Food For Your Soul: Dawn McGee
As your life’s routines shift with the changing of the seasons, it can sometimes feel like everything is out of control. Learning to find balance in the midst of change is vital to creating a healthy lifestyle.
If you follow my personal feed, you might have seen that my son recently passed his test for his third-degree black belt (so proud!) and then moved back to college. With him gone, we’re back to an empty nest, which means a little more time to focus on all the things I’ve been juggling.
6 Steps On How To Find Balance Through Life’s Changing Seasons:
But here’s the thing: while we were in the midst of packing, planning, and managing all the chaos, my life turned into one big to-do list.
You’ve probably experienced this, too. Life gets busy, and it feels like you’re constantly checking things off a list and trying to keep everything in balance. In these moments, it could be easy to neglect your health. But with the right strategies, you can find balance even in life’s changing seasons!
“Life gets busy, and it feels like you’re constantly checking things off a list and trying to keep everything in balance.”
1. First, Take A Deep Breath:
Change always feels more intense when you’re just getting started. Remember: as new habits settle into your routine, they’ll feel lighter and more manageable. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, step back and take a deep breath. Stick with it—remind yourself why you began, and keep moving forward.
2. Block Off Time For Your Health:
When life gets especially busy, it’s important to get intentional about your healthy habits. Sometimes that means careful scheduling.
Try blocking off time on your calendar for specific activities – a walk, lunch, etc. Treat those time blocks like they’re business meetings: non-negotiable and crucial to a successful day.
3. Set Yourself Up For Success:
Sometimes the little details can slow down our momentum. Take simple preemptive actions when you have the extra time and energy – this will set you up for future success!
For example, if you’re adding stretching to your morning routine, lay out your workout clothes the night before. If you want to add extra vegetables to your meals, prep your produce for the week one evening. This way, you’re balancing your time instead of creating an overcrowded schedule during the busy week.
4. Balance Your Plate:
Ever had a big bowl of ice cream and thought, “That’s it, I’m full!” only to be hungry again an hour later? That’s because the carbs in the ice cream digest quickly, leaving you without the slower-digesting protein to keep you feeling full and energized.
If you want to feel your best, nutrition is such a vital piece of the puzzle. This is especially true when your life is crazy busy. After all, you need all the energy you can get when life gets stressful.
“If you want to feel your best, nutrition is such a vital piece of the puzzle.”
When building your meals, aim for a balance of protein, fats, and carbs. Why? Because it keeps your blood sugar stable and ensures you’re satisfied between meals. Focus on incorporating a source of protein and healthy fat along with your carbs for a more balanced meal.
5. Adapt To Seasonal Shifts:
As the seasons change, it’s essential to think about how your routines and habits might need to shift. A new season often brings a shift in focus, energy, and daily activities. For instance, fall may mean sending kids back to school, shaking up your whole family’s schedules. Winter may mean spending more time indoors, especially if you live in a colder climate. If you live in a warmer climate, summer heat may lead to lower energy levels.
So, I invite you to reflect on your current habits. What habits might you need to restack or reconfigure as the seasons change? Are there new habits you want to form that better align with your goals? At the start of a new season, write down the changes that will be happening in your life, and make a plan to adjust your healthy habits to those changes and maintain balance.
6. Create Systems To Maintain Balance:
If you know you have a solid system in place, you won’t have to waste precious time and energy worrying when your life gets busy.
For instance, hydration is a simple habit to systematize. Keep a full water bottle within reach throughout the day, and if refilling isn’t convenient, bring multiple bottles so you’re never caught without. Small systems like this can help you stay on track without adding stress.
Whatever life throws at you in the coming seasons, I hope these tips help you to create and maintain balance through the changes. Focus on the basics of movement and nutrition, create simple systems, and plan ahead to stay balanced.
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About The Author:
Dawn McGee is a Nutrition Evangelist and Lazy Cook. She is super passionate about putting the fun back into being healthy and does that by teaching women how to eat to serve their body, brain, and soul so that they can get off the sidelines and back to doing all of the things that bring them joy. She works with women who are ready to make their health a priority and just need someone to help them get started and guide them through the process.
Dawn has been coaching clients in person, online, in groups, and in a 1:1 capacity for more than a dozen years. Prior to becoming a nutrition and fitness coach, she spent over 25 years in the high-tech industry, so she truly understands the life of busy professional women.
Join her free group www.facebook.com/groups/NeverDiet and follow her on IG @dmnutrition and on FB @dmnutritioncoach to hear about all the other fun stuff she has (and get a ton of free + valuable info) If you’re ready to cut through the noise, grab her free guide to 7 Nutrition Lies here –> Free Guide: 7 Nutrition Lies We’ve All Been Fed
