2023 Ripple Habits ... here we come!
Last week in The After Party (the sequel to TRANSFORM: Body + Mind), we had Kathryn Lattimer as a guest speaker talking about Non-Toxic Living. You might know her as Earth Minded Mama. Anyway, she mentioned something towards the beginning of the workout that gave me pause. Each swap we make for better quality / less toxic products we use on or around us is like a stone thrown in a lake. The first ripple is small, but then it gets bigger and bigger as time goes on. How true ... and genius!
It got me thinking, while everyone seems to be vowing to revamp everything about their nutrition, fitness, and identity right now b/c it's a new year (and WHY do we start a new year a few weeks into winter, anyway? Isn't that bizarre?), you might want to focus on smaller, more manageable habits that each start with a small ripple but gain momentum over time.
If you're having trouble sticking to big resolutions, just know mid-winter isn't really when most people feel ready for big change. This season tends to be more of a reflective time with spring bringing about more of that energy needed for bigger change. So you're not lazy ... you're just really in tune with the seasons. ;-)
Here are some 2023 'ripple habits' for you to consider. Pick 1 or 2 at a time so as to not overwhelm you:
Commit to at least 5 minutes of morning sun each day. Sure, longer is great but before we can dial up a habit we need to make it a habit first. Morning sun influences mood, energy, sleep quality later that night, stress levels, metabolism, immunity, and more. Kind of a big deal.
Coffee happens after you've been awake for 90 minutes, with or after breakfast. Check of at least one of those boxes but if you can check off both, great. This helps keep your circadian rhythm in check and your adrenals will thank you.
Make movement a priority. No more "go big or go home" vibes. Have a little cold? No energy? You can still get out for a walk or do some dancing or stretching at home.
Consider adding minerals to your hydration plan. Water is great, but it's even better when we can get it into our cells more effectively. No affiliation, but I love LMNT and Relyte brand. You could also save money and add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon into your water. It's not quite as complete, but it's something.
Identify patterns that aren't serving you and mix it up. Journal about it. Do you keep fighting with your kids during homework time b/c they're bored and you've had it? Try mixing it up ... do homework with them in a different room or in a fort. Do you keep binging at nighttime and you feel cr*ppy afterwards? What needs to be in place to help you prevent this next time? If you're currently in this round of TRANSFORM, we will be diving deep into this. But if you aren't, make sure you're well-fueled during meal times and not riding the blood sugar rollercoaster all day. Then when you want to binge, understand you're looking for something. What is that something? A break? A few minutes to yourself? Joy that you aren't giving yourself enough of throughout the rest of your day? Shake things up.
Create a food acquisition system. Meaning, have a plan. Your plan could mean you meal plan every Saturday and grocery shop every Sunday and spend 30 minutes in the kitchen prepping 1 protein source for the week. It could mean you go with a food delivery service you've been meaning to set up to save some time. It could mean you find 5 take out meals that are pretty nicely balanced so you can rely on them in a pinch. Maybe you get Thrive Market deliveries once a month, Misfits or a CSA for produce weekly, and you hit Costco biweekly for the rest. All that matters is ... do you have a system? Is it working for you?
Get 7-8 hour sleep opportunities nearly every night. "Sleep opportunities" b/c you can't always control when you fall asleep or get woken up. But you do know you'll never get enough if you're not even in bed for long enough. If you're a monkey brain person like me, a pen-and-paper brain dump can be so helpful. Get all the thoughts, follow ups, To Dos down in writing so there's less swirling around up there. Oh, and your blue blockers are cool and all but are you turning off your overhead lights around or just after sunset? If not, don't be surprised if you have trouble sleeping. Melatonin production won't be sufficient with house lights on in the few hours before bed or if they're turned on at all in the middle of the night ... like during a bathroom trip.
Little ripples, big momentum!
XO,
Tara