I firmly believe the things you do daily matter more than the things you do once in a while. You’re probably not eating birthday cake, spending 5 hours on a plane or forgetting to drink water for a full 24 hours every single day, so don’t beat yourself up when you do! But you CAN develop simple daily habits for a healthier life, and it is THOSE habits that add up to BIG change in living a healthy life. However, it’s not necessarily about things we do EVERY single day, sometimes it’s the things we do ONE day a week that matter the most in setting ourselves up for the healthiest days. I have a weekly routine I’ve been consistent with for the past 3-4 years that has CHANGED the trajectory of my healthy mama life, and I can feel it on the weeks I skip out on it! Here are the things I do WEEKLY to create the healthiest, happiest days:
1. I create a meal plan.
I’ve talked extensively about meal planning- but this is truly THE best way to set yourself up for a healthy, nourished week. It needn’t take long– especially when you’ve got your family favorites list in front of you– to create a simple plan for a healthier week. I use my Healthy Mama Meal Planner (get your copy) to make a rough plan of my meals for the month, and then hone it in weekly depending on what we have going on on our schedule and what we have left in our fridge.
Read more:
My Simple Meal Planning + Meal Prep Strategy
Mindset Shifts around Meal Planning
5 ways to simplify meal planning
2. I grocery shop.
I know it might seem silly to point out– because we all need to eat! And I understand everyone has a different grocery routine; some like to shop every couple of weeks, and I tend to do one bulk shop at the beginning of the month- but I do fill it in weekly, once I’ve done my meal plan, to ensure I have all the ingredients I need for my healthiest week.
Read more:
How to Save Money Buying Real Food
How to Create a Real Food Grocery Budget
My Healthy Mama Pantry Staples
3. I get prepped.
There is a common misconception that ‘meal prep’ means you need to package every one of your meals into little tupperware containers you carry with you everywhere. Though that might be true for bodybuilders and obsessive dieters, that is not what we consider meal prep, around here! I consider meal prep anything you do to prepare food for a healthier week. I outline the three types of meal prep in my online meal prep course, but this can mean simply hard cooking eggs or making homemade power balls for snacks, making egg muffins for breakfast, prepping salads for lunches or making full dinners- whatever works for for YOU to ensure your week is easier and your family is nourished, throughout the week.
Read More:
The best kitchen tools for meal prep
Healthy Mama Meal Prep Course (20% off)
4. I make time for self-care.
This is the last essential, yet often overlooked (yes, even by me!) part of creating a healthy week, every week. I consider all the things you do just for you to boost your physical, mental and spiritual health self care– but it’s important to set aside time for concentrated self-care to refresh and restore before the week, especially if you are primary caregiver to your kids, or you have another full-time job that takes up most of your attention, throughout the week!
A few of my favorite ways to get in self-care:
- Sneaking away to the coffee shop for an almond milk latte and an hour with my book
- Going on a walk with a great podcast or some relaxing music
- Take a hot bath with my favorite face mask, epsom salts and essential oils
- Get a massage (local friends: Lisa is the best!)
When I get these simple, four routines in each and every week, I know my week is set up well.
Do you have a weekly routine in your healthy mama life? What do you include in it?
Looking to create healthier habits as a busy mom? Check out Balanced Eating Basics and discover the 7 essential habits to becoming a balanced eater- for life.
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