As school is now back in session, many women are finding that though they like the structure of the school year, they are drowning in the chaos of it all. With all of the keeping up with children’s schedules, how can they possibly keep on top of their own self care and health goals?
Even if we are not in the phase of motherhood life, the fall brings with it an increased level of chaos with holidays and extra activities.
Here are some tips that can keep you from getting derailed in your efforts to take care of yourself.
1. Put YOUR time on the calendar too.
2. Take advantage of even the smallest moments and already have a plan for what you CAN do. (Do ONE exercise, meditate for 5 minutes, keep up on your water drinking).
– As a physical therapist, I am usually prescribing habit changes or exercises for my patients to do at home as my medicine of choice is movement. These behaviors won’t happen unless we prioritize them and decide ahead of time WHEN we will do them. Pelvic floor exercises can easily be done just as you wake up and are already in a laying down position if this is where you are at in your program. You can also do some exercises while brushing your teeth, or driving in the car. The time is there, we just need to make a plan.
3. Break up your exercises into SMALLER groups if you have several. Don’t look at a list of 4-6 exercises like a giant chore on your to-do list. Break them up by the posture such as laying down or sitting. Do the sitting exercises when you are already sitting. Do the standing exercises such as a calf stretch or hip flexor stretch while you are standing in the kitchen.
4. Use a Bullet Journal to keep yourself accountable for whatever it is you are working towards. This is where the PLAN can be recorded to COMMIT to the plan in writing, REMIND us to do it, and hold us ACCOUNTABLE by recording our compliance and progress. If you already are a planner-using type of person, then use what is already working for you. The problem with some planners, is that there is not enough extra space to record exercise logs or habit trackers such as water intake or time spent mediating. Bullet journals can be small like THIS, or larger to fit all of your scheduling/planning needs in addition to tracking health or exercise habits like THIS.
In the end, we are all short on time and motivation is something that none of us should be waiting around for. We have nothing to lose but a healthier, happier version of ourselves.
