Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all my U.S. peeps! Hopefully you’ve got Monday off. If not, I know how that goes. I’ve worked many holidays over the past decade or so. Healthcare and retail can be tough that way. Regardless of whether you have off or not, here are some easy healthy habits to try out this week, one for each day of the week!

Monday- Make “healthy” the easy choice

For me, this means things like keeping fruit on the counter (instead of snacks like chips or crackers), keeping junk food out of the house, and prepping some easy foods to grab during the week (like hard-boiled eggs). Buying the same foods every week can keep some of the decision-making out of the equation. Frozen chicken breasts, frozen vegetables, and basics like apples and oranges are some of my go-to’s.

Also, as far as junk foods go, I think all foods are okay in moderation, but some foods can be hard to moderate. In that case, buy them every now and then, but put them away in between snacks. If the bag of nacho chips is on the counter they’ll be gone in 24 hours flat. (With me around, anyway!) So if there’s certain foods that you find are harder to eat in moderation, keeping them out of the house for the most part can help.

What’s one way you can make “healthy” the easy choice for your family?

Tuesday- Repeat meals

This piggy-backs off of Monday. Think of a few healthy meals (low-fat proteins, veggies, some starch), and then eat them every week. This can be so helpful if you are busy and find it hard to figure out what to make for dinner after a tough day at work.

It can also tie in to financial goals. Lately I’ve made a commitment to eating out less so that I can pay off all of my debt (less than $2000 to go!) By having easy-to-make, relatively healthy ingredients at home, I can keep my commitment to making dinner even when I feel drained from work. This does not always look very exciting- sometimes it’s turkey burgers in the air fryer and some microwaved vegetables. Or I’ll defrost a few chicken breasts and saute them in a pan with some vegetables. If you throw some rice in the rice cooker when you start, it will be done by the time the chicken is. It works!

Do you have one or two meals that you can repeat every week?

Wednesday- Batch your tasks

The way I do this is by consolidating either by day or by location. When I cook dinner, I try to clean up and prep for the next day all at the same time. For example, after we eat, my boyfriend loads up the dishwasher and I’ll finish cleaning pots and pans/put leftovers away. This is when I’ll pack leftovers for lunch or figure out other plans (I rarely buy lunch at work). I’ll also prep my coffee for the next day and set the timer. Having my coffee ready to go is a life-saver and I honestly look forward to getting up and just hitting a button (if it hasn’t brewed already!) Before leaving a room, I try to do any necessary tasks before I go. An example for instance, is in the morning when I get up. If I can, I’ll make the bed before I go. Then, it’s done!

Another way I think about batching is by the day. Friday evenings are for laundry/ordering groceries and relaxing/hanging out with my boyfriend, Saturday mornings (and afternoons, if necessary) are typically for homework, and then I’ll catch up with my kids and put laundry away (if I didn’t already), Sundays are for resetting/reading and baking something. By doing home-y kinds of tasks at the same time each week, it makes it easier. I don’t have to think about it as much and the routine is helpful. Getting my laundry out of the way and ordering groceries have helped me get back more of my free time over the weekend. Incidentally, if you’re a student you are eligible for a discount on Walmart plus. I think it’s around 7 bucks a month and you get access to a streaming service as well! (I’m not being paid for that plug, I just really love the service).

Another way to batch tasks is to run all of your errands at once. Keep a running list of things you need to get done either on your phone or old-school style, with a pen and paper. Set aside a regular time for errands. That way you can knock out a bunch at once.

Is there a way you can batch tasks this week?

Thursday- Prep for low energy days

It happens. There are times when you just don’t have “it” in you. There is no way you’re cooking dinner. Or you had a crappy night’s sleep. Or there are just too many tasks and not enough of you to go around. Things to do ahead of time that can help include freezing extra food (when you have a lot of left-overs) and keeping some canned foods on hand (like soups, for instance). Some nights I’ll just get out all the leftovers and we pick what we want. Also- It’s not the end of the world to have some cereal for dinner. It’s okay to call it a day and climb into bed early with a book and some cocoa.

How do you deal with low-energy days?

Friday- Try a wind-down routine

I love having a wind-down routine. It helps improve the quality of my sleep. Things to try include:

Stay away from caffeine and screens. Caffeine for me means a cut-off (usually) of 2 pm. Screens I try to stay away from at least 60 minutes before bed.

Drink some warm tea (non-caffeinated)/milk.

Start dimming the lights around an hour before bed.

Do some stretching.

Read.

These simple activities cue your brain that it is time to sleep. You don’t need a perfect routine- even one repeated habit sends the message to your nervous system that it’s safe and time to rest.

Do you have a wind-down routine?

Let’s recap our 5 easy healthy habits to try this week:

Monday- Make healthy the easy choice.

Tuesday- Repeat meals.

Wednesday- Batch your tasks.

Thursday- Prep for low-energy days.

Friday- Try a wind-down routine.

Do you have any easy healthy habits to add? I’d love to hear from you! And if you like what I write, please subscribe. Thank you 🙂