When you have a busy schedule, it can be easy to develop unhealthy habits for the sake of convenience. Having lunch delivered instead of taking the time to pack it, not drinking enough water because you don’t have time to get up from your desk, and the list goes on and on. However, just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you have to let your health go by the wayside.
These 4 essentials will help you stay healthy, despite your demanding schedule:
#1: Large Insulated Bottle
One of the easiest things to neglect when you’re busy is drinking enough water. Not only that, but many of us turn to energy drinks, sodas, and coffees to keep us going—all that sugar is just a crutch and can be hurting more than helping. Staying hydrated is essential for your overall health—from keeping your organs functioning properly to helping you stay energized throughout the day. Plus, it keeps your skin looking bright and youthful.
If you’re only sipping on water here or there between meetings or on your drive home, you need to make drinking water a bigger priority in your life. Once you do, you’ll feel the difference almost immediately. But how can you make it easy and convenient to drink more water? Having a large insulated water bottle on hand is a good place to start. If that’s not enough to get you to drink more water, you can even buy bottles with markers on the side that remind you to drink a certain amount of water per hour.
Another tip to consider if your work doesn’t have a communal water supply is to keep a few gallon jugs under your desk or in a drawer—that way, you never run out.
#2: Soft Cooler or Lunch Bag
Eating out every day isn’t good for anyone, especially if your meal consists of fast food. To help provide your body with the fuel you need to stay productive during your long days, you should consider bringing lunch with you to work.
Whether you work in the office or in the field, bringing your lunch can help make sure you maintain good nutrition and save money. It’s understandable that you don’t want to lug around an old-fashioned lunch box, but lunch totes and soft side coolers have made bringing lunch much more convenient. Instead of being bulky, these lunch bags can be folded up after use and stored discreetly under your desk, in a drawer, or in your car.
#3: Fitness Tracking Watch
It’s hard to remember to move when you’re busy working, driving the kids around, or checking all the daily to-do’s off your list. However, being sedentary can negatively impact your health, so it’s important to get up and move around every once in a while. Having a fitness tracking watch makes it so much easier because it sends vibrating reminders for when you should get up and move and it sets manageable goals for you.
While it might be hard to get yourself motivated at first, seeing your daily calories burned, your improved energy, and possibly even some weight loss can help you commit to this new habit.
If you’re worried that a fitness watch would cramp your style, don’t. Fitness watches used to be bulky, but now there are sleek, sophisticated versions that go with everything. Whether you have to dress business professional at work or you’re just a fashionista who likes to wear stylish accessories, there’s a fitness watch and matching band out there for you.
#4: Customized Vitamins and Supplements
Like most people, you probably feel the toll that being busy all the time takes on your mind and body. Part of that drained feeling may be that you’re not getting sufficient vitamins and nutrients your body needs to keep you fueled throughout the day.
There are a variety of companies that make customized vitamins and supplements based on your needs and goals. By taking supplements that are catered to your body and lifestyle, you can reap the most benefits from this practice.
Before you start introducing new supplements into your diet, it may be a good idea to schedule a check-up with your doctor. They can evaluate your health to see if any underlying condition might be causing you to feel sluggish or recommended daily intake limits to prevent overconsumption of certain nutrients.
All of these tips are easy to implement and trying even just one of these recommendations can help you make a positive impact on your health. Let us know what works for your busy schedule in the comments!