February 12, 2013

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Happy Mardi Gras! Laissez les bon temps rouler= let the good times roll (I was a French minor in college after all!)

A day of indulgence will be less than that for me-I'm saving it all for Valentine's Day with a delicious dinner out and some chocolate. Lately I've been trying to work on little ways to change my routine to make things easier and less stressful for myself. I have some other things to hopefully add into the  mix too. 

Things I've Been Doing: 
1. Food prep

Everybody has been talking about this, but it really makes a huge difference in your day! I've been planning meals out or at least having ingredients/recipes on hand. Sometimes plans change and we eat out or something but it's okay.  I have the Tone It Up Hearty Mushroom Soup in the crockpot today for dinner and can't wait.  

I also prepped a bunch of snacks last night for pre/post workout, after dinner, or those ravenous after work snack attacks.  I made some mini banana muffins, banana chocolate protein bars, and peanut butter raw oats balls (there are a million different recipes floating around the internet).  

2. Unplugging Before Bed
I'm making a rule where I don't check Instagram/Twitter/FB on my phone or computer for at least an hour before bed. I haven't stopped TV, but those blue screens and lights stimulate your brain which makes it harder to go to sleep because it stops your body from producing the hormone melatonin.  Melatonin tablets are a great supplement to take if you have sleep problems, FYI! I'm also thinking of only having 15 minutes a day of social media for a month, but that's for the next post. 

3. Nighttime Ritual
This week I've been better at washing my face, putting lotion on my hands,flossing, and doing all those grooming/bathroom things that sometimes I skip because it takes too long.   My face was breaking out from stress last week but probably also due to a lack of my usual skincare regime.  To keep that ritual/routine is calming to me (OCD tendency, much?) but also becomes part of my schedule so that I'm taking care of myself, especially in these harsher winter months.  


Things to Work On: 

1. AM workouts
I love getting workouts done in the morning. It wakes me up and let's me have time after work to run errands, relax, and subsequently not go to bed past midnight.  This must become a habit!

2. Breathing
When I get stressed lately or overcome with emotions I need to breathe and make some tea.  I usually reach for some candy or freak out instead of taking a moment to try to calm down before it escalates, at which point it's so much harder to calm down.  

3. Making my snacks actual mini meals with nutritional value!
Instead of reaching for that bar that will not fill me up, I want to try eating some chicken or protein filled. I also can try to take the time to make an actual snack and sit down.  This makes it a conscious choice to eat and not just grabbing 4 different "little snacks" over the course of two hours.  


What are things you are trying to add into your daily schedule or routine?

8 comments:

  1. I have been working on unplugging before bed also, since I've noticed the longer I stay online, the more my brain stays overloaded and 'on the clock' when I'm trying to fall asleep! Also working on fitting in more yoga, even if it's only for 10 minutes. It's made a huge difference in my calm and even how well I sleep!

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    1. Yeah it's amazing how attached we get to our technology!

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  2. I need to work on unplugging before bed and getting a better nighttime ritual in too. My sleep is way screwed up from it and I know that if I can make it more normal, I'll be much more rested.

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    1. Sleep is a huge factor in how your next day goes! It's hard to get into a routine, but I'm trying!

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  3. I love how you unplug for an hour before bed. That is something I really need to do myself.

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    1. Try it out, you fall asleep so much easier!

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  4. We have really similar goals!

    I also try and unplug before bedtime (which I'm failing at right now!) because I literally cannot sleep if I've just been on my phone/tablet for an hour. It's so not relaxing to me.

    I also find tea really relaxing and try to drink it before bed to chill me out. Good luck with your goals!

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    1. I drink tons of tea too and at least have one cup before bed!

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