Healthy habits.

Most of us know what we should be doing.

We’ve watched the news.

We’ve read the books.

We’ve heard the podcasts.

We should be exercising more. We should be eating better. We should be sleeping 8 hours a night. We should spend more time outside. We should spend less time on our devices.

There is no shortage of advice on how to be fitter, healthier, or happier. 

But it’s so hard to stick to one healthy habit, let alone several.

And even when we’re successful (you crushed the 30-day yoga challenge!), it can be hard to keep the habit going when life throws you a curveball and now you’re nursing an injury. 

So how can we make healthy habits, the ones we know will help us be healthier and happier, a sustainable part of our lifestyle?

Stop the excuses—Just Do It

Nike nailed it on the head when they adopted their slogan. 

What prevents so many of us from successfully establishing and maintaining healthy habits are the excuses we create to avoid practicing them. 

“I’m too tired.”

“I’m hungry.”

“I don’t have the time.” 

“I don’t want to.“

Stop making excuses! 

You know that when you finish a tough workout, you feel good. 

You know when you eat a healthy dinner instead of a Big Mac and fries, your stomach is happier. 

You know when you get 8 hours of sleep every night, you have way more patience with your children and you’re a better parent. 

So if moving your body every day is important to you, just do it. Block it in your schedule just like you do the meeting at work, or your kid’s hockey game. 

If eating healthier every day is important to you (to have more energy, to fuel your workouts, to lose weight, to improve your digestive issues), just do it. 

And if it’s something you’ve struggled with in the past, then hire someone to help you. Talk to your doctor, naturopath, or dietician, and get clear on your nutrition goals and how you can meet them. 

If you want to get 8 hours of sleep every night, just do it. Create a bedtime routine that supports you in getting the rest you need. Wake up at the same time every day. Don’t burn the candle at both ends. Monitor your caffeine intake. 

You’ve heard it all before. It’s time to apply it to your own life. 

It’s easy to come up with excuses for why you can’t do it, but is that how you want to live your life? 

All those excuses are preventing you from feeling healthier and healthier. They’re preventing you from living a life you love. 

So it’s time to stop the excuses and just do it. Here’s how:

Excuse #1: No Time

Everyone's favourite excuse is that we don’t have the time, and yes, many of us do have very full lives with lots of commitments that keep us busy.

But the truth is we all have the same 24 hours to get stuff done. Instead of using the excuse that you don’t have the time, swap it for you haven’t made it a priority.

How does the excuse of having no time sit with you now?

If you’re still thinking you don’t have the time, I encourage you to do a time audit. 

Pick a day and keep track of how you’re spending your time. And be honest with yourself. If you spent 45 minutes online shopping for your kids, write it down. If you scrolled Instagram for 28 minutes of your lunch break, write it down. 

The average adult is on their phone for 4 hours and 37 minutes. A lot can be done in 4 and a half hours. 

• Move your body

• Plan, prepare and eat healthy meals

• Spend time in nature

• Have a bedtime routine so you get a good night’s sleep

So if having no time is an easy excuse for why you’re not practicing the healthy habits you know will improve your life, start with a time audit.

 You might be surprised at where your time is being spent and you might choose to shift it to things that are more important to you (like those healthy habits you keep saying you want to practice).

Other tips to ditch the NO TIME excuse:

• Block it into the calendar and if possible do it earlier in the day (it’s less likely to get pushed back).

• Let others know it’s important to you (like your partner, your kids, your friends). They can support you in surprising ways if you let them know it’s a priority for you to make it happen.

• Prepare the night before. If you’re working out, get your clothes ready. If you want to eat healthy at work, pack your lunch.

• Don’t overthink it. Just do it. 

Excuse #2: Waiting for Perfection

Have you been putting off a habit because you want to make sure you can do it perfectly?

You know meal planning would help you and your family eat better, but you’re worried that you won’t be able to pull it off—no one will like what you make, or the food will spoil waiting to be prepared. 

You know that weight lifting would help strengthen your muscles and bones, but you’re worried about how you’ll look at the gym.

You know spending time in nature is good for your mental health, but rather than exploring your city’s walking trails, you’re waiting for the perfect time to escape to the mountains on a retreat.

Waiting until you have the perfect set of circumstances to practice healthy habits ensures they never become routine 

Yes, maybe a 60-minute workout is the goal, but you only have 30 minutes right now. Thirty minutes of working out will leave you sweaty and proud. Thirty minutes of scrolling Instagram will leave you feeling like you’re not measuring up. How do you want to feel? You get to choose which one is more rewarding.  

Excuse #3: Fear of Failure

Another excuse that you might have could be fear of failing.

Trying something new, or trying something that we’ve failed at before can be intimidating, especially when it’s important to us. 

The possibility of not meeting our own high expectations can make us want to avoid trying altogether. 

So how can we be successful?

By mastering one habit at a time.

In the last blog, you learned how mastering your keystone habit makes other self-care practices easier. 

A keystone habit is the one habit that, when you practice it regularly, other habits naturally fall into place around it. It’s like they work together to support one another. 

Don’t try to do everything at once. 

It’s hard. 

It doesn’t have a great success rate. 

Stick with ONE habit and master that one habit that best supports you. 

When you do this, the other habits you keep trying and failing to make stick will start to stick with much less effort. 

Excuse #4: Not Having the Energy

This was my biggest excuse for the longest time. 

I was simply too burnt out.

I knew that if I ate healthier, slept better, and got outside more, I’d feel better—I heard it often enough.

🏃‍♀️ When you move your body, you have less joint pain. Your knees and your back feel better. You sleep better. You have fewer headaches and you have more energy.

🥘 When you eat more nutritious food, you fuel your body better throughout the day. You have more energy to play with your kids. Your digestive issues improve. 

😴 When you get enough quality sleep, you are a more patient and kind parent. You are a more assertive employee. You have more energy for doing things you love. 

🍂 When you get outside in nature, you feel more joy. You’re more grounded. You have more balance in your life and you have more gratitude. 

You know the benefits, the reasons why. 

So did I, but to actually put it into practice? I had no energy for that (or that’s what I told myself). 

It took a forced leave of absence for me to get serious about my self-care. 

Let my story be a warning to you. 

Don’t wait until you’re completely burnt out before you realize the importance of self-care for your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

Start today.

Create a self-care practice that works for you. Make your healthy habits part of your regular routine, so you won’t have to think about them, because they’ll naturally happen–just like brushing your teeth.

And you will continue to practice them because you feel happier and healthier when you do. 

Excuse #5: Feeling Guilty

Feeling guilty is a big excuse for women. 

We feel guilty for putting our needs ahead of others.

We feel guilty when we take time to care for our health and wellness.

We feel guilty practicing self-care (like wanting 15 minutes to take a shower by ourselves with no one banging on the door for Mom).

So often the things we do for ourselves get pushed to the back burner.

We tell ourselves we’ll get to it later, but more often than not, later never happens.

Who is benefitting from your failure to take care of yourself? 

Not you, not your partner, not your kids. 

Instead of thinking that self-care is selfish, and feeling guilty for taking 15 minutes just for yourself, flip it around. 

Self-care is looking after your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. 

It’s an act of self-love. No one else is going to do it for you. It’s something you need to prioritize yourself. 

If you want to be the best mama and partner you can be, you need to start taking care of yourself.

You can’t pour from an empty cup. 

When your cup is full, you’re able to show up as the active and loving mother. The kind and patient partner. The supportive and encouraging friend. 

So what are you doing to make sure that your cup is full? 

🌟 You’re going to stop the excuses. You are worthy of feeling happier and healthier. 

🌟 There is always enough time.

🌟 Choose progress over perfection.

🌟 Make success more likely by mastering your keystone habit first.

🌟 Don’t wait until you’re completely burnt out to start.

🌟 Stop feeling guilty. 

And finally, JUST DO IT!