The Art of Doing More of What's Good For You

The Art of Doing More of What’s Good For You


One of the most helpful things I've learned in this journey of mental wellness is that things don't have to be hard.


A lot of the wellness community talk about meal prepping 3x7 meals a week and 12-step routines, but if you are struggling with your mental wellness/time this can be really daunting and not very practical.


Here are three of my favourite hacks that have helped me do more of what’s good for me:


1. Assembly Meals: Food


An assembly meal is something you can just throw together out of pre-packaged or prepared components. 


My favourite example of this is a rotisserie chicken, pre-cooked rice or sweet potato and pre-cooked crispy kale.

When I have the energy and the motivation to prep I will cook some rice (which lasts forever in the fridge) and I lay some kale out on a tinfoil lined baking tray (to save on washing up), massage it with some olive oil and salt and oven-cook for about 15 minutes- the same amount of time as my rice needs to cook. I’ll then buy a rotisserie chicken and that’s all I need. Having this all ready to go means I've got a healthy lunch/dinner that will just take a few minutes to heat up!


Here’s my top 3 assembly meals:


  1. Chicken, rice (either pre-cook or use microwave rice packets) & kale
  2. Lentil soup (as a curry), rice (pre-cooked and in the fridge, alternatively you could buy microwave rice) and wraps (which can be kept in the freezer)
  3. Jacket potato (microwave for 5 minutes), a tin of beans and shredded cheese


These things will come at a slightly higher cost (i.e. shredded cheese is a little bit more expensive than a block of cheese), but it means I actually end up eating full meals because they are so easy to grab. For me, this is definitely worth the extra cost!


2. Make It Accessible


I share dog-walking responsibilities with my dad and noticed that I was not pulling my weight! I wanted to make it easier to take my dog out so I found a bag which has compartments for treats and poo bags (have a look at CocoPup’s instagram). This meant that everything was ready to go and it was super easy and convenient to take my dog out for a walk! I pre-fill the treat and poo bag compartments whenever they’re getting low but other than that, there’s no work involved! The CocoPup bag also has a poo bag dispenser which keeps everything neat and tidy (another big win for ease).


I got back in from a walk today and took my phone, AirPods and keys out of my day bag and put them in this dog walking bag (which is kept with the lead right by the door) - and I was ready to go! Taking my dog out for a walk just became super convenient…


Another great example of this is my skincare routine. I used to have all my skincare items in my room, but then I moved them into my bathroom cabinet. Now, when I get out of the shower, I am much more likely to reach for them. I might not do it every day and I might not do the full process each time but I definitely do it a lot more, and more is better than barely!


The thing to think about here is how can you make the things you want to do more of easily accessible? How can you put them in places where you see them, how can you group everything together? Removing the time and friction between you being where you are now and actually doing the thing you want to do will make it happen a lot more!


3. The Countdown


If I really don't want to get out of bed, or get up and put my workout clothes on, or feed myself or shower or brush my teeth because I'm comfy in my bed or on the sofa… I countdown 3… 2… 1… and then make myself get up! No excuses, no “I’ll go in 5 minutes”, I remove the choice not to do it, count myself down and go!


Let me know if you found this helpful, if you already do any of these or which ones you want to try! Which habits will you be trying to implement more of first?


Speak to you all next week!









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