3 steps to a better week

Matt and I had a conversation recently. We really need to improve our lifestyle. I don’t mean the things we own – items don’t make or break a person. I’m talking about not feeling like you’re always chasing your tail or just trying to catch your breath. I’m talking about creating a space where you can thrive. We figured out how to have a better week just by planning out three basic things.

The best three tips for how to have a better week. Side effect: you will save tons of time, feel more energized & create space for things that truly matter in your life.

one – plan your meals

There is a direct impact on how you feel based on what you put into your body. The less prepared you are, the more likely you will opt for something like takeout or just easy but nutritionally poor.

Tip: I created a Pinterest board specifically for meal ideas for the week. I pull from my other dinner board and it makes an easy reminder of what I need to shop for. Plus, planning it out means fewer trips to the grocery store and saving money on items you can use in a few meals.

two – plan your workouts

I’m sorry if you’re sick of hearing this from me, but I can’t tell you what a difference it makes since planning out my workouts! If you have ever said “I’m just too busy to work out” I challenge you to do this. Find blocks of time and write specifically what you are going to do. Then, just do it. It may not be “fun” but it also shouldn’t be optional because at the end of the day we are talking about your mental health, physical well being, and quality of life. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Tips: We try to work out 5 days a week and mix cardio and strength, but sometimes that doesn’t happen. If you can only do three days a week, make it worth it! Try not to always do the same thing, but add variety by setting (indoor/outdoor) and different styles of workouts. A side effect of quarantine life is there has never been such a plethora of info (free or at really reasonable prices!) for working out in pretty much any space. In case you missed it, I gave a few ideas of workout resources I really like in this blog post.

three – plan your sleep

Confession: this is truly a struggle and currently something I am working on hard-core. Because of that, I’ve done a ton of reading on tips for better sleep.

Fun fact: the average adult needs between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you’re thinking you can get by on less than that, well, there is a big difference between “getting by” and “thriving”. We are talking about big lifestyle improvements here so “getting by” doesn’t cut it. So obviously you get that ideal sleep by figuring out what time you need to get up and count back to what time you need to get to sleep. BUT what about when getting to bed on time and then just toss and turn. It’s one of the worst feelings to watch the time tick away when you know you should be sleeping. If you can relate, here are some tips you need to try

Tips: Set yourself up for quality sleep. That means blue-light glasses on as the sun starts setting. (I love these I recently purchased on amazon! I went with the colors ‘burlywood’ and ‘tortoise’- both are so good!). Not having sugary foods or caffeine is a biggie too!

Prep your body and mind. Drink some tea, stretch, and write. Specifically, I drink some tea with this Calm Magnesium mixed in. Also, I keep a notepad bedside and brain dump everything that is on my mind. If you have never done that, please do. It such a small thing that makes a big impact!

The last tip I actually learned from my FitBit #thankyouverymuch and its the best way to completely relax once I get to bed. Basically, you take a deep breath in for 5 sec, hold it 5 sec, breathe out for 5 sec, hold it 5 sec, and repeat. So simple and let me tell you, it’s the best! Just try it tonight, ok? OK.

Thanks so much for reading! If you have any tips to add, comment below. And as always – if you like it, share it! It helps more than you know xoxo

lets do this!!

xo rae