When we go on diets, rules and words like, “Can’t,” and “Don’t,” temps the three-year-old in your brain. Suddenly, all you want is a bar of chocolate when otherwise you wouldn’t even think of it.
If you’re trying to make a change in your life, change your lexicon.
Go for what you can eat and do versus what you can’t.
When changing eating habits or retraining yourself to sleep earlier or exercise more, think about the food you can eat, treat yourself with an hour of self-care rituals to look forward to before bedtime (I love tai chi and a mug of warm almond milk with tumeric and cinnamon!) and spend time in nature. If you enjoy working out at the gym more power to you. But if you dislike it or don’t have the time, spending time in nature organically forces you to physically exercise.
If you really don’t have time, I get you. As a stay at home mom with two toddlers, time to yourself is rare and precious. Lately, to fit in exercise, I’ve been sprinting from the washing machine to my son, or walking him in his stroller during nap time. Research these days show you don’t need a lot of exercise. Short bursts like sprints and occasional longer aerobic exercises are enough. Longer intensity workouts can cause stress to the body.