5 Daily Habits to Level Up Your Wellness Routine

Thank you to up4® Probiotics for sponsoring this post

(up4® is a trademark of DSM)

Ever since becoming a mom I really haven’t made my health and wellness routine a priority. My daughter Milly will be 5 this summer and son Sonny will be 3 and it’s been too long since I’ve been consistent with my self-care. So last year, I decided that it was time to commit to getting stronger and doing more things that make me feel good. Because we all know that when your cup is full, everyone benefits. Here are my 5 daily habits that have leveled up my wellness routine!

Every day I MOVE MY BODY

At least 3 times a week I go on an hour walk. We live about a mile away from the water, so I love walking there and back in the mornings to get my blood flowing. There’s an incline on the way back so it’s a nice way to get my heart rate going and sometimes I’ll alternate walking and running. I do these walks early in the morning because I’ve learned that I’m more likely to move my body if I do it first thing in the morning. Last summer I discovered an outdoor mommy bootcamp that I do once a week. It’s led by a female trainer who is also a mom and it’s such a supportive group of women. Everyone goes at their own pace and it’s only 45 minutes. I’ve seen a powerful change in the way I feel and I’m so proud of myself for committing to this workout.

GO OUTSIDE

I try to go outside as often as I can. Especially during the work week, I understand how easy it is to feel tethered to your desk or indoors in the comfort of your home. But it’s amazing how getting outside and going on a walk can completely transform the way you feel. Is there a coffee shop close by you can walk to? A park you can take your next conference call? Going outside and connecting to nature can be as simple as soaking up a few minutes in the sun, walking barefoot in the grass or watering your plants on your balcony. No matter where you live or what space you have, there is so much nature to be cherished!

Practice MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness by definition is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment. It’s savoring the moment. It’s cherishing the mundane, the everyday, the “boring”, the normal. It’s slowing down! Some of my favorite mindfulness practices is to sit still and listen. Go still and be quiet…even if it’s just for five minutes. I started meditating last year and it has helped me feel less stressed, more connected to myself, more patient. After the loss of my Dad, it has helped me heal, release emotions and let go.

EAT MORE GREENS

If you have it, you’ll eat it. This goes for healthy and less healthy options. I noticed that if I had a bag of cookies in my pantry, I was more likely to eat them. If I had carrots and hummus if my fridge, I would still eat them but I’d probably eat the cookies first. Becoming a mother changed my diet significantly because I know better and want to do better for my children and modeling is the most important factor in that. I stopped buying store bought cookies and decided if I wanted a cookie, I’d have to make it homemade. Then I started buying more produce and would wash, dry, cut and store them as soon as I got home. Now it’s part of my weekly routine which has been helpful in eating more greens. The next thing I did was try to eat greens every meal. Sometimes this looks like a veggie scramble in the mornings. We also serve a salad almost every meal and sometimes it’s the star of the show. For example, on Taco Tuesdays we will do burrito bowls over greens or if we have fish for dinner, we always serve it with a salad. One of my favorite ways to serve veggies is by roasting frozen veggies with EVOO, salt and pepper and serve it as a side. I take my children grocery shopping with me, and they love to pick out produce. We will experiment with things we’ve never had before and I’ve discovered the more involved they are in the process, the more likely they are to try them.

DAILY PROBIOTIC

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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.