We all get busy and start to lose our minds. I know because it happens to me more often than I would like it to. Life starts to act like your worst enemy, throwing deadlines, extra hours of work, and sleepless nights directly at you like a ton of bricks. You become busy seeking travel, making time for family, friends, and work until soon life begins to consume you. When life starts to shake your systematised schedule it is easy to forget about your health. You stop eating right and instead stop by the nearest McDonald’s on your commute home at the train station. You become drained and stressed, while losing a few hairs. You don’t set aside time for yourself and you forget to plan. Lastly, you start to find all the goals you had diminishing. We all go through it and we all try to handle it the best we can but in doing so we start to forget about our health and let ourselves go. Here are some ways for you to stay on track even when life knocks you over like the giant wave.

Wake Up Early

According to a study at Harvard, people who wake up early are more proactive, saying that early risers have time to reflect on long-term goals and plans therefore diminishing the amount stress your body will endure in a hectic week. Another study says that waking up early enables the ability to anticipate problems that will arise during the day, and minimize them. Forbes also states early risers as better planners. The benefits of waking up early are vital to your day. Days are short and when your schedule is jam-packed the hours go by like seconds. Getting up early allows for some much needed “me” time and gives you the opportunity to plan your day. It will also sanction relaxation. Go for a walk, start a journal, or sit and do nothing with a cup of coffee. Have this time in your day bring you structure for what lies ahead of you. Taking this time for yourself will allow you to be mentally prepared to have a successful day while minimising stress, even if you are up to your neck in things to do.

Schedule a Workout Time for Everyday

Have a set time everyday that you plan to workout. This will create a constant schedule even when life is going faster than you can blink. Give yourself an hour to take your mind off of things and get your body moving. Do workout classes with friends, or go on your own and kick butt. What motivates me is remembering how good it feels to work out the stress and forget about all 10,000 things on your list you need to check off. Also, knowing you’ll look and feel great afterwards is always a bonus. Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine has a 10-minute power workout that will permit you to get your exercise in when you are almost too busy to breathe.

Meal Prep

According to Women’s Health Magazine, the most important part about a busy lifestyle is to eat healthy and take time for healthy meal planning. Like I stated before, the aroma of the savory McDonald’s French fries can be enough to throw your diet out the window. The impeccable way to avoid these devilish cravings is to plan meals every Sunday. Research what foods are perfect for meal prep and invest in an abundance of Tupperware. Find some enjoyment in planning out healthy foods and trying new recipes. For a perfect meal prep guide for beginners check out Kayla Itsine’s “Meal Prep 101”.

Take a Break

Even though it can be enjoyable to go all the time, you need to give yourself a break and get enough sleep. We Australian’s know 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for work, 8 hours for play. Be sure to keep that in mind as you go into your days. Maintaining this balance is not only beneficial but also enjoyable. Sometimes it seems impossible to take a break from your crazy schedule and the feeling of always needing to go makes for a stressful you, you forget about yourself and your health. Taking a break will not set you back in your schedule, it may even make your busy life seem a lot easier to cope with when you sit and think about it for a minute.