Prioritizing Your Health During a Busy Life

Written By Heather Pritchett

Disclaimer:  I do not have this all figured out.  Far from it.  I struggle to maintain my fitness and nutrition goals when life gets busy, too, but I do have a few tips to share that have helped me personally and/or have helped my clients.  The reality is we ALL have busy lives, and at times that busy meter ticks up, up, up until it becomes challenging to do the workouts and meal planning that we want to do to adhere to our goals.  In no particular order, here are a few suggestions to ensure your health gets the attention it very much deserves, even when you are busy:

  • Plan ahead:  As best as you can, a little pre-planning will go a LONG way in keeping you on the path toward your goals.  If you know next week will be a hectic week at work, prioritize a grocery run in advance so you have nutritious foods on hand at home to fuel you through the hectic schedule.

  • Choose convenience:  Treat yourself to an order of pre-cooked meals delivered to your home.  I currently enjoy using Mighty Meals, but there are a ton of services like this (MegaFit Meals, Factor, etc.).  I like to freeze them and then I have them on hand whenever I'm in a pinch.  Convenience could also come from the grocery store -- buy the pre-cooked meals from Costco or Sam's Club.  (I love Costco's taco meal!)  If you need to choose fast food, check the nutrition content online and opt for high protein options.  (I love the grilled nuggets from Chick-fil-A!)

  • Keep it simple:  Too busy to cook?  That's okay!  A "healthy" meal does not need to be one made from scratch.  It also does not need to be a comprehensive pairing of protein and sides. Need to rely on a frozen meal or a can of soup?  That's ok!

  • Move your body:  Can't workout every day?  That's OK!  If you typically work out four days a week and your schedule is more hectic than usual, can you do two workouts?  One?  One is better than zero!  Can you go on a walk?  If movement is a frequent issue due to a busy schedule, consider ways to easily integrate movement into your day, such as buying a walking pad to use at your desk or swapping your dinner with neighbors for a walk instead (or a walk and then dinner).

  • Don't skimp on sleep:  When we're busy, cutting back on sleep is tempting, but work on getting a solid 7-8 hours of sleep per night.  When you start getting less sleep, hunger increases, movement decreases, inhibitions are lowered.  A lack of sleep can lead to a lot of other factors to work against you and your goals, so don't let sleep be the thing that gets pushed aside.

Here are a few additional resources on this topic:

Heather Pritchett
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