7 Ways I Make My Health Automatic (and how you can, too)
I’m not a person with good self control, I don’t have endless energy, and my days are often jam-packed and hectic. I share this to communicate that I’m probably a lot like you. I don’t have a healthy superpower, like some people might assume. But I am motivated by science and my life is fueled by my habits.
If you feel off-balance in your life, the good news is that any day is the right day to reassess and commit to change. And it should be slow, steady, and manageable. My health habits are largely automatic, and you can make yours automatic, too. Here are 10 habits that make maintaining my health easy. Take what you can, and share your habit stacking tips in the comments so I can add to my list!
Morning Gratitude: When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I see is my gratitude journal. I immediately record three things I’m grateful for, and it sets the right tone for the day. (If journals aren’t your thing, check out the free “Three Good Things” app for your phone).
Morning Movement: At night, I set out my laptop and yoga mat in my bedroom next to the bathroom. When I get up, it’s waiting for me to plop down and get started. Fifteen minutes is all it takes for me to feel better in the mornings.
Smoothie Breakfast: I have a drawer in my pantry with all the dry ingredients I use for smoothies: protein powder (this is all I use), chia seeds, flax seeds, psyllium husk, hemp hearts, and cinnamon. Every morning I open the drawer, pour in the ingredients I need (plus some almond milk and fresh produce), and five minutes later–literally 5 minutes–I have a nutritious breakfast.
Morning Supplements: Next to my smoothie ingredients are my supplements. So while my smoothie is blending I’m taking my probiotic and multivitamin.
Coffee & Omega-3s: Next, I’m pouring my coffee into my yeti. Right next to the cream in the fridge is my omega-3 supplement, so I take that then.
Electrolytes & Water: Next to my coffee maker is also a jar of electrolyte packets (the best on the market are these). I pour a half packet into my 40 ounce yeti bottle (yes I begin my day with three different beverages), and I’m ready to head out the door for the day!
Meal Prep & Shopping: I’m someone who needs to offload certain things from my brain. Grocery shopping is one of them. There’s nothing worse than opening the fridge, pantry, or freezer after a busy day and seeing empty shelves. To make sure I always have what I need to cook nutritious meals for my family, I use Butcher Box for meats and fish and Thrive Market for my pantry staples. They are auto shipped monthly, so I never have to think about them! Thrive Market also has an awesome app so I can easily pop it open and add something to my next shipment if I run out.
If you want to read more about how to make health change easy, read this beginner-friendly post about the science of habit formation.
Happy automation!
XO,
Kara
