5 Healthy Habits to start today

For the last few years, I've been choosing a word to go along with my New Years resolutions. It's generally something that I want to focus on and create a habit with. After the year we all had in 2020, I couldn't think of a better word for 2021 than "comeback."

It just seemed so fitting after the bought of depression, anxiety, and stress that I went through. And I know I'm not the only one. Being a mother to toddlers is hard enough, but when you mix in a world wide pandemic, social distancing, and lack of friends, that's just a recipe for disaster. 

At first, it was hard for me to admit that I couldn't handles the stresses of "every day" activities even though they were far from normal since we were living in lockdowns and seclusion. Once I overcame the fear about what others would think, it made me realize that in order to change my thoughts and emotions, I needed to change my habits.

My Type-A personality thrives on checklists, organization, and routines. So I did what I do best and created 5 healthy habits that I wanted to incorporate into my days, weeks, and months to make sure that I would be on the right path to success. 

Wake Up Early

This is easier said than done especially when you have young kids. My girls are currently 3.5 and 2 years old so even though I may not be up every could hours with a baby, I do get woken up at least 1-2 times a night for potty trips or a bad dream.

The whole point is not how early you get up, but that you get up early enough to have some time alone or to do something for yourself. Think, enjoying a hot cup of coffee or just scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram in peace. And of you work from home, maybe you can use that time to catch up on emails. Was that enough to convince you? Awesome!

Get Exercise

As Elle Woods put it, "Exercise gives your endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't kill their husbands!" Again, don't let the habit itself overwhelm you. Exercise can consist of an intense workout, going on a walk, running around at the park with a soccer ball, a bike ride, or even doing yoga with your kids. There are so many ways to get up and move, that you literally can't have an excuse not to.

Eat Healthy

Have you ever had a lunch that consisted of eating the left overs on your kids plate? Or maybe that's just me lol. Eating healthy is not only a good habit for yourself, but you are setting a good example to your kids that eating a well balanced diet is important.

Last month I challenged myself to a Whole 30 Diet to help to start my eating habits out on the right foot. It's been a hard habit to stick to because I LOVE my sweets, but because I took the initiative to start eating healthier, I found out that Luna actually likes salads (mind blown)! 

Have A Routine (and make time for yourself)

Having a routine isn't new to me or even something I needed to make a "habit" out of, but making time for myself was. After having my girls, my routines always worked around their naps and feeding times (and still do to a point with toddlers).

As the girls continued to grow, our routines would change, but I always felt like I was playing catch up. Clothes shopping, mani/pedis, and all my self care routines took to the back burner. It wasn't until 2020 (and being on lockdown with no where to go) that I realized I wasn't making enough time for "me" and as a result, I wasn't the best version of myself for my family. 

Set Daily Goals

If you haven't figured it out by now, I love setting goals. Goals give me something to focus on and make me feel accomplished. I try to set about 3 goals a day, which generally include something to do with the house, something to do with the girls, and something to do with work. Some days I hit all my goals and somedays I don't. It's all about setting a task before you and focusing on completing it.

So there you have it. My 5 healthy habits that I have started implementing this year. I hope you felt inspired and encouraged to try some or all of these for yourself because you if you don't take care of yourself first, how are you going to take care of your family. I'd love to hear what habits you want to put in place for your life and how it's been going if you have already started. Thanks for reading along!