Maintaining healthy habits during life’s transitions
For many of you it’s back-to-school season, and life just got a whole lot busier. So what does that mean for those healthy habits you developed over the summer; do they go out the window? They don’t have to.
I created this video to share a couple of tips that can help you maintain…or even implement…healthy habits during times of transition.
For those of you who prefer to read, a transcript appears below the video.
How to maintain your healthy habits during back-to-school and other life transitions
It’s back-to-school season, and for many of you, life just got a whole lot busier. So what does that mean for the healthy habits you’ve developed over the summer…you know, things like going to the gym, home-cooked meals, and a full night’s sleep? Does it all go out the window? It doesn’t have to.
I’m going to share a couple of tips that can make the transition smoother. And these tips don’t just apply to back-to-school. Maybe you recently got married or divorced, had a baby, started a new job, or retired. All of these things can throw us off our schedules and disrupt our healthy habits. The tips I’m about to share can help you through all of life’s transitions.
Reevaluate priorities
The first step is to reevaluate your priorities. By this I mean take a long hard look at where you are spending your time and energy. Be brutally honest with yourself, which of these things are absolutely necessary or bring you joy? Everything else can be eliminated or scaled back, at least during the transition until you settle back into a routine.
While you are doing this evaluation, I strongly encourage you to give as much weight to caring for yourself as you do others. We’ve all heard that we must care for ourselves in order to have the wherewithal to care for others. But even more than that, you are just as deserving of care as anyone else, and if you don’t care for yourself, who will?
Here’s a real-world example of a task being eliminated. One of my clients who is a busy working mother had always driven her children to school. This year, she decided there was no reason they couldn’t take the bus. And guess what, the children are still getting to school, and they are healthy and happy. And she’s healthy and happy, but now she has an hour every morning for self-care, including packing a healthy lunch.
Delegate
Once you’ve got your list of must-dos, now it’s time to ask yourself which of these tasks can I delegate? An important point to remember here is you do not have to do it all, just because you always have. And even if you can do something better than someone else, it doesn’t mean you should do it. Sometimes good enough beats perfect, especially if that means someone else is doing the work.
Here’s an example from the same client I told you about earlier. She decided to create an old-fashioned chore chart where a different family member is assigned to fix dinner each night and do other basic chores around the house…all things she would normally do. That’s just one example.
Also in this category of delegation are things like having groceries delivered instead of going shopping, or hiring someone to mow your lawn or do some of the housework. Whatever is feasible in your specific situation. Just make share you are spreading the workload.
Have an experimental mindset
The next two tips are more about attitude. First of all, approach this time as an experiment. When you set a goal, you aren’t committed to this action for life. For example, maybe you decide to go to the gym every morning before work, but after a week, you realize it’s not possible…or you are going, but you are miserable. Ask yourself how you can tweak the goal. Maybe you go two mornings a week, or after work…or maybe you drop the gym altogether and take a walk on your lunch break or do yoga in the evening. You get the idea. The important thing is there is no failure; you either succeed or you discover something that doesn’t work and make adjustments based on that discovery.
Be patient
And finally, be gentle and patient with yourself and others during this time. Adapting to change takes time. The road is rarely straight forward, but you’ll get there. In the meantime, be sure to celebrate the small victories and always keep in mind the goal is progress, not perfection.
So there you have it, practices I’ve used to help me through life’s many transitions…and at my age, I’ve been through a few. I’d love to hear what’s worked for you. Maybe we can help each other.
Your turn
- Do you have any tips for maintaining self-care during times of transition?
- Do you prefer watching videos or reading blogs…or maybe a combination of the two?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
I loved the idea of making a list and then delegating what someone else can do. Right now, my husband can’t do much of anything as he’s still using a walker. Luckily, we live in a condo community so I don’t have to worry about taking care of the yard. I honestly think it bothers him more than it does me! I like reading something more just because I can go back and reread it.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
I’m sure it’s challenging for your husband, Marsha. I hope he continues to heal quickly. I like reading as well, but I also like to see and hear the people whose work I’ve read. It makes them more real to me. So I guess it’s a mix of the two for me.
Hi Christie, while back to school days are far behind me, I do love your tips! I also know that healthy habits can be stabilising and helpful in many ways during times of transition (physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc). For example, I maintained a daily morning yoga and pilates practice during all the years of caring for Mum, as she was declining, during the final weeks, and still to this day 9.5 months after she has passed. Life has changed dramatically since the loss of my Dad and then my Mum and the family home but this daily healthy practice continues and it seems to ground and stabilise me and help me through it all. Thank you for sharing with us at #WWWhimsy xo
Back-to-school is in the rearview mirror for me as well, Min, and I’m happy to have it there. I appreciate your perspective that maintaining healthy habits can have a stabilizing influence on us during the topsy-turvy times of transition…making them more important than ever. I’m impressed that you were able to maintain your yoga and pilates through such challenging times. I can hardly believe it has been almost 10 months since you shared with us the passing of your mum. Wishing you all the best in this next phase of life.
Hi Christie – I have a friend who is in transition – she and her husband hit retirement and thought life would get smaller and quieter. Instead, they ended up with two of their adult children and a young granddaughter moving in with them due to issues with the shortage of available rentals here in Australia.
She’s feeling weary (understandably) and we’ve been talking about ways to fill her own cup to balance all that she’s pouring into others. I just sent her some of your post as an encouragement. x
Hello Leanne. I so admire those who are called upon to take on responsibilities they didn’t ask for…or plan for…in what we anticipate will be our more relaxed time of life. We have a similar shortage of affordable housing in the United States, and I know many grown children are not moving out or are moving back in with their parents. I feel blessed that so far our children have managed housing of their own. I’m happy if any of my words can encourage your friend and wish her all the best.
Great tips here Christie. I wished I had used them when my kids were young. I find that doing bulk food prep early in the week frees me up. My partner and I eat different meals most nights as I’m vegetarian. This way I only need to prepare one meal. Easy! It’s usually only the protein where we differ. #TEAMWWWhimsy
Food prep is a great tip, Jennifer. It’s nice that you and your partner can eat similar meals without too much effort considering your differing dietary needs. I like to prepare things my husband doesn’t like for lunch, since we don’t eat that meal together most days. Then for dinner, we eat foods we both enjoy.
Oh my if only I had taken notice of these words more way back. You are doing a great job making sure others are aware of choices like these when making changes. And as you say, it can be small and not pressured.
Great post.
Denyse x
I agree, Denyse. We live and we learn, huh? I know when I was younger, I had a hard time delegating and often assumed that all the things I was doing were necessary, without really questioning why or if that was true.
I need to work on this at the moment – I feel I just blow in the wind at the moment.
One small step at a time, Lydia. Some phases of life are definitely easier…or more grounded…than others. If you’re ever interested in a few free online coaching sessions, just let me know. I’d love to work with you.
Christie, it is important to maintain a routine or schedule to the extent possible. Abandoning stability or the things you do that bring you joy will only contribute to chaos and feelings of overwhelm. That seems impossible during times of transition, but we all need something familiar and dependable—great points for anyone navigating life’s transitions. Thanks.
So true, Suzanne. The things that may initially seem difficult to do (like maintain typical habits) may actually be the things that make the transition go smoother. I like your point about the familiarity reducing the feelings of overwhelm. Thanks for sharing that.
All great ideas…I like to maintain a routine as it make me focus…
Thanks so much for visiting!! I am playing catch up with my visits!! I hope you are having a good week!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
I agree, Debbie, there’s comfort in maintaining a routine as much as possible, especially during times of transition.