How to Create Healthy Habits at Home
Author: Patricia Lee Date Posted:20 March 2020
Arrange your environment to make it easy to get enough sleep, exercise regularly (even from home) and eat well
When life undergoes change, it can be easy to sacrifice our health. Neglecting sleep, exercise and nutrition can be the path of least resistance. But there are small steps you can take at home to keep your health on track in stressful times. I recommend you get started on these now.
Exercise
Designate an area at home for workout clothes and equipment. If your goal is to exercise at home or nearby several times a week, consider devoting a section of your wardrobe or linen closet to your workout clothes and towels. Keeping everything together will save you time as you won’t need to dig around to find your outfits. This is especially helpful if you work out early in the morning and want to savour every last minute of sleep.
Similarly, keep your exercise equipment (yoga mats, weights, exercise balls) in one area (perhaps close to the TV if you stream a workout). I keep all the accessories I need for walking –sunglasses, hat, earphones, sunscreen – in a drawer in my entrance console so I can get out the door without delay. Pre-pack your gym bag with toiletries, towels and other personal items if you exercise outside the home. After laundering them, you can place items right back into the bag or your dedicated gym clothes space.
Creatives at Home: Lucinda McKimm in Her Yoga Studio
Designate an area at home for workout clothes and equipment. If your goal is to exercise at home or nearby several times a week, consider devoting a section of your wardrobe or linen closet to your workout clothes and towels. Keeping everything together will save you time as you won’t need to dig around to find your outfits. This is especially helpful if you work out early in the morning and want to savour every last minute of sleep.
Similarly, keep your exercise equipment (yoga mats, weights, exercise balls) in one area (perhaps close to the TV if you stream a workout). I keep all the accessories I need for walking –sunglasses, hat, earphones, sunscreen – in a drawer in my entrance console so I can get out the door without delay. Pre-pack your gym bag with toiletries, towels and other personal items if you exercise outside the home. After laundering them, you can place items right back into the bag or your dedicated gym clothes space.
Creatives at Home: Lucinda McKimm in Her Yoga Studio
Nutrition
Clean out the fridge and pantry and take stock of what you have and what you need. If you have to dig through a lot of items just to gather the ingredients to make a dish, it’s going to be inconvenient for you to create healthy meals and you may resort to easier, less nutritious options. Don’t let refrigerator clutter be an obstacle.
After tossing old and spoiled foods, group the remaining items by category – vegetables, fruits, dairy, meats, condiments, breakfast foods – to make them easier to find. Salad should be a staple, so consider putting all your salad ingredients on a tray or in a small basket so you can pull them all out at once if your crisper is full. Similarly, group ingredients for sandwich assembling or smoothy making – or whatever category you prepare frequently – together for easy access.
How Do I… Store Food to Keep it Fresh?
Clean out the fridge and pantry and take stock of what you have and what you need. If you have to dig through a lot of items just to gather the ingredients to make a dish, it’s going to be inconvenient for you to create healthy meals and you may resort to easier, less nutritious options. Don’t let refrigerator clutter be an obstacle.
After tossing old and spoiled foods, group the remaining items by category – vegetables, fruits, dairy, meats, condiments, breakfast foods – to make them easier to find. Salad should be a staple, so consider putting all your salad ingredients on a tray or in a small basket so you can pull them all out at once if your crisper is full. Similarly, group ingredients for sandwich assembling or smoothy making – or whatever category you prepare frequently – together for easy access.
How Do I… Store Food to Keep it Fresh?
Down time
Plan time to unwind in an uncluttered space. Time reserved just for ourselves is good for the soul, but it can be hard to find room for it in our schedules. When my children were little and I had the rare moment to myself, I would waste time trying to decide what to do – clean the house or exercise, read a book or grocery shop in peace – and end up not doing much at all.
I recommend you schedule time in your calendar for yourself and respect the appointment as you would any other. I also recommend deciding ahead of time how you’ll spend your ‘me time’ so you don’t fritter it away trying to weigh up the possibilities.
Make Your Bedroom a More Joyful Space
Plan time to unwind in an uncluttered space. Time reserved just for ourselves is good for the soul, but it can be hard to find room for it in our schedules. When my children were little and I had the rare moment to myself, I would waste time trying to decide what to do – clean the house or exercise, read a book or grocery shop in peace – and end up not doing much at all.
I recommend you schedule time in your calendar for yourself and respect the appointment as you would any other. I also recommend deciding ahead of time how you’ll spend your ‘me time’ so you don’t fritter it away trying to weigh up the possibilities.
Make Your Bedroom a More Joyful Space
If you can’t relax during your unwind time because of clutter, then I recommend you use that time to work on eliminating it. Decluttering can be overwhelming, emotional and time-consuming, so be gentle on yourself while you do it. You’re making progress even if you take just 15 minutes a day to make decisions on your belongings.
Often, physical decluttering can lead to emotional decluttering. Once you’ve decluttered a space, you may find it easier to relax and really unwind during your precious time to yourself.
If you can’t tackle decluttering alone, consider hiring a professional home organiser. A competent one will keep you on track with your goals, guide you through the decision process without judgment and help you plan your space and storage so it works best for how you live. And working together means you’ll reach your goal faster.
Your turn
How do you organise your home to create a relaxing and healthy environment? Share your tips in the Comments below, like this story and save the images. Go on, join the conversation.
More
Need more decluttering inspiration? Don’t miss these expert tips in How to Declutter When Your House is Full of Digital Devices
Often, physical decluttering can lead to emotional decluttering. Once you’ve decluttered a space, you may find it easier to relax and really unwind during your precious time to yourself.
If you can’t tackle decluttering alone, consider hiring a professional home organiser. A competent one will keep you on track with your goals, guide you through the decision process without judgment and help you plan your space and storage so it works best for how you live. And working together means you’ll reach your goal faster.
Your turn
How do you organise your home to create a relaxing and healthy environment? Share your tips in the Comments below, like this story and save the images. Go on, join the conversation.
More
Need more decluttering inspiration? Don’t miss these expert tips in How to Declutter When Your House is Full of Digital Devices
<div id="hzroot9676481" style="width:300px;text-align:center;font-size:12px;padding:0;border:0;margin:0;"><div style="font-size:14px;margin-bottom:3px;"><a href="https://www.houzz.com.au/jsGalleryWidget/gallery/132852420/new_window=no/title_on=no/width=300" target="_blank">How to Create Healthy Habits at Home</a></div><div style="padding:0;margin:0;border:0;margin-bottom:3px;"><iframe data-hzvt="MjAyMDAzMjQ6ZnVuY3Rpb24oKSB7CiAgICBbbmF0aXZlIGNvZGVdCn0=" name="HouzzWidget8256144" id="HouzzWidget8256144" border=0 frameborder="0" SCROLLING=NO style="border:0 none;width:300px;height:275px;" src="https://www.houzz.com.au/jsGalleryWidget/gallery/132852420/new_window=no/title_on=no/width=300"></iframe></div></div>
Start by ridding your bedside table of clutter. Getting enough sleep is a foundation of good health, but it’s easy to neglect your nightly slumber when life gets busy. A bedroom that feels restful and calm signals to your body and mind that it’s time to shift down a gear from your hectic day.
To create a calm aura in your bedroom, start by tidying your bedsides and removing anything you no longer use or need. Think books you’ve already read, outdated magazines, unused hand lotions or items from your purse purge that you haven’t yet rehomed.
Keep only those things you use, such as a lamp, alarm clock and phone, or that soothe you or bring you joy, such as a photo of a loved one, a small vase or a special book. Having just a few items on your nightstand also makes it easier to keep clean and dust-free.
An organised home is a healthy home. Find a professional organiser near you on Houzz for custom-designed solutions