BACK TO THE GRIND ✅

BACK TO THE GRIND

+ ways to nourish healthy work habits & be more productive

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As summertime is starting to wrap up and as we fall into a busier and more productive season of life, now is the perfect time to evaluate the tools and methods you use to set yourself up for success in all areas of life. Many of us (or our kids) are returning to school, are getting busy at work with lots of projects, and are focusing in on all things structure this month.

Here are a few ways to start some healthy habits for this season of structure.

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Prep your food so you can focus on other things.

Meal prepping is an easy and cost effective way of ensuring you are eating and getting nutrients from all the food groups. It helps you save a ton of time and all you have to do is make some slight adjustments in your life. Despite what people may think, there are various ways to meal prep — not all of which involve spending a whole Sunday afternoon cooking dishes for the week to come. You can choose methods that work best for you. Here's some tips to get you started:

• If you can see it, you will eat it! Make sure your healthier food options are stored front and center in the fridge and pantry. Doing so makes these foods accessible and easy to grab on the go. Washing and cutting all of your fruit and veggies as soon as you get home will also incentivize you to eat them throughout your week.

• To cut time in the kitchen, stick to a consistent schedule and make use of a shopping list organized by supermarket departments. This will prevent doubling back to a previously visited section and accelerate your shopping. Limiting grocery shopping to once per week and making use of a grocery delivery service are two additional ways to spend less time shopping.

Adjust your sleep wake cycle.

• Firstly, you have to reset your internal clock. Research shows that exposure to evening light can shift your internal clock to a later schedule. Light sends signals to the brain that it’s time to be awake. If you’re trying to go to sleep earlier, avoid bright light close to bedtime (that includes light from cell phone, laptop, and TV screens) and keep your surroundings dim at night.
• Exposure to sunlight (or other bright light) when you wake up helps tell your body that it's time to be awake and helps set your circadian rhythm for the whole day, so that your body indeed feels sleepy when it's time to go to bed. If you can, stand in the sunlight first thing when you wake up for just 5 minutes.
• If you’re aiming to go to sleep earlier, try slowly scaling back your bedtime until you are at the desired hour.

Ever trained your hair to part a certain way? You can do the same thing with habits at work.

Habit training starts in the developmental phases of childhood when we learn to perform basic activities such as eating, dressing, using the toilet, and sleeping. These habits are hard wired into our brains through adulthood and sometimes we have to unlearn certain habits to relearn new ones. Here are some tips to help you jumpstart some new and healthy habits at work:

• Take short 1-2 minute stretch breaks every 20-30 minutes. After each hour of work, take a break or change tasks for at least 5 minutes. Could be as simple as just sipping on some iced tea for 5 minutes! Always try to get away from your desk during lunch breaks!
• Set focus times while working. Do this by setting a timer for 20 minutes and set the intention to focus on one single task or multiple tasks you need to complete in the timeframe.
• Humans opt for the most accessible option, even outside of food! Try to kick your TikTok habit by putting your phone in a separate room or even just in a drawer out of sight. Sometimes making simple things  "difficult" can encourage you to opt for another activity that might be more productive.

Here are some energizing teas to help you jumpstart your day:

Crisp Apple Pu Erh

Mocha Maté

Tropical Cinnamon Sangria