups while watching television — can be a step toward improving wellness.
Try a tracker: Tracking data for exercise can keep you focused, motivated and informed. Track steps, heart rate, mileage, breath rate, speed, frequency or intensity using a wearable device. One or more of these pieces of information can improve your exercise routine. Treat yourself to some gear: Waterproof headphones to wear swimming, a yoga mat that’s just right, a running jacket that’s perfect for the weather, an at-home spin bike, a pull-up bar in a doorway at the office or wireless headphones that sound fantastic. These can make exercise enjoyable and convenient.
OTHER LIFE HACKS
Improve sleep hygiene: For ideal sleep, a bedroom will be dark, cool, clean and have no noise distractions. A comfortable eye mask, blackout curtains, fan, humidifier and white-noise machine could all be small things to improve a night’s sleep.
Take advantage of technology: There are many apps and services that can assist in wellness, or in all the errands that take away from the time we have to improve our wellness. Examples include workout routines, recipes and meal plans, ordering groceries and takeout and so much more. Research online and in your phone’s app store to experiment.
Ask for help: It can seem extraordinarily difficult to ask for help. But something as simple as ordering groceries online is an example of asking for help.