You asked:

“How do I integrate new habits? Life is so busy.”

My Answer:

Start small.

A fundamental practice in my coaching programs is the 5-minute action. Let’s take 5 minutes today to learn how that works:

What if you could start living a better life by starting out with just 5 minutes a day?

Those things that really weigh on you from your to-do list? Or the wish-you-could-do list? Today, let’s start doing them. Just 5 minutes of action towards them can give you peace of mind and give you motivation in the right direction.

What can you accomplish in five minutes?

If you’re stuck, or feeling overwhelmed - take something from this list below and give it a go:

• 5 minute break. Stop whatever it is you’re doing and try doing nothing at all.

• Breathe! Try out meditation, listen to some calming sounds (my favourite app is BetterSleep - it’s not just for night time)

• Connect with a loved one or that person you have been meaning to reach out to

• Stretch, lift, walk, bike, run around the block - or practice an exercise you’ve been meaning to start or improve on.

• Read or listen to a book or podcast

• Drink some water

• Meal Plan your snacks or specific meals

• Meal Prep to save you some time later

• Journaling

• Play (with your pet, your family, on your own)

• Turn on a favourite song and dance

• Super boring tasks that you’ve been avoiding, or that have been piling up.

• Practice a hobby - play an instrument, be creative, garden (just watering the plants!)

• tidy a shelf, a drawer, vacuum one room.

• Book a time or place to get your workout done.

• Take the stairs rather than the elevator in your daily routine.

• Park 5-min farther away from the door to your office building.

• Take a multivitamin. (and drink an extra glass of water)

• If you're recovering from an injury or illness, practice your rehab exercises.

• Add 5 minutes of mobility and stretching to the beginning or end of your workout, or maybe that is your workout

• If you're typically indoors, find fresh air and sunlight in the middle of the day. (or at any point really)

You might be thinking about how bigger, more important plans require more time and effort. For sure they do. I’ve got you.

Think about how you can break down these larger tasks into smaller tasks - it will feel less overwhelming, it looks easier and manageable. Think of it like an action snack.

There’s nothing special about 5 minutes. It could be 10 seconds, or 1 minute, or 10 minutes. 5 minutes is no risk. no rush.

The point is:

• It’s something that is very, very small.

• It’s an action—something you do.

• It’s something that feels easy and simple.

• It moves you in the direction you want to go.

Once you start practicing 5 minutes at a time, you’ll start to notice that space opens up elsewhere. Simply because you spent 5 minutes, here and there with actions that improve your quality of life, recovery, peace of mind, connection, and other essentials for a better life.

Here’s one example:

Meal prep: Cutting up all your veggies at once for the workweek:

• Cuts down on dishes to wash (like that cutting board, knives, peelers, etc)

• You only have to take out and put away prep tools once.

• Makes it easier to make choices about what to eat with your meals, for snacks etc - it’s easy to get carried away thinking about food.

• You have made easy grab and go snacks - which can cut down on prep for other snacks, money on other snacks (which can save time in the grocery store too)

• You have saved time in the kitchen for the meals you prepped veggies for

• You’ll have less food waste which means less time (and money) in the grocery store

• You’ll likely eat at home more often which will save time (and money) on getting ready to go out (if you have kids you KNOW this takes a good chunk of time) driving time, waiting for meals at restaurants / in the drive thru, or placing orders online / over the phone.

Notice how in this example I’ve only specified cutting up veggies? Meal prep saves time no matter how much or little you do. Most of us don’t have 2+ hours to prep for our week.. but most of us can find 5 or 10 minutes. Big returns on a small investment.

Troubleshooting this 5 minute action with other 5 minute actions:

• you’re not sure how to prep / store veggies? Spend 5 minutes learning how. (youtube search for “prep raw veggies” or “meal prep vegetables” etc)

• you don’t like a lot of different veggies? - focus on the ones you do like. Don’t worry about the rest right now.

• not sure what to make for the week, so you don’t want to prep the veggies? Keep it as simple as you can. Plan your sides.

Today, Choose just one thing.

Gift yourself one habit 5 minutes day until you master it, and you'll be ready to stack on another. If it’s just your to-do list you’re trying to get out of the way, then your habit is one five minute task towards paring down that list. Not only will you physically manage your time, but you’ll spend less time with the pressure of a mental load. Win win.

When you're done celebrate that small win! Do a happy dance, or whatever feels good to you. Your time is important. A big deal. Let’s celebrate that., you’re designing a path to good food and good form. No matter how small you think your completed task may be, I'd love to hear what you accomplished.

-Coach Darlene