“Forget inspiration.  Habit is more dependable.  Habit will sustain you whether you are inspired or not.” ~ Octavia Butler

Life is a rollercoaster, but our health doesn’t have to be. Stop waiting for a mystical “breakthrough.”

Busy women don’t need to be inspired – simply consistent. 

We learned this long ago in our careers and Relationships. It’s time to apply this principle of consistent habits to our health and allow time to work for us – not against us.

The keys to great health are great habits. While inspiration and willpower come and go, your habits will sustain you. 

How Busy Women Plan Ahead of Fast Food

The alarm goes off. Jump in the shower. Beat the traffic. Get to work just in time. After work? Run errands. Buy groceries. Prepare dinner. Phew!

                   The daily grind ain’t easy for a busy woman!

It’s easy to grab fast food at the drive-thru to ” save time.” And it’s even easier to eat to ” relieve Stress.”

But none of those processed foods really feed your body. In fact, they are nutrient-poor and exacerbate bad health.

• Look for alternative restaurants that serve healthier options. If healthier restaurants are too expensive, try meal planning!

Meal Planning: Set Achievable Goals

Start small: 2 – 3 days per week. Use a primary ingredient you can apply to several different dishes.

Women’s Pro Tip: Eat high-protein dishes to avoid feeling hungry during the day.

Here are 25 Meal Prep Ideas: https://workweeklunch.com/easy-meal-prep-lunches/

+20 more lunch dishes you can make over the weekend with your girlfriends: https://theeverygirl.com/20-lunches-you-can-meal-prep-on-sunday/

“I’ll Just Have Water, Thanks”

• Carry a water bottle with you and refill it throughout the day – and make it stylish!
  
• Drinking more water will ease joint pain, help cleanse your body of waste, and manage body weight.

Women’s Pro Tip: Bored by water? Liven it up with lemon, lime, or cucumber! Or splurge with a cup of aromatic tea. The point is to stay hydrated.

Here are all the benefits of staying hydrated: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-healthier-drinks.html

Oxygenation: Breath Into Your Feminine Energy

While water is critical to staying oxygenated, you can cultivate many other habits to improve your oxygen levels.

Creative Ways To Improve Your Breathing

• Try walking 30 minutes a day for 2 – 3 days per week. If this feels ambitious, remember to start small. Begin with a consistent habit that is sustainable for your schedule.
• Get creative to add steps into your busy schedule!
• Can you take the stairs instead of the elevator? Or park farther away from the entrance of a store in their parking lot?

Women’s Pro Tip: Practice deeper breathing from your diaphragm while working at your desk – or during other sedentary activities.

Sleep: You Mean Lying In Bed Is Good For Me?

Always tired but can’t sleep? 

• Set a sleep timer on your phone to avoid notifications and alerts during those precious bedtime hours. And avoid those fancy, caffeinated Starbucks drinks later in the day!

Women’s Pro Tip: Say no to your girlfriends and go to bed early on the weekends! This helps you set a healthier sleep cycle during the week.

More Snooze Tips For Your Beauty Sleep

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html

Stretching & Exercise: Flex Your Feminine Energy

• Gyms can feel overwhelming at first. And one more subscription may be the last thing your purse needs.
• You are not alone, girlfriend! There are personal trainers at your fingertips who want to help you accomplish your goals. 

Here is a FREE stretch class we offer to busy women like you: https://mailchi.mp/strengthvitalitywellness/exercisestretching

Always on the go? Here is an exercise video you can watch at your convenience: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/637894409

Women’s Pro Tip: Don’t kill yourself at the gym. The gym should make you feel good and be rewarding.

More Exercises Tailored For Your Health Needs

• Resistance Bands: inexpensive and ideal for rehabilitation
• Seated Yoga: low-impact, high value for Mental Health
• (Water) Aerobics: minimal stress on your bones and joints
• Cycling: great for getting fresh air

Balancing (Not Juggling) Your Blood Sugar Levels

Balance is a difficult ask for women already busy schedules. But your blood sugar is one that absolutely requires it.

Luckily, consistent exercise, Diet, sleep, and hydration will all positively impact more balanced blood sugar levels.

To help you regulate blood sugar levels:

• Make sure to eat high fiber foods (fiber helps regulate your blood sugar after meals)
• Eat bigger meals in the morning
• Cut back on all of those holiday sweets!

Women’s Pro Tip: Eat at regular times – NEVER late at night.

Here’s another quick guide to help you build habits that will help manage your blood sugar:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-lower-blood-sugar

Distress Tolerance Mindset Skills | Self-Care & Self-Affirmations

All of the most successful women have one thing in common: they first and foremost practice self-care.

Remember it is your right to treat yourself to hobbies, friends, and vacations. After all, busy women deserve the fruits of their labors, too!

But what does self-care actually mean? 

It can be anything from a luxurious spa & resort to dinner at a nice restaurant. Or it can be as simple as running a bubble bath and getting a good night’s sleep.

True, some of these distress tolerance skills require forethought. So what can a busy woman do in more urgent situations to achieve health?

Self-Affirmation Exercises

Reciting self-affirmations can help you overcome the most immediate obstacles – from just being a woman in the world to overcoming challenges you face professionally or personally.

Here are some affirmations to achieve your divine feminine energy:

• I am enough.
• I believe in my dreams, myself, and all that I am.
• I love myself for who I am.
• I create my own happiness.
• My life is filled with an abundance of goodness.
• My challenges are actually opportunities.
• I am beautiful just the way I am.

Interconnected Habits & Foundation of Your Health

Once you achieve consistency in these 7 essential habits, they will all begin to work in harmony for your new healthy Lifestyle.

Nutrition improves sleep. Exercise improves oxygenation. And hydration improves balanced blood sugar. And so forth.

For more tips on building habits:

https://jamesclear.com/good-habits

For women who are always on the go, here’s a habit-building audio book:

https://goldenaudiobooks.com/james-clear-atomic-habits-audiobook/

Busy women have the power to transform their health with these simple, everyday habits today!

Join Our Community Dedicated To Health and Wellness

If you are experiencing pain, never settle for a limited state of health. 

Request a FREE consultation with our team today: https://strengthvitalitywellness.com/about-us-strength-and-vitality-wellness

Or connect with me directly to discuss more habit-building strategies:  https://strengthvitalitywellness.janeapp.com/

We welcome you to share your thoughts in the comments section below for our community dedicated to simplifying health and wellness for everyone.

Cara-Michele Nether Self-Care Consistency Partner

Growing up, my dad told me that our job in life was to care for each other. I watched the adults working hard to create more opportunities for themselves and their families. Ms Ruby, my maternal grandmother, came to live with us when I turned five, making our home the natural hub during the holidays. Having my mom's six siblings and their for extended weekends was bittersweet. I was excited to see everyone, but I resented the pressure it put on my parents. Especially my mom.

For 19 years, I've worked in women's health as a licensed acupuncturist, functional nutrition counselor, and personal trainer. In 2020, the pandemic allowed me to document all the information and strategies I'd been using to help women integrate into their daily routines.

The Strength & Vitality Accelerator is a 12-month training for women 45-65 on the slow-drip process of mastering consistency practices around the foundations of health and wellness. Our Consistency Framework provides a safe community and work pace for the exploration needed to craft daily routines that fit women's individual circumstances and develop the skills needed to get back on the rails when we fall off.

This gives members control over their mental and physical strength, agility, and flexibility. Because pulling the correct energy-producing levers is now a habit, they have control over presenting as the person they truly want to be no matter the time of day or stressors ahead.