Achieving dreams is a lifetime mission for many. While the goals are known and achievable, you push and pull to make it through and get to them. Eyes on the big goal fill in your schedule fast, and you stay with no time left for many other activities. And the activity we all tend to put last on the daily schedule and put off as long as you can be tending to your needs. Unfortunately, in time this will affect your health negatively and come in way of your life quality. Here are some tips to help you avoid such a destiny while keeping your eyes on your dream.
Prioritize with your me-time in mind
As a busy person you most likely already have a schedule that you are following, whether you realize it or not. However, did you ever check in your tight schedule which obligation is for you only? Your job is for you, grocery shopping is for you, but what obligation takes care of your soul? When did you stop and really check yourself? When did you take the time to enjoy the sunshine, the silence, yourself? Make adjustments to your schedule and put in a self-care time that you will stick to.
Add exercise to your schedule
If you aren’t exercising, chances are that you already suffer from consequences. They can be mild, like stiffness in the shoulders, mild migraines, or difficulty falling asleep. Therefore, having an exercise routine is an important part of a busy life without pain. You don’t need to fit in one hour of cardio, 45 minutes of weight lifting, and long stretching before and after. All of these can be done faster, divided into daily short exercises, and adjusted to your day. High-intensity interval training or HIIT is an already famous type of exercising and can be adjusted to 15-, 20- or 45-minute-long workouts. Fit a length appropriate to your schedule and stick to it.
Healthy meals will help with energy levels during the day
What you eat directly affects your energy during the day and your health in the long run. Take care about food quality to ensure your body receives enough amount of nutrition. Often people skip their breakfast because they are running late or not feeling hungry for breakfast. Grab a banana or a protein bar, or take a short walk or do a few exercises before eating. Add vegetables to each meal and try to avoid eating too late.
Health checkups are a must
No matter how much you take care of on a daily basis, you should still visit your general practitioner once a year to get a checkup. The usual – let them have a look, exam, as well as some laboratory, is enough to be safe and sound. Apart from the doctor’s you should have a regular appointment at the dentist. If you think that dentist is not a priority, you may be wrong. The changes happen to teeth as years go by. You and your dentist can best follow digital dentistry, where even the most subtle changes can be spotted and your smile kept untouched for years to come.
Sleep is the best stress reliever
Even though it is hard to avoid stress, it is best dealt with a nice, 7-hour long sleep every night. Make an evening routine if you are experiencing difficulties with falling asleep. Turn off your phone, turn off every screen and doze off with a nice book and quite instrumental or a white noise machine. Maybe use some candles, long baths, or invest in some nice satin bed sheets (or go for the fancier silk ones). Our body needs proper sleep and rest to heal and renew the energy to function properly during awake hours. Do not take sleep lightly, since one bad night requires a week to recuperate from.
Be assertive about your boundaries
To protect yourself and maintain a healthy relationship with everyone around you, you need to create boundaries, yourself included. Some learn that in their families while growing up, but most people do need to learn and adjust their communication in many relationships. When you start deliberately taking time for yourself, it can be hard to stand your ground in the face of push-back from those around you. Saying ‘no’ can be emotionally challenging, but it is necessary. Mental health is necessary and you can defend your stands. Be there for yourself like no one else will.
Make little but healthy changes
There are many different ways to improve your life by adding healthy habits. You can choose any that fits your lifestyle. You don’t need to do anything big, complicated, or hard in your opinion. Do whatever make you feel better, more relaxed, and most importantly, be more present in your life. Don’t bargain your sleep, your emotional, mental, or physical health, since it is only yours. Incorporate what you want, exclude, or make a strong boundary with whatever or whoever makes you feel bad in any way. No one will achieve your dream for you but yourself, but if you aren’t able to be in the present now, how will you show up there?