HEALTHY HABITS *when you have no time*

Hey fam!

It’s been a MINUTE since I posted on my blog, but we are back for some regularly scheduled monthly content. To be honest, I have been taking these last few months just to rest and enjoy the summer here in Ottawa… Summer is hands-DOWN my favourite season of the year, and it's just so dang short that I always like to take advantage of a few vacation days and really soak in every ounce of the sun with my hubby, friends, & family. That being said, I am really excited to dive back into these posts and continue to provide some educational resources for all of you lovely people :)

One topic that I had a lot of requests for when I originally launched this blog was “healthy habits” and more specifically “healthy habits when you have no time.” I wanted my first few posts to be more physiotherapy-related, but I figured that this is a great topic to touch on as we hop back into things over here / during the summer months where we tend to fall out of “routine”. Healthy habits is an extremely broad topic, so today I am just going to touch on THREE of my personal wellness life hacks that I do for myself, and (try to) implement every day.

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1. INTENTIONAL MOVEMENT

This is my “100%, every day of my life must happen,” non-negotiable healthy habit. I may not always have time for an hour-long hardcore lift every day, but I make sure that I do something intentional to move my body EVERY DAMN DAY for a minimum of 30 minutes. I have a pretty packed schedule, so in order to make this happen, I plan my workouts on a weekly basis. I have a separate colour for “physical activity” in my google calendar, and at the beginning of each week I make sure that I have all of my scheduled workouts (right now it’s running & strength training for the most part) booked in. On my rest days, although I may not be doing a pre-planned regimented workout, I make sure to still get out for a walk, do some mobility work, or play games with friends in order to get my heart pumping!!

WHY should you prioritize movement?!? The list is literally endless, but here are some of the things that motivate me to make it a non-negotiable:

• There is an inverse relationship between exercise and multiple adverse health outcomes including heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer, & osteoporosis, to name a FEW. This means as you increase your physical activity, your risk for these conditions decreases!

• Regular exercise is associated with improved cognitive function. I want to have a clear head and reduce my risk for cognitive decline as I get older.

• Positive effects on mental health & enhanced feelings of well-being. Hey post-sweat endorphins :))))))

• It is FUN! Some people may not agree with me here, but I absolutely love working out. I love watching my body adapt to increased physical demands, hit new goals, and the community that is built around activity.

2. MINDFULNESS / A MOMENT TO PAUSE

Every day I take a minimum of 15 minutes to meditate or do something to recenter myself.

I have accepted that I live a pretty full and busy life, and honestly, I am one of those people who thrive on being on the go and having a lot on my plate. That being said, I am not a machine (despite my friends giving me that nickname in high school), and I need moments of stillness to break up the chaos. Every day this looks different - some days I literally lay on the floor and focus on deep breathing, some days I read, some days I journal, and some days I close my eyes in the car (while it’s parked haha) and let my mind wander to wherever it wants to go. I don’t do well with a “specific” form of mindfulness everyday; I like to do what feels right at that moment and listen to what my mind/body needs, which varies on a day-to-day basis. I have what I like to think of as a "tool belt" of different mechanisms to let go and refocus, and I make sure I do this at least once every day.

3. SLEEP

Last but not least, I prioritize getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. There was a time in my life where achieving this would have felt absolutely impossible *cue university flashbacks & working 1800 jobs*. I used to live by the motto “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” in order to justify myself getting 4-5hrs of sleep on average… Now I literally can’t imagine functioning as a contributing member of society on anything less than 7. Sure, there is the odd day that I only get 6 hours of sleep, but the majority of the time (especially during the week when I am working and working out), when I weigh my priorities in my head, sleep ALWAYS wins! As I have gotten older (I am only 27 but still), I have learned more about the importance of sleep and how not getting enough of it can severely impact your health in a negative way. Here are a few of the convincing points that put sleep on my list of non-negotiables:

• Lack of / disrupted sleep leads to neurobehavioural impairments (ie. decreased concentration, attention, and executive function). In order to assess and treat my patients sufficiently, I need to be able to THINK constantly throughout my day… and I do this best when I am well rested!

• Lack of sleep leads to decreased performance. As someone who also prioritizes working out & achieving fitness goals, I don’t want lack of sleep to be the thing that is preventing me from succeeding in this area of my life.

• Cardiometabolic dysfunctions ie. DYSREGULATION of appetite & high blood pressure. You can be eating well and working out but if you’re not sleeping, it can lead to chronic conditions that nooooobody wants.

• Getting adequate sleep leads to better memory, better mood, better performance, and increased control over your emotions. Yes, please.

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Now as I said above, these are my personal top 3 - keyword being personal. Depending on your schedule, priorities, goals, etc., you may have a different three that work for you. My main point here is to figure out what those three things are; three things that you make non-negotiables for your every day, that you prioritize and get done for YOU and your personal wellbeing. Make yourself a priority so you can show up 100% and be the best version of yourself in all the other areas of your life. As I say to my clients often, if you neglect yourself, you’ll have nothing to give.

Until next time,

C