How to Get More Energy and Mental Space for Healthy Changes
One of the most common roadblocks to making healthy changes is that oftentimes, we just don’t have enough bandwidth. No, not the internet kind-but same concept. At home, you only have a certain amount of internet bandwidth and if your entire family is on devices and Zooms at once, you start running into issues. Why? You are simply placing too many demands on the capabilities of your internet.
The same concept applies to humans, especially now. And when we place too many demands on our own personal bandwidth, we get spotty. We stop whatever it is that feels too hard. This is why making healthy changes and even simple tips like meal planning feels so overwhelming.
We swear we’re going to start making more health supporting choices, we buy all the groceries, and then when it comes time to actually DO THE THING, we tank, then we blame ourselves and feel guilty and ashamed, which leads to more poor choices. We get a big ol’ internal YOUR INTERNET IS NOT CONNECTED error message and give up. And then we start over again- trying to place demands on our already taxed systems and minds.
But when this happens with your home wifi, you don’t start trying to do MORE work to further stress the bandwidth, right?
By now we are all aware of how important making healthy choices is, but if it were easy to do so, the diet industry would not be a 72 billion industry. Making these types of life changes is hard. Really hard. Creating new habits is hard because we do most of our habits on autopilot. So be patient and offer yourself some grace. It takes time and the intention to keep trying for things to change.
This is not to say we should just throw our hands up, give up, and reach for another donut. There are ways to fit in healthy living and the mental space to make health supporting choices. Here are a few ways to get started:
Free up some bandwidth: Find things that you can cut back on or out that will free up mental space for you to start making new, healthy habits. The absolute biggest one is to cut back on time spent on your phone. Think about how much time and thus ENERGY you spend endlessly scrolling. All that scrolling is not without a toll. If you have more mental energy, you are better equipped to make healthier choices.
Keep things simple: Look for quick and easy recipes. Don’t think you need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes a dinner with meat, veggies, and a salad is as easy as it gets. Try cookbooks that have super easy but delicious & healthy recipes like Practical Paleo or Whole 30 cookbooks.
Use some hacks: Try batch cooking, where you cook large amounts of foods to use throughout the week or for freezing.
Meal Plan: First, think to yourself: what sounds good this week? Then pick 2 dinners you can make (making sure they are easy dinner recipes) and buy ONLY ingredients for those meals. This cuts down on the last minute food purchases which tend to be treats, and also takes the “what should I eat?” question off the table. Start with 2 nights and build from there as you get the hang of it. Use products like glass storage containers and bottles to make things easier.
Slow down: When starting out on making healthy changes, its common to want to go all in right from the jump. Trying to do much at once is, you guessed it- placing too many demands on your internal bandwidth. Start with habit changes that feel easy but can pay off in a big way, such as aiming to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. Then after a week or two, add a new change and build on each change you make. This way, new changes won’t feel so overwhelming.
Making changes can be challenging, which is why working with a nutrition professional can be the missing piece. One-on-one sessions offer accountability and the ability to troubleshoot when challenges come up. Source + Sprout offers lots of great one-on-one packages to fit your needs. Find out more here.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no cost to you.
This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://www.sourceandsproutnutrition.com/disclaimer