Tag: healthy habits

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7 Healthy Habits That Maximize Your Productivity Every Day

Maximize Your Productivity

Entrepreneurs usually keep a densely packed schedule that fits as much work as possible into their waking hours. There’s always something else to be done and more you’d like to achieve, so how do you keep your day running efficiently without being overrun by the demands on your time?

There are some tricks I’ve learned over my entrepreneurial journey that has served me well in running my day successfully. Not every day will stick to the routine, but if you commit to practicing these steps daily, you’ll get better at keeping them over time.

Here are seven steps I’ve learned for effectively running your day as an entrepreneur.

1. Start your day the night before.

The night before is really when your new day begins. I’ve found over the years that by approaching bedtime with a routine I can effectively start the next morning with all systems go. Begin by ensuring you know what’s on the calendar for the following day. Go over appointments, calls and any other important deadlines in the day so you have an awareness of what’s on the agenda.

Next, get anything you need in the morning set aside and ready at night. Bag packed, if you bring lunch — then lunch made and ready to grab, gym bag all set up to go, etc. Make sure whatever you need in the morning is as easy as grab and go.

Finally, set yourself up for sleep success. Make sure you turn off all electronics that could beep, buzz, or light up during the night and disrupt your sleep.

2. Move first thing.

Getting out of bed and making your body move gets the blood flowing and the brain synapses connecting again. If you aren’t in the habit of moving first thing when you get up, this may feel a little strange at first but trust me, it works. Even if you aren’t a morning person, grab your gym bag and hit the gym or put on your shoes and walk your dog for 30 minutes. Fresh air and movement start your body and your brain off on the right foot for the day. You’ll have more energy and a clearer head when you’re done.

3. Tame your brain.

Meditation or mindfulness practice is an essential workout for your head. It only takes 10 to 20 minutes in the morning to adopt a practice that can really help you effectively manage your day and your life. Meditation is proven in study after study to help you deal better with stress and improve the fluidity of your mind, meaning you have a more adaptable brain.

Work your head out every morning with some kind of mind-strengthening exercise. Try the Headspace app for a free introduction to what mindfulness and meditation can do for you.

4. Get help with staying organized.

If you aren’t an organized or punctual person, get the help you need to become one. This can be done with an organization app like Trello, WorkFlowy, or Evernote, or by hiring someone part-time to assist you with task, time, and calendar management. If you want an efficient day then you need to be organized.

5. Remember to eat.

Your body and your brain need fuel. Don’t forget that food is an important part of the day’s routine. This sounds simple but so many times entrepreneurs run themselves into the ground, skipping meals and forgetting to eat, only to grab the quickest (and often unhealthiest) thing they can eat on the go. Don’t fall victim to this trap. Snack frequently and remember to eat the right kind of healthy, nourishing food you need to stay energized all day.

If you struggle, there are snack prep delivery options like Nature Box or home delivery healthy meal prep options like Blue Apron where literally everything you need for dinner is delivered to your door.

6. Batch your time.

Time batching is an efficient way to get the uninterrupted productivity time you need. Ensure that there’s at least one hour, preferably two, of batched time for you to problem-solve, think, brainstorm, and otherwise handle the work you need to do without being disturbed. It’s a highly efficient way to get a lot done in small bursts of productivity.

7. Disconnect from work.

Last but not least, when you leave work in the evening, try to disconnect from work. This may be less important when you’re still young and single, but it becomes a crucial lifestyle practice when you have a partner or a family. Your time outside of work greatly contributes to your time at work, so give your significant other and family the focus and attention they need and leave the office work at the office.

Source: entrepreneur.com ~ Author: Adam Toren ~ Image: Canva Pro

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You’ll Never Lose Motivation To Stay Healthy If You Embrace This One Mindset Change

You lack motivation to kick-start all your healthy plans even though you know the ways. Perhaps, you’ve tried few of them, but you failed and can’t persist.

If this is your case, spend 4 minutes to take a look on this article. It will teach you practical ways to stay in the healthy game consistently and never lose motivation again.

Why and how to develop a growth mindset when it comes to your health

Recently I read the book Mindset by Carol S. Dweck and it really stuck with me.

The book is basically about two mindsets:

the growth mindset and the fixed mindset.

Who better to explain them than Carol herself:

In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don’t necessarily think everyone’s the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it.

What has this to do with your health?

As the title already suggested developing a growth mindset will be beneficial for your health.

Let me explain.

There seems to be some thinking that health is only reserved for a few “lucky” people, with the right genes and the right environment when growing up.

I’ve heard it so many times:

  • “I can’t lose weight, because of my genes.”
  • “I was overweight as child, I can’t get to a normal weight now.”
  • “Not eating junk food is so hard.”
  • “I just can’t go to bed when I’m supposed to”
  • “I can’t exercising…”
  • etc., etc., etc.,

Well, that’s all BS. (I admit it, there might be some rare exceptions)

That’s your fixed mindset telling you:

”Look at you. You couldn’t stay slim/fit until now, you lack the ability to lose weight and you will never learn it”

Here’s the thing, BS as well. Don’t believe this

Every single one of you is able to get healthy, either by losing weight, eating quality food, exercising or sleeping enough.

Don’t let your fixed mindset tell you that you can’t do this.

Develop a growth mindset. Every single day think about what you can do to upgrade your health. Focus on the process not on the results.

  • Want to lose weight? Don’t focus on your “ideal weight”, but commit on exercising consistently.
  • Want to sleep better? Don’t focus on what your perfect sleep would look like, but commit on going to bed on time.
  • Want to eat better? Don’t focus on what your ideal diet will look like, but commit to eating a little bit better every day.

Your health isn’t fixed. Genes only account for around 20% of your health, but what about the other 80%?

Well, you are in control of that. Not your parents, not your friends, but you.

Developing a growth mindset for health is hard at the beginning, especially when all your life you have been thinking with a fixed mindset.

Here’s a 4 step process you can take to develop a growth mindset for your health.

Step 1: Show up for your health.

Whatever you want to achieve you need to show up first.

  • Want to go to bed earlier? Show up at your bedtime.
  • Want to eat healthier? Show up in your kitchen ready to prepare a meal.
  • Want to exercise more? Show up with your gym clothes, ready to exercise or take a run.

Show up for the first time, starting to upgrade your health.

Step 2: Notice your fixed mindset when it comes to your health.

Have you ever noticed that voice in your head, when you started exercising or cooking, that told you “You can’t do this, you can’t do that, you’re just born this way, just accept it.”

That’s your fixed mindset. Every time you try to eat healthier or start exercising the voice is telling you to stop to avoid failure.

Notice this voice in your head.

Step 3: Realize that failure is an opportunity to grow, not a reason to give up.

Oftentimes that voice in your head want to prevent you from failure, because it thinks failure is bad. Instead, everytime that voice comes up think about failure as an opportunity to grow.

Everybody experiences failure, it’s how you deal with it that makes you stand out.

  • Couldn’t go to bed earlier? Think about what you can do better. Maybe don’t watch TV in the evening.
  • Your home made meal tastes crappy? Think about what went wrong. Maybe try an easier recipe.
  • You can’t do 10 pushups? Start with one, but make sure to show up again!

You might have failed, but that’s not a reason to give up.

Step 4: Show up consistently.

When showing up consistently big results will happen, but don’t focus on them. Focus on the process instead.

  • Instead of thinking about how much weight you have to lose, focus on healthy eating every day.
  • Instead of thinking about how you run a marathon, focus on showing up for running consistently.

Your fixed mindset is preventing you back from getting healthy. Don’t let it do that. Develop a growth mindset. This isn’t limited to your health, but can be applied to all areas of your life.

Your health is a good starting point!

I hope those steps will help you realize that your health isn’t fixed. It’s in your hand. What will you show up for today?our

Source: betterhumans.coach.me ~ By: Paul Edrich

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Why Exercising Is a Higher Priority Than My Business

There’s a prevalent attitude among entrepreneurs that the business, whatever that business is, comes first. It is the high priority that trumps everything else, including family, friends and especially health.

I’ve seen entrepreneurs sacrifice all these things, sometimes with tragic consequences, to focus on making their businesses successful. I’ve also done it myself, although I’m one of the lucky ones. During the years I made my business my highest priority, my wife stuck by my side, I didn’t cause any permanent damage with friendships (although I certainly didn’t nurture any) and I didn’t die.

It’s not greed that motivates us entrepreneurs. It would be difficult to justify the sacrifices we make if the only reward were money. Dollars become mere points in a sort of game. What it’s really about is building something great, doing something that matters and changing the world. That’s what makes it so easy to brush other things off. But it’s a mistake. I know that now, and that’s why today I care more about exercise than my business. But it’s not easy.

I have a growing business with 14 team members. These men and women rely on me to make sure their paychecks come on time, that benefits are there for them and their families, and that obstacles are removed so they can get their work done. We have approximately 40 clients, who are depending on me to make sure they’re getting the results that will help their businesses grow.

This adds up to a lot of tasks, and a lot of pressure. On any given day there are easily 100 important things I should be doing for my business, 50 of which are also urgent, but there is no way I can get more than 10 things done. And yet each and every week I spend at least 10 hours on focused, physical exercise.

I schedule my workouts during the workday and prioritize exercise over all my work activities. There is some flexibility, but if there is a conflict between a trail run I need to get in, and a meeting with a client, I’ll reschedule the client meeting first. I do this because I and my business can survive the consequences of rescheduling a client meeting, even if it means losing that client. But as soon as I start pushing workouts off, I’ll start missing workouts, and once I start missing workouts, I’m close to stopping workouts altogether.

Exercise must come first, or it’s unlikely to happen at all.

If exercise stops, then my health goes downhill. With the loss of physical health my productivity at work goes down. I become depressed. I lose motivation to do the things that makes my business successful. I’ve learned firsthand that excellence in one area of my life promotes excellence in all other areas of my life. Exercise is the easiest area of my life to control. It’s easy to measure. Either I get it in, or I don’t. When I do, it lifts up all other areas of my life, including my business.

For a long time, I was fooled into thinking that if my business wasn’t the top priority, then that meant I wasn’t doing all I could do to make it successful. This is an understandable way of thinking, but it’s completely wrong.

If my life is made up of 10 priorities, then it’s not as simple as saying that if I move the business from being priority two to priority one, that the business is going to benefit. The trick is to figure out which ordering of priorities provides the maximum overall benefit.

For example, when I exercise, that makes me better in every role I have, whether it’s as a husband, father, friend or entrepreneur. If I were to stop exercising because I felt that being a good business owner was a higher priority, then ironically I would end up a worse business owner than I was when it was a lower priority. Putting exercise first creates a win-win.

As my business grows, I see members of my team falling into the same trap I did. That’s why we’re working to institute health incentives, and why I’m not ashamed to talk about the time I take out of my work day to exercise. I know that if my team members put exercise and health before their jobs, they might work fewer hours, but they’ll feel better about themselves, have more fulfilling lives and they’ll produce better results with the hours they do work.

Source: entrepreneur.com ~ By Josh Stemiele

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Here’s Exactly What 9 Nutritionists Eat For Breakfast

Here’s Exactly What 9 Nutritionists Eat For Breakfast

From eggs to oats to super green smoothies, nutritionists enjoy all kinds of healthy (and tasty) eats for their morning meal. The one thing the meals have in common? They exist.

Whether you consider breakfast the most important meal of the day or not, the experts will tell you that it’s important enough to have seven days a week. One large study in Japan found that people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain other healthy habits, and that breakfast skippers are more likely to be smokers and less receptive to eating fruits and veggies. Even more, those who stuck it out till lunch were nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes.

A breakfast ritual will also set a good example for the young ‘uns, who studies show will do better in school if they consume healthy breakfasts.

So now that you’ve decided on breakfast, all that’s left to figure out is what you’ll be having. Get inspired by the nine breakfasts below, all approved and eaten by registered dietitians.

  • 1 Scrambled Eggs With Fruit
    Andrew Unangst via Getty Images
    Julie Upton starts her day with two to three scrambled eggs (usually one whole egg and two whites, she says), a piece of fruit smeared with nut butter and a cup of tea.

    “It’s quick and easy and I try to get around 20-25g of  protein at breakfast to keep my hunger and cravings in check,” the dietitian says. “To balance the protein from eggs, I get some carbs from the banana with fat from the nut butter.”

  • 2 Portable Breakfast Bar
    Kind
    Rebecca Scritchfield enjoys a Kind Breakfast Bar in the a.m. She washes it down with a latte.

    The dietitian says she loves the meal because “I can get my caffeine fix with some calcium and eat a nutritious bar with quality ingredients and nothing artificial.

  • 3 Green Smoothie
    jenifoto via Getty Images
    A blend of mixed greens, frozen mango, frozen berries, a banana and water isChrista Mantey‘s breakfast recipe for success.

    “It’s an awesome way to front load my day with the healthiest fuel there is — raw, dark leafy greens and fruit,” says the dietician. “It energizes me and sets my day up to continue eating healthy.”

  • 4 Oatmeal With Walnuts
    Yulia_Davidovich via Getty Images
    Katherine Brooking likes to start her morning with a little sweetness. She makes a bowl of oatmeal with walnuts, and sweetens it with a bit of honey or brown sugar.

    “Oatmeal fills me up until lunch,” the dietitian says. “It’s low in sodium and saturated fat, high in healthy carbs that provide energy for my morning.”

  • 5 Fiber-Boosted Coffee + Drinkable Yogurt
    Siggis
    Felicia Stoler fills up on nutrients as the sun rises, especially because she’s a morning exerciser. A cup of coffee with a fiber supplement like Sunfiber, a small glass of orange juice and a drinkable yogurt like Siggi’s usually make it into her routine.

    The dietitian says she adds Sunfiber to her java to increase her fiber intake without feeling bloated or weighed down. The O.J comes right before her workout to help her with endurance and she slugs back the yogurt after the sweat session. “[It’s] the right carbohydrate-protein ratio for optimal post-workout refueling,” she says.

  • 6 Old Fashioned Rolled Oats With Fresh Fruit
    mustipan via Getty Images
    Alissa Rumsey wakes up to deliciousness. Her morning starts with old-fashioned rolled oats made with milk and topped with nuts, chia seeds, fresh fruit and a touch of vanilla and cinnamon.

    It’s all about satiety. “The oats provide soluble fiber, which along with the fat from the nuts and seeds, and the protein in the milk, all help keep me full until lunch time,” says the dietitian.

    “I love using chia seeds for their beneficial omega-3 fats.” If you’re not a chia fan, you can still certainly use Rumsey’s sweetening trick. “Instead of sugar, I use fresh fruit like strawberries or chopped apple, and a little vanilla extra for sweetness. Oatmeal takes on the flavor of whatever you mix into it, and the flavor combinations are endless.”

  • 7 Protein Oats
    Azurita via Getty Images
    Marjorie Cohn takes her bowl of oatmeal to the next level by adding an egg, and then some. The registered dietitian starts with oatmeal and adds the egg, chia seeds, canned pumpkin cinnamon and peanut butter. She’ll also have an apple or a pear on the side.

    [See: Why you should cook an egg into your oatmeal.]

    The brimming bowl is the dietitian’s favorite because “It’s easy, quick, delicious and keeps me going all morning because it’s high in protein and fiber.”

  • 8 Peanut Butter + Toast
    Alex Cao via Getty Images
    Vandana Sheth fuels up with a slice of whole grain, high fiber toast with peanut butter, slice banana and hemp hearts or chia seeds.

    The dietitian says this meal is portable, nutritious and flavorful. The heart-healthy fats, protein and fiber make it a very well-rounded welcome into the morning.

  • 9 Egg White English Muffin With Cheese
    MIXA via Getty Images
    A whole wheat English muffin topped with an egg white and a slice of cheese is what Angela Ginn-Meadow makes in the morning.

    The dairy, protein and whole grain-packed meal is easy to eat on the go, especially on “hectic mornings,” the dietitian says.

Source: Huffington.com ~ By: Kate Bratskeir

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15 Foolproof Strategies to Stick to Your Fitness Resolutions

January is always the busiest time of the year for gyms—you might even call it the fitness version of Black Friday. After a holiday season of eating, drinking, and being merry (often in excess), many gyms see their membership double each January. Regardless of all that enthusiasm, gym attendance is usually back to its normal, pre-New Year level by mid-February.

Perhaps that’s because, for many of us, New Year’s resolutions are a bit of a joke: People break them before the year is out (a third won’t even make it to the end of January).

But you don’t need superpowers or an iron will to commit to being healthier this year. Whether your goal is to do 10 push-ups, run a marathon, or simply take the stairs more often—you can get there! Check out these tips to have your fittest year yet.

1. Write It and Measure It

Resolutions should be both specific and measurable. In fact, a recent study found that setting broad, vague, goals can make people depressed. Writing down your goals is not only a great way to accomplish them, but your list can also help you figure out the exact steps needed to get there.

“I want to lose weight” is a pretty common New Year’s resolution, but how exactly do you go from point A to point B? Instead, try setting a more specific goal. For instance: “I want to lose 10 pounds over the next six weeks by eliminating fast food meals and going to the gym three to four times per week. I’ll then maintain my goal weight for six months before setting any other new goals.”

Breaking down the goal’s components (with numeric benchmarks), and keeping a regular checklist will help solidify the task and keep you on track. Make your resolutions follow the SMART model: specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound.

2. Make Resolutions Manageable

A resolution shouldn’t be a fantasy. If you’ve never lifted weights before, attempting to hit the weight bench seven days per week is probably setting yourself up for disappointment. For most people, upending a lifetime of habits can’t happen overnight—even if that night is December 31. The reason is partly physiological; the brain just likes comfortable old habits over new, different ones.

The key to sustainable resolutions is to make small changes gradually. So if your goal is to go from never running to finishing a half-marathon, start training gradually. Begin by walking a few miles twice a week, and steadily increase the workload to jogging, and then running over several months.

3. Break Up the Goal

Resolving to do 10,000 push-ups in a year is pretty intimidating. But 192 push-ups every week… OK, that’s still pretty scary. But breaking it down to 28 per day looks a lot more manageable, right? A goal that’s either far in the future or far out of your comfort zone can be tough to start, so break the resolution down into achievable steps.

Better yet, give yourself several small resolutions throughout the year. For instance, instead of aiming to add 80 pounds to your bench press in a year, aim to add just over six pounds per month. Easier, right?

4. Treat Yo’Self!

When you hit those hard-earned benchmarks—one perfect pull-up, holding a headstand, the first week you managed to run 30 minutes a day—treat yo’self!

Choose a reward that won’t undo your hard work: a weekend getaway, a beach day, a mani-pedi, a massage (they’re good for you), some new fitness swag, or a movie date. Regular treats divided by goal (or really, divided by anything) can help you reach those milestones faster than you previously thought possible.

5. Question Your Motives

A steady gym habit can result in six-pack abs, but superficial goals may lose their appeal after endless weeks of diet and exercise. Instead, try framing fitness as a direct path to health and happiness. Regular exercise has unexpected benefits including lowering cholesterol, boosting overall energy, and even increasing happiness. Bringing some deeper intentions to your workout can make all the difference in sticking to your goals.

Before hitting the gym, ask yourself some introspective questions: Why did you make this resolution? What do you want to achieve? Developing answers that elicit a powerful emotional response can help motivate your goals.

6. Ask for Help

Not knowing how to do a certain exercise is no excuse to write it off completely. If you’re curious about new techniques, or find some exercises that are too intimidating (looking at you, deadlifts!) book a session with a personal trainer to clear up confusion, help prevent injury, and learn to love new moves. Trainers and instructors are there to help, so don’t be self-conscious about asking for advice.

Another idea: If you already have a class you love, don’t be afraid to stick around for a few minutes and ask the instructor about some of the moves you did.

7. Keep a Schedule

Time management is important for accomplishing any goal, and fitness is no exception. Early morning exercise is a great way to fit a workout into a busy day, and it may encourage healthier eating and more movement throughout the day.

But if waking up early is your idea of cruel and unusual torture, then sweating at 6 a.m. is probably not a sustainable system. Make your fitness routine work for you: Pick a time of day when you have energy, schedule a workout, rinse, and repeat.

8. Keep It Interesting

If your resolution is to exercise consistently three or four times per week, it’s time to think beyond the treadmill and the weight rack. Even for experienced gym rats, sticking to one or two types of exercise can get a little mind-numbing. Experiment with yoga, rock climbing, martial arts, team sports, kettlebells, and everything between. The more variety in your exercise program, the more fun it will be to follow, and the more likely you’ll find something you absolutely love.

The best way to test-drive a new form of exercise is to take a group class or book a session with a personal trainer—think of the extra cost as an investment in your health.

9. Hold Yourself Accountable

Stay on track by putting your money where your mouth is: Pay in advance for an exercise program that demands attendance. If working out with a trainer or group class isn’t your style, pencil in regular gym dates with friends or your partner to stay accountable. Knowing that someone’s waiting for you at the gym can prevent skipping workouts (or sleeping through them), and it’s a lot more fun than going it alone. Plus, according to some studies, sweating with a buddy improves results—even if it’s a virtual friend on a video game.

10. Choose the Right Tech

There are scores of gadgets and apps that can help motivate would be gym-goers, but the most useful might be those that connect the user with a community of health-oriented peers. After all, it’s easier to stay on the right path with a supportive community cheering you on. MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, and Noom are great places to start tracking progress and setting new goals, and the apps are well known for their online communities.

Looking for a simpler approach? Try Commit, a super simple app that asks the user, every day, if they’ve achieved a goal they’ve set. The app features a progress bar that tracks how many days you’ve committed to your goal in a row.

11. Think Outside the Box

Exercise doesn’t have to be a formal activity. If your New Year’s resolution is to simply be more active and burn more calories every day, there are plenty of creative (and free) ways to achieve that goal. You can fit extra movement into the day by walking during phone conversations or even volunteering for household chores. Even something as simple as drinking water throughout the day will ensure regular trips to the faucet and the bathroom.

Pick up a pedometer, grab an activity tracker, or download an app to keep track of how many steps you take, then try to beat your own record. Every minute you’re not sitting or lying down is a step toward better overall fitness.

12. Reevaluate Resolutions Often

How many people resolve to finish a marathon, only to realize they kind of hate distance running? Or decide to take up yoga and realize they want something faster-paced? A lot of things seem fun from a distance (ahem, barre class, anyone?), but might not be a good fit in reality. If this happens to you, it’s time to switch gears and pick a different resolution.

13. Buy Some Cool Gear

If you’re serious about fitness, consider investing in a pair of kickass walking shoes, a few tech-fabric shirts, some rock climbing gloves, a swimsuit, a cool yoga mat… whatever will get you excited about exercise. Something as simple as new workout clothes can improve confidence and help you get to the gym. After all, nobody wants to spend 50 dollars on a shirt that never gets worn, right?

14. Don’t Be Afraid to Scale Back

You don’t need to be doubled over in pain, sweating out of your eyeballs, or dry heaving into the trash to have a “good” workout. Some people love intense workouts, but for others, ramping up the pain just means they’ll dread exercising—and nothing derails a fitness resolution like learning to hate exercise. A challenging workout should push you a bit outside your comfort zone, but there’s no need to catapult yourself a thousand miles from it.

15. Be Forgiving

Even the best-laid resolutions can lose steam by spring. Once the excitement of a new regimen has worn off—or your results plateau—it’s easy to justify taking a few days (or weeks) off. For some people, going on lengthy breaks can easily lead to an “Ah, screw it!” mentality and a cancelled gym membership.

But slip-ups are completely fine (even expected), and there’s not a single person on Earth who hasn’t stumbled in their path to success. If taking time off means slightly tweaking your resolution, then so be it—but don’t give up.

Source: greatist.com ~ By: NICK ENGLISH

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