How to start a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule

It’s common to feel exhausted trying to balance work, family, social life, and being healthy. It can be difficult to start a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule, but you must make it a priority.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I get commissions for purchases made through some links in this post.

Being healthy means more than not being sick.

It’s when your body and mind are strong, and you have the energy to live life the way you’ve always wanted.

When you’re busy, it’s easy to forget to take care of your body and mind.

That’s why I’ve put together 26 easy ways to take care of yourself when you don’t have much time.

Pick just a couple to start with. Don’t try to do them all at once because it won’t work.

Your schedule is already too tight for you to go crazy trying to do everything you’ll see here.

Start small, and every day you will create a healthier lifestyle.

Tips on how to start a healthy lifestyle in a busy schedule:
Nutrition 

Cooking at home will always be a good option if you want to be healthier. But, I know you have very little time for this.

That’s why I divided this part into two sections.

The first is for those who do not have time to cook, and the second is for those who can cook at home.

Tips to start a healthy lifestyle when you have a busy schedule and can’t cook at home: 

1. Have your meals delivered to your house/office  

If you don’t have time to cook but still want to eat healthily, have your meals delivered.

These services provide quality food and in a short time, you will have your food at the door of your house.

Here is one option: Jet Fuel Meals 

2. Use the feature in Google Maps to save your favorite restaurants

Do you feel stressed out when you are busy, and also have to look for a place to eat?

To avoid that, save restaurant ideas on your phone.

Every time you see a restaurant where you would like to eat or return to, save it to Google Maps.

That way, you have some ideas when you don’t have much time to think about where to eat.

3. Check the restaurant’s menu before going 

Most restaurants have their menu online.

To avoid making decisions when eating out, review their menu beforehand.

You can quickly check the menu earlier in the day so you can make a better decision when you’re there.

Tips to start a healthy lifestyle when you have a busy schedule and can cook at home: 

4. Cook meals in a pot

After almost two years of cooking most of my meals at home, I found a few ways to make the process faster.

Although I like to cook, some days I don’t feel like cleaning a lot of pots and pans.

For those days I make recipes like these:

• Red lentil curry
• Tomato basil chicken (Note: I don’t add sugar to this recipe)  
• Chicken asado 

5. Buy frozen vegetables in larger packages

You can’t imagine how much time you save if you buy frozen vegetables.

They thaw very easily and you can cook them while you cook the rest of your food.

You can also find family-size frozen vegetables that you can store for a few weeks without worrying about them going bad.

I use this tip for broccoli and cauliflower and it saves me a lot of time.

6. Get More Spring Salad Mixes

Salads are already one of the easiest ways to save time when cooking.

But I have found that it can be difficult for me to mix different green leafy vegetables and add variety.

Since you don’t want to waste time thinking about what to mix, buy the Spring Salad Mixes.

They are delicious and simple.

Just add a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and they are ready to eat.

7. Save your recipes

When you’re busy, you often don’t have time to think about what to cook.

That can be overwhelming.

Use apps like Whisk to save your recipes or find new ones.

It’s a great app for creating a shopping list and adding recipe ingredients, which saves a lot of time.

8. Receive your groceries at home

When I was working my 9-5 schedule, skipping shopping was the best.

Take a look at your local store because they may offer this service and you don’t know it.

Also, learn more about vegetables and try new ones.

You can add a lot of variety to your diet by trying foods you’ve never eaten before.

9. Stay on the perimeters of the store.

One of the best ways to stay away from less nutritious foods is to focus on the perimeter of the store.

In that part, you will find vegetables, fruits, nuts, meats, and eggs.

That way you will be more exposed to nutrient-dense foods.

You will also see how little time it takes you to make groceries that way.

10. Pack your own snacks

You haven’t noticed, but you spend a lot of time looking for snacks.

Also, the first available option is not the healthiest.

These are some simple ideas

• Walnuts and 85% (or more) chocolate chips
• Popcorn
• Guacamole and celery sticks
• edamame
• roasted pumpkin seeds

Whether you eat at home or out, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Increase your fat and protein intake to feel full throughout the day.
• Leave your phone while you eat, so you can better enjoy your food.
• Stay hydrated by drinking water often.

Tips on how to start a healthy lifestyle in a busy schedule:

Physical activity 

11. Stretch before bed

Stretching a few minutes before bed is one way to add physical activity to your routine.

Try this routine to stretch for less than 15 minutes every night.

It is also a habit that will help you sleep better and release stress.

12. Walk while brushing your teeth

In total, you spend at least 15 minutes brushing your teeth every day.

So use it to walk a little in your home or office.

It seems like a small action but when you do it every day it makes a big difference.

13. Do a little dance while you cook

There are times when you are cooking and you are just waiting for things to be ready.

So why not move around a bit more while that’s happening?

That will bring some extra activity to your day.

Watch this video for more ideas on how to get more steps into your day.

14. Do a slow push up after waking up

You often hear that you need to spend hours exercising to stay in shape.

But what if I told you that there is a way to stay fit in just 2 minutes a day?

It is possible and the name of this technique is slow strength training.

Instead of doing a regular pushup, count to 5 down and 5 up.

That makes your muscles work like you’re doing a full set of push-ups.

15. Stand up while you work

Most of us work at our desks all day and it’s hard not to be sedentary.

But there is a way around that.

Find a higher table where you can put all your work tools and stay there for a few working hours.

You will notice that you are more productive, your posture is better and you are more active.

16. Find a program that helps with your fitness goals

Stop wasting time trying to find a workout on youtube every time you want to exercise.

Instead, use apps like FitOn that come with tons of videos and exercise plan that you can follow.

That way you have everything in one place and you don’t waste time deciding what to do each day.

Tips on how to start a healthy lifestyle in a busy schedule:

Stress management 

17. Close your email tab

If you want to save time, be more productive, and feel less stressed, try this:

After using your email from your laptop, close the tab.

You won’t guess how much time you waste checking every new email that comes your way.

18. Meditate in your car or while taking a shower

Meditation is all about focusing on one thing.

If you’re short on time, try meditating in your car for 5 minutes before heading to your office.

Now, if this is too much for you and you can’t concentrate with all the noise from the street, try meditating while you shower.

You only need 5 minutes to start cultivating this habit that will bring so many benefits to your health.

19. Write 5 important tasks that you have to finish the next day.

At the end of the day, spend 5 minutes writing down the five most important tasks you have to complete the next day.

Start in the morning with number one and when you finish it continues with task number two.

By choosing just five things to do, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and more productive.

20. Take booster breaks 

Booster breaks are ideal ways to release stress and avoid a sedentary lifestyle. 

Go for a walk of 10 minutes during lunchtime or do a stretching session during the same time. 

These breaks will help you to relax and get some oxygen flowing in your body. 

Here are some examples of what you can do when you have a busy schedule. 

21. Give a rest to your eyes 

The American Optometric Association created the 20-20-20 rule. 

What they suggest is taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look 20 feet (6.1 meters) away.

It doesn’t matter where you look, but it’s important to avoid screens.

For example, you can look out the window or across the room you are in.

22. Think of ten things you are grateful for while you are in bed.

There’s no time to write a gratitude list, so as soon as you wake up, think of ten things you’re grateful for.

You can also do this before going to bed.

But I have found that starting with that feeling of gratitude makes my days so much better.

23. Use your phone after 10 a.m.

Using your phone first thing in the morning has various effects on your health.

Your cortisol levels go up (stress) making you less productive during the day.

So, create a morning routine that doesn’t include your phone.

You can try cooking a nutritious breakfast, reading a book, stretching, or doing a breathing workout.

24. Take 5 minutes every day to clean your workspace

Schedule a short cleaning session for your desk.

At the end of the day, spend at least 5 minutes organizing your workspace.

It is a small action that brings great positive effects the next day.

25. Shake your body to release stagnant energy

When you feel stressed or overwhelmed, it’s good to move your body.

If you’re short on time, you can simply release the tension by shaking your body for 5 minutes.

Here you can see an example of it.

26. Take 5 minutes to do nothing

Schedule 5 minutes of your day to sit or lie down doing nothing.

Let go of thoughts, worries, and feelings without focusing on any of them.

Absorb them, be aware of them, and let them go.

How do you stick to these and start a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule?

• Set a reminder and schedule everything

If you want to create a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule, you have to schedule everything.

That includes your breaks, your work time, and other activities.

• Reward yourself

Find ways to give yourself a treat for the good work you’ve done.

Do it often, because immediate rewards are most effective when you’re creating new habits.

• Share your progress with someone

Talk to friends and family about your journey and share your process with them.

If you don’t feel like sharing that with them, look for online groups. 

One recommendation: 

Join Healthy Women With A Busy Lifestyle Group

I created this group where you will find like-minded women looking for support.

There you will learn practical tips to start living a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule.

Returning to bad habits is easy and you are not alone.

So, in this group, you will learn to break bad habits and create healthy habits.

You’ll find endless ideas to start taking steps toward better health and easy meal ideas to feel more comfortable cooking at home.

Conclusion

These were 26 ways to start a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule.

Make sure you don’t deprive yourself and enjoy the ride.

A healthy lifestyle includes a healthy mind, and if you’re not happy or enjoying making healthy choices, it will lead to the opposite of what you want.

If you have any questions or need help on your journey, feel free to contact me here:

Do you know of other tips to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule?

Share them with me in the comments. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I get commissions for purchases made through some links in this post.