Whether your thinking about making lifestyle changes or trying to keep them going, planning ahead is crucial.
Reacting to different or challenging situations puts you in a vulnerable position. You have to think on your feet. You might not be able to consider all the options available. This is often when we revert back to old habits or unhealthy coping strategies. If you can, pause and think about these situations and how can you best manage them before they happen (or before they happen again).
We have a busy week ahead in the Snee household. I’m facilitating group education all week so I’m finishing later than normal. As a result dinners are going to be a challenge. I also know I’m going to be more tired than normal and I have work prep to do each night so time and mind space are going to be in short supply. From past experience this is the kind of week that has us reaching for the take away menu.
My goal is for us to eat better than we normally do in this situation.
Why?
I know that I generally feel sluggish when I don’t eat well and energy is what’s needed this week.
So we’re planning ahead. This starts with 10 minutes and pen and paper. I find it helps to scribble down a timetable of everything that’s going on. This let’s me think clearly about what time we have each night for meal prep and cooking. I can then be realistic about picking meal options.
I also make a shopping list so I can get everything I need for the week in one shop. A top up shop during a busy week is the last thing I want to do.
Finally I have a think about what I can do in advance to make things easier. Spending an hour or so cooking and getting stuff in the freezer makes life so much easier.
Here are some of my top tips for busy weeks:
?keep to quick meals like stir frys and oven tray bakes
?pick meals with no more than a handful of ingredients
?batch cook and freeze
?use a slow cooker
