Healthy Living: Start your day on schedule.

Ring, ring, ring, RING!  Alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. and literally sounds like it’s screaming WAKE-UP at you every time it rings. Hit the snooze a few times then finally get out of bed about 6:30.  You have barely opened your eyes but you are already battling the clock.

Shuffle to the bathroom and get in the shower.  Start to feel the fuzz leave your brain when you glance at the clock and realize – CRAP! You were supposed to be out of bed 30 minutes ago and you are now 30 minutes behind. You are literally running from room to room in a panic trying to find your shoes, keys and everything else you need to get out the door. Sound familiar?

My day used to start like this.  Every single day that I had to get up and leave my house to go to work, I was behind schedule.  Breakfast? Are you kidding? Who had time for breakfast? Certainly not this girl.  I had to get 2 kids up and out the door for school.  The older one went to a magnet school so had to be at the bus stop by 6 a.m.  Breakfast for her?  A juice box and pop tart. NOT exactly the breakfast of champions.  My younger one was able to get breakfast at school for fifty cents.  How healthy it was, I’m not sure but it was better than not having any breakfast at all.

After I dropped my youngest daughter off at school, I would be on my way to work battling traffic along the way. Breakfast was not even a thought in my head.  Coffee was!  The first thing I did when I walked into the office?  Grabbed a big cup of java and inhale it before going back for another cup or five!

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The first time food would actually cross my mind after drinking all that caffeine?  Around lunch time and then it would generally be salty, sugary fast food – burger and fries or maybe KFC chicken and mashed potatoes with a coke.  After all, lunch was 30 minutes so it had to be quick.  Then it would be back to coffee or soda which would continue into the evening.  Not only was it stressful on my body, it was hard to keep the weight from creeping on.

Is this your life?  We all know that there are very good reasons why we need to take the time to eat breakfast in the morning but life always seems to jump in the way.  Let’s breathe and slow things down just a little.

If you are literally dragging yourself out of bed in the morning, it’s time to take a look at how much you are actually sleeping. You may not be getting the rest your body needs.   First on the list is to set a bedtime and stick to it.  If you are a night owl, it may be next to impossible for you to go to bed at 10 p.m. so start by going to bed one hour earlier than you normally would then continue adjusting until you find the best time for your body.

 

Next get up the first time the alarm goes off. Do NOT hit that snooze button!  It will be a challenge the first few days but it will soon become habit.  Guess what? You are now on track for the day.

Since we got up with the alarm, we do have time to eat breakfast before heading out the door.  It can be something as simple and quick as a protein shake or bowl of cereal or if you have a little more time, maybe an egg and wheat toast.

Sit and enjoy your breakfast – don’t grab it and run out the door. After all you are on time today.  The rest of the day will go smoothly because you are not rushing.

What a difference it makes when we make a conscious effort to get a good night’s sleep and get out of bed in the morning on time – and starting with a healthy breakfast.   If you do this for 2 weeks, you will be on the way to creating a new habit that will help you on your health and wellness fitness journey. Get started today.

Have a wonderful week!

To your health,

Denise