10 EASY Things To Do EVERYDAY For Better Health ~ For People Who Don’t Have Time

Do you spend enough time in the day/week/month taking care of YOU and YOUR health? Being a mom (or dad) often means putting yourself last and your kids, partner and work/home first. At least in our home, I find I would take care of everyone and everything and IF… IF there is time left and I still have some energy, I will do something for me. I noticed that the longer I went on like this, the more frustrated, anxious and snappy I would be. I felt unhealthy, and most definitely did not feel at peace, calm, and energized. This was a problem for me because not being my happy, energetic self meant I was short with my kids, lost my temper easily and was not the best mom and wife I could be.

So I decided I would switch around my days and MAKE time for me to do things for my health and wellbeing because I was worthy of that time, and because I knew if I was taking care of myself, I’d be more equipped to be the mom I WANT and KNOW I could be. I am a mom to 3 small children (6 and under), am a full time Holistic Nutritionist, youtuber, blogger/instagrammer, homeschool my kids and run the house and make sure everyone has nutritious meals ands snacks. As you can imagine, I barely have time to breathe let alone take myself on a nice long date!  If you have lots of time during your day, take it for yourself and go to a spa, a nice long walk, etc. But if you are a new mom with a newborn and a job and all the rest of it, finding SMALL bits of time (a minute here or there) could make all the difference.  Here are 10 EASY and SMALL (not time consuming) things I do EVERYDAY for myself to keep myself healthy, relaxed and looked after!

1. I drink at least 1 hot herbal tea daily. This may be a luxury to a lot of you but let that baby cry for a minute longer, leave the laundry in the washer for an extra few minutes, put the kids to bed later (or earlier) an extra few minutes to get the time to make yourself this tea and DRINK it while its STILL hot. This little thing can make all the difference because when you’re drinking something hot it can make you feel relaxed and cozy and if you choose a good tea, it can nourish your body and detoxify too! This will make you feel like you are looking after YOU and making time for yourself (which you are)!
2. Read a book for 10 minutes. This is something small you can do for you to help keep your mind working, relax your body and have a few minutes of quiet, alone time to recharge. I love either waking up 10 minutes before everyone else to do this or going to bed 10 minutes later. You can also try scrolling through social media a bit less to have time to pick up a book and read.
3. Workout! This is something that intimidates moms because when you have kids screaming and demanding you, how could you POSSIBLY find the time to workout? Well here is the good news! My approach to exercise is much more relaxed. You don’t need a gym, equipment, workout clothes, a lot of space or a lot of time. What you do need is a BIT of motivation and anywhere from 5-10 minutes/day (if you have more time great). There are LOADS of 4-10 minute HIIT workouts (great for beginners) or burst training workouts on youtube that you can follow to slowly and gently tone up your body, burn a few calories, get your lymphatic system pumping which in turns, boost your energy, lightens your mood, reduces cortisol and increases testosterone (hello weight loss and muscle growth)! If you have time to workout for 15, 20 or 25 minutes daily that is even better but if 4 or 5 minutes is all you can squeeze in then THAT IS OK!
4. Eat at least one healthy meal per day! This is another thing that moms can overthink and get intimidated by. Eating healthy doesn’t mean spending hours in the kitchen, shopping only organic and spending hundreds of dollars. It can be as simple as chopping up your favourite veggies and steaming them and serving them with some good quality meat or seafood and avocado! It can literally take you less time to cook a healthy meal than it would be to bake a frozen pizza. Eating nutritious meals packed with vitamins and minerals can fuel your body and give you the energy you need to get through your crazy days. Every time I sit down to a good healthy meal, I feel so happy that I am taking care of my body and fueling it with GOOD food. It really destresses me and makes me feel like I am in control. Being a mom usually makes you feel like your KIDS are in control so this is one more thing you can do for yourself.
5. Deep Breath. This is the most simple, easiest thing and probably one of the best things you can do for your health and stress. You can do this while your baby is screaming, while you’re driving, cooking, watching TV, etc (just like Kegels haha!). Deep breathing nice and slow and deep can calm you down in stressful situations so you don’t overreact, it can keep inflammation down, keep your heart regulated and keep your weight down. Every time you get a cortisol spike, your body stores fat because it thinks it’s a matter of life and death. Keeping stress down by deep breathing is a great way to let your body know it can purge the fat and reduce inflammation😉
6. Go to Bed Early. This is a tricky one for us because When my kids go to sleep, my husband and I finally get quiet time where we can discuss things we don’t want our kids knowing about, or sit down and watch anything but Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol! Because of this, I sometimes stay up very late trying to enjoy kid-free time that I end up going to bed very late. I would wake up in the morning after just 4-5 hours of sleep and then be miserable that day. So I try every other night to go to bed an hour or 2 after the kids and then the other nights we will stay up later and that way I ensure I am getting good amounts of sleep to keep me healthy, patient, and a well-rested mom.
7. Get sun every day. This one is simple. Go out, get sun, then come back in! The longer you can get out the better but don’t overthink it. It can be 10 minutes of deep breathing on your porch in the afternoon, a nice walk with your kids, a 5-minute porch sweep, etc. Just get out everyday, even in the winter, and get some fresh air and Vit D!
8. Laugh ! This may seem cheesy but laughter is the best medicine. It can lower cortisol which lowers cholesterol, increases serotonin, keeps inflammation down and MAKES US HAPPY! The more you laugh in a day the better in my opinion. If I am finding my kids particularly unfunny on certain days, I will google jokes to make me laugh, watch stand-up on Netflix (Kevin James and Gabriel Iglesias are epic), read a funny book, etc. Find ways to laugh and make sure you get a good dose everyday!
9. Take supplements. I mentioned before the importance of taking care of YOU so that you are healthy and happy enough to be a good mom (or dad) for your kids. We aren’t always getting all the vitamins, minerals, fats and protein that we need each day because it’s rare we eat perfectly balanced and also happen to absorb everything we eat as well. I always recommend supplementing with a good quality multi-vitamin/mineral, some collagen for protein, probiotics, cod liver oil and a greens powder. I take my supplements EVERYDAY and while it may seem like a luxury some moms don’t have time for, it really only takes a few seconds and you can let your child cry for a few seconds longer while you “pop the pills”. Doing this everyday makes me feel so good because I know I’m taking care of ME and it’s a nice feeling!
10. Body care. This is also a super simple thing you can do to take care of your skin and body without spending hours on it. I wake up in the morning and take 2 seconds to apply my favourite probiotic facial mist to freshen up my face. I will apply a thick layer of body butter to my feet and then wear socks on top before going top bed to keep them nice and soft. I will apply coconut oil to my hair during the day and wear it in a high bun to wash out at night for silky hair. EASY THINGS but EFFECTIVE things and again, it makes you feel GOOD about yourself and like your children are not 100% controlling your life.

These are 10 things I do every single day for myself and encourage you to start doing if you’re not. It may seem like a lot but trust me, it will take only a bit of time out of your day but you will feel a million times better! Dads can do this too as we know they also can neglect themselves while taking care of the family. The important thing to remember is that HEALTH IS IMPORTANT and if you are not taking care of yours, you will be sick, tired, frustrated and unhappy. Put yourself first so you can be the BEST mom and Dad for your kids!