top of page

What do I do when my routine and life change?

Amy Gorman

Often life will throw a spanner - work gets busier, family drama happens, you take on new/additional responsibilities and other things don’t reduce. You go from feeling like you’ve got a handle on everything to suddenly spinning so many plates and you’re watching to see which one drops first.


It’s a hard one.


You also don’t want your progress to slow down just because life has gone crazy. At the end of the day, the progress you’re making is keeping you healthy and making you feel good.


So this is where we may need to re-adjust expectations and coping mechanisms. The original routine for the gym, walking, food, social, or whatever else, may not fit or maybe too complicated when life steps in.


Let’s take a look at what you’re trying to juggle.


  • Get to bed by 10.30pm

  • Drink 8 glasses of water

  • Go to the gym 5 times a week

  • Complete additional homework (for example, core specific)

  • Meal prep twice a week

  • Go for a walk every day

  • Stretch for 20 minutes every day

  • Eat specific calories or macros each day

Make it simpler.


From here you can then work out which goals and habits seem realistic, as well as which ones add value to your life. You can also review which ones come as second nature now - in which case they can probably stick around without too much thought.


Ultimately, when I’m busy I would love to have extra hours in the day to get more work done, but I also know that prioritising going to bed is what’s going to help me make use of the hours I have. So that always comes up top on my priorities.


From there, I’d probably try and balance out my gym and walk routine. Going to a gym class might give me more accountability to show up which is helpful, but on some days add too much pressure. So on the days where I know it fits (2-3), I’ll book a class to show up, but on the others, I’ll find ways to add in walking to and from locations to ensure I move and give me a moment to breathe during the day. Any extra bits are going to get cut out for now.


I’m always going to prioritise prepping on a Sunday because it’s an ingrained habit now. As it comes into the second half of the week, I’m more likely to make bigger dinners so I have easy leftovers.

Likewise, hitting macros isn’t the top priority, but making sure I have protein and veggies in each meal is key. Plus, limiting the amount of processed food.


Similarly, daily 20 minutes of stretches would be great as a moment for stress relief, but doing one stretch in bed to help me wind down would be just as useful.


During my busy times, that takes me down to thinking about:


  • Get to bed by 10.30pm

  • Move each day for 30 minutes

  • Meal prep on Sunday

  • Limit processed food


This immediately makes it easier for my brain to handle and could be even simpler. But these are things that I know I can do on the day to day.


It could be as simple as having three go to lunches to buy around the office and getting to bed at a reasonable time.


What are your barriers and how can you apply this logic?


3 views

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page