Don’t Wait for a New Year’s Resolution to Get Back to Healthy Habits

A lot of people have the idea that all of their healthy habits should be instilled at the same time – and figure that January 1st is the best time to achieve these lifestyle changes. But instead of attempting to instill a healthy schedule at the start of the new year, when 80-90% of people ditch their new year’s resolutions by February, why not aim for the start of the new school year instead?

Whether you have kids or not, getting back into planning for yourself during this time of year is a great tactic. Back to school signifies the end of lazy summer days and time to get yourself prepared for the fall and holiday season ahead.

This time of year is often a frenzied one for parents – throughout all the mayhem of school shopping, and getting mentally prepared to have the whole family back on a healthy schedule, you want to take care of yourself and cultivate your own healthy habits, too. Get a jump on the back to school season with these tricks and tips.

Promote a normal sleep cycle

Bedtimes for both adults and kids can get a little lax in the summer. If this is the case in your house, start establishing some bedtimes that everyone sticks to. In fact, setting up a bedtime and wakeup routine in advance will help facilitate a normal sleep cycle for the whole family. For adults who may experience occasional sleeplessness, our Melatonin Gummies are a great way to support sound, quality sleep and help you wake up feeling refreshed.*

There’s no worse feeling than rushing around in the morning, frantic, because you hit snooze a few too many times. And then you feel “thrown off” for the rest of the day due to starting out in a mad dash. Eliminate this worry by testing out your new bedtime and wakeup routine at least two weeks prior to the start of the school year. You’ll be so happy you did!

Nutritious meal prep & lunch ideas to try right now

The better you plan out your lunches at home, the healthier choices you will make – both for yourself, and for your kids. Packing protein-rich snacks and lunches, balanced with fruits, vegetables, and other wholesome items will ensure that your children will have the energy and brainpower to make it through their school days.

Some of our favorite meal prep ideas include hardboiled eggs, sliced veggies like cucumbers and carrots, and fresh fruits like berries and bananas. Go-to items such as string cheese and yogurt are great to have on hand, since most kids love them. Nutritious lunch recipes like tuna or chicken salad, and quesadillas stuffed with meat, cheese and veggies are always good wholesome options. Sliced turkey or ham can be enjoyed in sandwiches and wraps, or as rollups, too.

Take some of these lunch ideas and any other nutritious lunch recipes you’d like to try for a test run now, and you’ll save lots of time and effort in the long run. You’ll see which things your kids will eat willingly enough, and decide if they’re easy for you to incorporate into the school week routine. Everybody wins!

Maintain a steady workout plan

Exercise can be as mild or intense as is appropriate for you – but no matter what your fitness level, it is important to get moving somehow. Starting a light workout plan (taking a 20-minute walk three times per week, for example) that’s realistic for you to maintain will invigorate you and boost your energy levels, so you’ll be raring and ready to go during back to school season. 

Take a bike ride with the kids, or take a family walk to the park. Whatever workout plan you decide on, keep in mind that slow and steady wins the race. Establishing healthy habits is just like anything else worth doing – it takes time, effort and perseverance.