10 Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Busy Women

Have you noticed that whenever you run short on time, the first thing you cut back on is yourself? Break the vicious cycle with these 10 healthy lifestyle habits for busy women and finally start creating the life that you desire for yourself.

Life is never linear, instead, it’s a constant up and down and there are always times when life gets busy. And on some occasions, we might even struggle to keep up with the pace.

To ‘save’ time, we skip the post-work gym session, spend the lunch break at the desk working instead of heading out for a walk, pick up takeaway for dinner as we are too tired to cook, cancel the Sunday coffee date with a friend, because there is too much chorus to catch up on, etc.

One can have the best intentions to live a healthy lifestyle, but when life gets busy we tend to switch on autopilot to keep up with everything. Actions turn into reactions, lacking intention.

We think we ‘save’ time, but in reality, what happens is that we cut back on ourselves, and over time, this starts to show in our physical mental and emotional well-being.

Living a healthy lifestyle is a holistic approach, but first and foremost it is a choice. And the choice is yours to make. You are the most important asset that you have and it is totally up to you to live and create your happiness.

Today we will look at 10 healthy lifestyle habits for busy women. For each one of the 10 healthy lifestyle habits for busy women I will give you a ‘why’, an emotional hook/inspiration and I will also give you tips and tricks on ‘how’ you can make this new healthy lifestyle habit happen.

Before we start, grab your fluffy coffee, lean back and let’s talk about 10 healthy lifestyle habits for busy women.

Why is living a healthy lifestyle important?

Living a healthy lifestyle is the basis for a life filled with joy, happiness and purpose.

Keeping up healthy habits is one part, but living a healthy lifestyle is also about enjoying life to the fullest and actively creating a life that matters to you and that you desire to live.

Key elements of a healthy lifestyle

Below are the 5 key elements that build the foundation of a healthy lifestyle:

• Sleep
• Movement
• Nutrition
• Balance/stress management
• Positive attitude toward life

All these elements are interconnected. If one is out of balance, it will impact the other elements.

If the imbalance continues for a longer period, it is likely to cause an overwhelm. This overwhelm can result in physical health decline, mental health issues, reduced productivity, unhealthy coping strategies (e.g. overeating, substance abuse, etc.), loss of enjoyment, etc.

Tip: To help avoid an imbalance, prioritize self-care, set boundaries, exercise regularly, create a healthy work-life balance, enjoy regular downtime and make time for activities that nourish all aspects of your health and happiness.

What are healthy lifestyle habits?

Habits are certain behaviours or actions that are automatic. You almost do them unconsciously and specific cues or contexts trigger habits.

Habits develop over time and your habits impact your daily life. Whether you do them consciously or unconsciously, your habits shape your life and create your reality.

Healthy lifestyle habits are all actions that you take to support your physical, mental and emotional well-being.

10 Healthy lifestyle habits for busy women

Below are 10 healthy lifestyle habits that you can easily incorporate into your daily life to support you in creating the life that you desire for yourself and to thrive into the person that you desire to be.

Healthy lifestyle habits #1: Eat with the seasons

Why? Eating with the seasons reconnects you with the natural cycle. Seasonal food is typically harvested at peak ripeness, which means it’s often fresher and more nutrient-dense compared to out-of-season products that may have been stored for longer periods or transported over long distances. In short: you eat healthier, support local farmers and save money.

How to start? Ditch the supermarket and head to the local farmers’ market at the weekend instead. Get curious about your food, learn where it comes from, how it’s grown, try a few new healthy recipes, etc. Get ready to indulge in the seasonal colours and the freshness they offer.

Healthy lifestyle habits #2: Move your body

Why? Movement strengthens the body, boosts energy, helps to sleep better, and movement releases endorphins, and more endorphins mean more happiness. In addition to this, movement helps to boost the immune system, reducing the risk of infections and illnesses.

How to start? Stop thinking about how many calories you will burn in an hour while doing this workout. Instead, pick an exercise that you like doing. If you like what you do, you are more likely to do it again and it will be easier to keep up with it.

Block the time for your workout session in your diary. Don’t shuffle the time around during the week. Keep the same day and time every week so that over time, this turns into a new healthy habit of yours.

If you like yoga, try one of my completely free on-demand online yoga classes, or join me for the 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge. I am ready when you are.

Tip: There is always room for more movement, take the stairs instead of the lift, pick one day when you run or cycle to work instead of taking the tube, go for a 10 min walk at lunchtime, etc.

Healthy lifestyle habits #3: Hydrate

Why? 60% of the human body is water. Yep, that’s a lot to keep up on. Drinking water keeps your brain active, helps the digestive system, keeps us energized, regulates the body temperature, hydrates the skin, helps to detox, etc. And apart from this, water carries lots of important nutrients.

How to start? Treat yourself to a shiny new water bottle. Choose a size that is easy to carry around and fits in your bag. Keep the bottle on you all day long. Make sure your bottle is always filled with water. Use the bottle to be your reminder to keep drinking water during the day.

If you are looking for more taste, infuse your water with lemon, peppermint, cucumber, etc.

Healthy lifestyle habits #4: Get your beauty sleep

Why? Sleep is one of the key pillars of living a healthy lifestyle. Getting a good night’s sleep is important for your physical and mental health. Having enough sleep makes you more productive, strengthens the immune system, and keeps the energy flowing. It also keeps you in a good mood which will help to keep up with other healthy lifestyle habits.

How to start?  Work out how many hours of sleep are ideal for you. Set yourself a bedtime, yes, bedtime. Allow yourself some time to calm down before bedtime. Switch off all your technical devices, prep for the next day, take some time to stretch your body, maybe read a book, or do an evening meditation. Anything that helps you to relax and unwind.

Tip: An evening routine can be a great way to relax and unwind from a long day, it also allows for additional self-care time and beauty time.

Healthy lifestyle habits #5: Start a morning routine

Why? How you start your day sets the tone for the rest of the day. Meaning if you start your day feeling stressed and running behind your schedule, the rest of your day is likely to be the same.

Establishing a morning routine can impact your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It can help you start each day with intention, promotes consistency by creating a structure, helps to reduce stress and boost your productivity, it gives you additional time that you can use for self-care activities or to reflect on your day ahead helping you to focus on your priorities and set a positive tone for the day ahead.

How to start? Check out my morning routine checklist and let me help you start a morning routine that sticks.

Healthy lifestyle habits #6: Digital Detox

Why? Our mobile phones seem to have become an extension of our physical bodies these days. And the first thing most people do in the morning is to reach for their phone.

And boom! Your mind and thoughts are right back to where you left off the day before.

Social media puts a lot of pressure on us and causes feelings of loneliness, low self-esteem, anxiety, and even depression.

How to start? Think about how much actual lifetime you are losing while you are scrolling through your phone. Reduce your screen time per day and introduce a digital detox once a week.

Just imagine…Less pressure of being what you are not, no fear of missing out, and imagine all the time you suddenly end up having to do the things that really matter to you and can have an actual impact on your life. Life goals here I come!

Healthy lifestyle habits #7: Meal prep

Why? Meal prep is a healthy lifestyle habit with two benefits: meal prep will support a healthier and more balanced diet as you will think more about what you eat and it will save you money at the same time. Meal prep is actually a good healthy lifestyle habit to combine with healthy lifestyle habits #1: eat with the seasons.

How to start? First, stock up on containers. I know this might be an obvious thing, but make sure you have enough containers to work with. I failed on this one when I did my first meal prep session.

Pinterest is a great source for meal prep recipes and inspiration, make sure to check it out. If you would like to, feel free to check out my Pinterest Meal Prep board, I have a selection of recipes saved there already and I am happy to share, of course!

Pick what speaks to you and add the supplies to your weekly shopping list.

Tip: If you have a Sunday routine, think of incorporating your meal prep for the week into your Sunday routine.

Healthy lifestyle habits #8: Quarterly check-in

Why? Firstly because you matter beautiful warrior. Secondly, this will help you to stay on track with your dreams and desires and overall life goals and thirdly, checking in with yourself is emotional wellness and counts as your personal self-care time.

Quarterly check-in journal prompts:

• How do you currently feel? Are you happy with your life?
• Do you live life in alignment with your dreams and desires?
• How are you tracking along your life goals?
• Have you reached the goals that you set for yourself in this quarter? If not what happened? What got in the way?
• Define what worked well and what did not work well in the last quarter.
• What are your goals moving forward for the next quarter?
• Is there anything you would like to invite more of into your life?

How to start? Block the time for these quarterly check-ins in your diary. Make this time non-negotiable. Check in with yourself, be honest with yourself, and go through the journal prompts above to help you get started.

Tip: Consider doing a vision board. Usually vision boards are done at the beginning of the year, but you can do them any time during the year too. A vision board is a great way to stay on track with your dreams, desires, and life goals.

Healthy lifestyle habits #9: Laugh more often

Why? Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood and it magically diminishes pain and stress. Everyone loves a good laugh and it does come with a lot of mental health benefits.

How to start? Set an intention to laugh more often. Book tickets for a comedy show, follow your favourite comedian on Instagram, start a Pinterest board with things that make you smile, read up fun facts and share them with a colleague or a friend over a coffee, etc. Make sure to keep these laughs coming.

Need more feel-good activities in your life? Click here.

Healthy lifestyle habits #10: Start a gratitude journal

Why? Practising gratitude can bring a lot of mental health benefits into your life. When you practice gratitude you shift your mindset to the things you already have in your life, all the beauty that surrounds you rather than focusing on what you don’t have. Just imagine your glass always being half full instead of half empty.

How to start? There are so many ways how you can practice gratitude. One of them is to start a gratitude journal. Find out more in my blog post on 5 Ways to Practice Gratitude Daily or How to Start a Gratitude Journal.

How to keep healthy lifestyle habits?

Consistency and commitment to yourself are key if you are looking to start a new healthy lifestyle habit.

But keep in mind that starting a new healthy lifestyle habit takes time and effort. Be patient with yourself along the way and don’t be discouraged in case of setbacks.

Over time these new healthy lifestyle habits will become part of your daily routine leading to improved health and well-being overall.

If you are looking for a bit of support along the way, check out my blog post 5 Steps to a healthy lifestyle.

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Keep in mind that living a healthy lifestyle is a choice and the choice is yours to make. As with everything in life that contributes to a better well-being and a more purposeful life, these healthy lifestyle habits require your commitment if you are looking to facilitate change.Always keep in mind, that you are the most important asset that you have.

Your health and well-being are your responsibility.

Make space for yourself and allow yourself to thrive into the person you desire to be. You deserve it!

Before you go, below are a few more related resources I am sure you will enjoy:

• Find Your Happiness – How to Define Your Personal Core Values
• 11 Toxic Habits to Quit For a Happier and Healthier YOU
• Empower Your Voice: How To Set Healthy Boundaries in Relationships

Should you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment below. It’s always nice to hear from you guys.

Stay healthy and stay wild,

Nicolle

Featured Image: Photo by Peter Conlan on Unsplash