We may have come a long way, baby, but women still bear more of the home and childcare responsibilities. We all share the desire to raise healthy, well-adjusted, well-educated kids; we want to love and cherish (and be loved and cherished by) our partner; we want to be fulfilled in our daily life through our work or volunteering or caring for our loved ones (or all of the above); and last but not least, we want to enjoy a healthy, active life. High fives, all around! We are AWESOME! YES WE CAN!
So why does it sometimes feel like this:
I saw this car recently and literally laughed out loud over the irony. Then, I sheepishly realized it was a perfect metaphor for a period in my life when I had relegated myself to the bottom of the to-do list. I knew that I wasn’t thriving in a single area of my life – mom, partner, health, or career. With practice and lots of trial and error, I began putting on my own oxygen mask so that I could help those around me.
OK, on some level, we all know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn't work. So what does work, and how can we work towards a better balance?
Start channeling your inner Queen of Plan B! Let’s say you’ve just arrived home from work or the school run and everyone is feeling hangry. Don’t want to dive into the sweets/salty crunchy snacks? Those snap peas and hummus you picked up are a great Plan B. No time to exercise today because your (insert loved one here) is ill/you have an early meeting at work/dog needs to go to the vet? Try doing some squats at home or taking the stairs at work. Not sleeping enough because you’re online and lose track of time? Plan B - set an alarm to turn off screens and instead, do 10 min of yoga or mobility work before you hit the hay. Full disclosure, I did not come up with any of these ideas. I stole them from my clients who came up with them on their own, during our coaching sessions. You have plenty of awesome ideas, too. Just focus on some small action you can take that gets you one step closer to your goal, whether it’s fueling yourself with good nutrition, exercising more, or sleeping better.
Still not convinced you have time to take care of you? Click here, and I will send you a Planning and Time Use Worksheet to shed some light on your time.
If you'd like to explore coaching for your nutrition, please click on Contact at the top of the page.