The days are getting shorter, and the weather will be cooling down. The end of summer can be a busy time, especially for those with kiddos heading back to school. There are patio sets to put away, school supplies to buy, and getting out for those last summer adventures. No matter your age, the end of Summer often feels a bit chaotic, and it comes fast!
As we head into the autumn season of pumpkin spice everything and crunchy leaves next month, why not welcome it with open arms for a fresh start? This is a great time to start or renew, healthy habits, double-down on your goals and get organized.
Here are three of our favorite tips to consider as you reset for the Fall.
1. Establish Routines (and start early)
No one likes that early morning alarm clock on the first day of school, especially when you’ve been enjoying late summer nights with family and friends. The best way to prepare for the back-to-school season is to start early – at least two weeks, to be exact. Keep a consistent wake and sleep schedule, even on the weekends to ensure a regulated circadian rhythm. Sleep is an incredibly important part of staying healthy and performing well at work and school. Having consistent sleep habits will help your family wake up rejuvenated come September and ready to tackle the day!
Planning is an excellent tool to help reduce anxiety about the changing season and helps keep both mornings and evenings less frantic. Consider writing down a morning and evening routine checklist, one for adults and one for kiddos. Good routines will get the day started and moving in the right direction and make for a more pleasant evening. Check out an example here.
2. Incorporate Exercise into Your Day
Getting daily movement is guaranteed to help boost your mood and metabolic health. You are far more likely to get your exercise if you schedule it into your day. Would you miss your dentist appointment if it was written on your calendar? What about skipping grocery shopping? No? Well, then let’s book those workouts! Book an hour or even just 20 minutes of exercise time on your calendar and set reminders. If it is scheduled, you know there will be no other tasks or meetings filling up that time. Most importantly, don’t cancel on yourself! Consider exercising early in the morning so you start your day with an accomplishment! It may take some experimenting to find your ideal time to exercise, because one routine may work for one person and not for the next.
As we head into colder weather and the upcoming holidays, many excuses come up to put off your daily exercise. Here are some options to consider for extra daily movement, because every little bit counts:
-Bike to work, weather permitting
-Park farther away from your destination to walk extra steps
-Set a calendar or smart watch reminder to stand every hour. Extra challenge: do a few squats or jumping jacks.
-Take the stairs, every time you can
-Take your pet for a walk
-Use half of your lunch break for a walk, a quick workout, or some light stretches you can do at your desk!
3. Prep Your Family Snacks and Meals
Making enough food every day for a family can be a daunting task, especially for those with a very busy and active lifestyle. It gets even more complicated if family members have special dietary needs. The good news is there are plenty of resources out there to help make meal planning and prepping a breeze. There are a variety of apps that can help you get organized. Real Plans is a meal planning system that helps you find recipes, creates a shopping list, and gives you step by step cooking instructions. It offers gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and many more options. Other great options include Paprika (which doesn’t require a subscription), Yummly (a free option), and Mealime.
Once you have your meals picked and groceries purchased, organize your prep and cook times to save time in the kitchen.
Here are some tips:
-Schedule time one to two days per week to prep your meals.
- If you are prepping lunch for the week or making a dinner ahead, consider making recipe that requires the longest cook time first so you can prepare other items while it cooks.
-Find air-tight containers to store prepped ingredients. For example: chop up all the vegetables you need for the week’s meals so they’re ready to go. This method also works for spice mixtures, marinades or sauces.
-When your schedule is busy, consider picking one to two meals a week that can be made with little effort in either a crock pot, instant pot, or in one-pan or pot. The extra bonus: if you make a double a batch, you have leftovers!
Don’t let the busy fall season throw you off your game. Give these tips a try and see if they help you reset and focus on your priorities. And, Let us know how these tips worked for you!
