We’ll have to admit it; summer is coming to an end and whether you go back to the office or to class, the feeling is the same. We’re a little soft, a little sad, and the prospect of looming winter doesn’t really make you want to give your all to sport and diet. While the truth is, this is the PERFECT time to (re) pick up good habits , which you may have overlooked for a summer.
How to fight against the stress and the dullness of back to school? Here are some easy tips to put in place to get off to a good start.
1. We (re) get into sport
I can’t say it enough: sport isn’t just about getting a nice body. This is good for your physique obviously, but also for your heart, your body in general, but also your morale. We secrete endorphins, molecules of happiness, we also have the feeling of having done a duty after the session – and waking up with the little aches that remind us that we had a good session the day before, it’s still super pleasant.
The action plan: There is a new room or activity to try. Trampoline, rock climbing, yoga flow or team sports: there is so much to choose from that it would be a shame to miss out on a brand new challenge.
2. We force ourselves to sleep better
Sleep is one of the three pillars of your health, along with diet and exercise. Except that … we tend to forget it, or to minimize its impact. Except that to digest well, to lose weight, to create muscle, to reduce your stress level and improve your tension management … you have to SLEEP. Enough, and every night, no exceptions!
The action plan: In this new school year, we make it one of our good resolutions: we go to bed earlier if necessary, we turn off all the screens 30min before sleeping, and we block a time slot of at least 8 hours to be able to do a full night.
More tips for sleeping well here!
3. We choose healthier goals
Ok, it’s been months, maybe years, that you dreamed of losing 2kg or having more visible abs. What if they were just bad goals in the end? When you reach these goals, will you be more happy? Nothing less sure ! On the other hand, having realistic goals, quantifiable but especially which push you to improve yourself for a good reason (and not only for the esthetics, which is in addition, very subjective) would give you an unfailing motivation and a mental more strong again.
The Action Plan: Forget about weight goals, and bikini bodysuits. Find THE thing you want to accomplish for yourself: run a 10, 21, or 42km. Start a new business and get really good at it. Set up an indoor soccer team and go out and play together once a week. (to work the body .. and the organizational skills!) Climb a mountain or a volcano. Take 15,000 steps per day instead of 5,000, so you can get to know your neighborhood more and explore.
It doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as it doesn’t relate to your body image: empower yourself to accomplish something you really want to do.
For me, it’s obstacle courses, and that makes me hugely happier than fighting against my reflection in the mirror.
Find here the story of my adventure this summer: I ran 3 Spartan Races (42km) in 2 days.
4. We cook things that we love!
Cooking is also a way to take time for yourself, to relax. We carefully choose our ingredients and recipe, we lovingly concoct a dish to share (or not), and we spend time there. I know, it’s not easy every day to take time out for that BUT when you see the results on the body (because yes, eating well, it gives better skin, hair, digestion, …) we thinks it’s well worth the effort.
The action plan: Why not challenge yourself, and try at least one new recipe per week? (if you need ideas, the list of my recipes is here!)
And, if you’re brave, why not go for lunchboxes on Sundays, just to have balanced dishes for all the week, and not have the stress of having to cook or eat poorly?
The method for “meal preps” and preparing your meals in advance, it’s here, and my 20 best lunchbox recipes, it’s here!
5. We take time to refocus and think
It sounds silly, but in our hyper active lifestyles, we no longer take the time to sit down to take stock, think about what we feel, what we would like. Me first: I tend to work really hard at the office, and spend all my free time playing sports or blogging. Result: I let myself go a little and let myself be suffocated by the crazy pace of my weeks. But we don’t have to live like this!
The action plan: whether it’s a few minutes of meditation every day, a full hour of yoga (calm and contemplative, like Yin) per week, or just an afternoon where we do nothing other than introspect (alone at the spa, for example), you MUST take time for yourself. It wants to accept loneliness, and flee social networks. It means making lists of what you like and what you don’t like about your current life. Take stock, see what can be improved. Toxic relationships? A job that doesn’t make you happy? Doubts about the future? No solution can be found by refusing to think about basic problems, and it is essential to give yourself the opportunity to do so. It’s scary, and we don’t think we have time for it, but on the contrary: it feels so good. Tested and approved !