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Working Mom's Balance

From Overwhelmed to Flourishing

How to Thrive During a Crisis

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At the time that I am writing this, the entire world is dealing with a global pandemic. The coronavirus is rapidly spreading to every community and impacting the lives of essentially every person on the planet. While the full impact of Covid-19 will affect each person differently, no one will be left unchanged by this.

how to thrive during a crisis

I do not wish to perpetuate fear and anxiety, but the reality of the situation is that we are facing a global crisis that will have ramifications for months and likely years to come. With that being said, facing this does not mean that we all must suffer or be miserable in the weeks and months ahead. Even in the face of uncertainty, crisis, and massive changes to our lives, we still have the potential to thrive, to flourish, and to experience the good life. Because the good life is not a result of our circumstances. The good life is controlled by the thoughts we think and the decisions we make.

Today I want to share a few ideas that will help us to continue to thrive in the days ahead as we face this global crisis. These ideas are valid no matter what crisis we are facing, whether it be a job loss, medical diagnosis, divorce, death of a loved one, or a global pandemic. We may not be able to control our circumstances, but there are still many things we do control, and it is those things that have the most impact on our experience in life.

Savor the good things.

In every situation we face, there are always good things to notice and enjoy. Pleasures to experience and happiness to be found. The laughter of children, beautiful sunrises, delicious food, intimacy with our spouse, a garden full of flowers. What brings you pleasure? Where do you find joy? Pursue those things, enjoy them, savor them. They can always be found.

move your body to thrive

Move your body.

Some people shiver at the word exercise. I’m not asking you to go out and run a marathon (unless you’d like to), but everyone can move their body in a way that is healthy and available to you. When facing a crisis situation our stress levels are high. Moving your body helps to counteract that stress, relieve tension, and bring calm. Find a way to move your body every day during a crisis.

Fuel your body well.

The food and beverages you put in your body are the fuel your body uses to move about the world, to think, to respond, and to survive. If you put in junk you will not function at your best. You are allowed to eat delicious foods. This is not about deprivation. This is about making sure that the majority of the foods you consume are nutritious and fueling you for the hard work of life.

Value relationships.

We are not meant to go through life alone. Relationships matter, especially when facing hard times. Find community and support to walk with you through this journey of life. Currently, we are being asked to stay home and practice social distancing, but we still need to remain in community with others. Get creative. Use video calls, text messaging, and other ways to connect through technology and from a distance to keep and build relationships. If you don’t have people to support you in life, reach out and find them.

helping others helps you feel good

Be generous and kind.

Helping others helps us feel good. It is scientifically proven. Offer kindness and compassion. Generously give of your time, money, resources, and talents. The less tightly you hold on to your stuff, the more goodness you will experience. Giving and helping make you feel like you have control and power in difficult situations. Find a way to make a difference.

Set and pursue goals.

When crisis comes we often panic. We think that all we can do is struggle to survive and just make it through. But that’s not the truth. We can do so much more than we think. Don’t let a crisis situation keep you from moving forward in life. Figure out something you want to achieve, set a goal, make a plan, and get busy. It will help to distract you from your crisis and it will help you to grow even in the face of adversity.

While we are all at home during the Covid-19 outbreak there is so much potential for achievement and reaching new goals. The plans you had for this year might be out the window with everything going on in the world, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do something. Set a short term goal that you can accomplish, from your present circumstances at home, in the next couple of weeks or a month. Then get busy.

Avoid numbing activities.

Anything that you have a tendency to overdo when you are feeling uncomfortable emotions or avoiding your circumstances is a numbing activity. Overeating, overdrinking, over-social media-ing, over Netflix-ing, over daydreaming, oversleeping, overthinking. The list could go on. I’m sure you know what you turn to when things get tough and you want to escape. You’ll have lots of opportunities for these activities during a crisis. Find ways to do other things instead. Build routines and habits that help you avoid whatever you overdo and replace it with something healthy instead. Journal your thoughts and emotions instead of avoiding them. Create action plans instead of avoiding difficult choices.

keep your routines to flourish

Keep up with routines.

Your brain likes to follow the paths it already knows. When we face times of crisis and everything seems to change, our brains get a little freaked out. Okay, maybe a lot freaked out. Help your brain out and stick to your routines. Even if everything has changed and your old routines are no longer possible, create new routines as quickly as you can and stick with them. The consistency of routines will give your brain some much-needed peace.

Practice gratitude.

There is always something to be grateful for. Make a list of all the things you are grateful for in your life. Write a letter to someone expressing your gratitude for something they have done. Acknowledge the things you have done for yourself. Take time to thank and praise God for His goodness and His presence in your life.

Know that everything is temporary.

This crisis you are experiencing will not last forever. You may not see the end. The end might bring you into a life that looks nothing like the one you had. But, the crisis will not last. You will get through this. And you have the ability to learn something from this crisis. You can choose to let this situation teach you and give you a chance to grow into a stronger, better person. Instead of fighting your crisis, embrace it and look for ways to become a better person because of it.

Additional Resources to Help You Thrive During a Crisis

We all experience crisis situations in our lives. They can be difficult, but we are still able to thrive during a crisis. You do not need to fall apart during difficult times.
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My Honest Butcher Box Review

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*This post includes my personal opinions and completely honest experience with Butcher Box. I received the products mentioned in this post for free from Butcher Box. This post also contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you choose to make a purchase through one of the links in this post.*

butcher box review

Meat. If you’re like most people I know, you likely eat meat multiple times each day. It’s a big part of nearly every meal we consume. Because meat is such a large part of our diets, it is important to be sure that we are eating high quality, healthy meats.

Prioritizing the quality of the meat we consume can be expensive and time-consuming. In our family, our goal is to make sure that the majority of the meat we use comes from free-range chickens and eggs, grass-fed and finished beef, wild-caught seafood, and heritage breed, humanely raised pork.

The problem is that finding consistent sources for these types of quality meats can take a whole lot of time. I can find the chicken I like to use at one store, but they might not carry any grass-finished beef, so I need to go to a different store. Often, I need a third store to get quality seafood and it’s next to impossible to find anything but conventionally raised pork in my area.

I want to feed my family healthy foods, but I simply do not have the time to drive all over town on grocery day visiting every single store to find the foods I need. For this reason, I love to look at delivery services that can bring the exact foods I want to my door when I need them. Enter: Butcher Box.

What is Butcher Box?

Butcher Box is a meat subscription and distribution company. They source high quality, healthy meats, develop relationships with the farmers, and then package the meats into subscription boxes to deliver to you and me.

All of the meat available through Butcher Box is of the highest quality. They only offer meat that is humanely raised with no hormones or antibiotics. Their beef is 100% grass-fed, grass-finished, and pasture-raised. The pork they offer is all from heritage breeds that are provided with a nutritious diet and healthy living conditions. Chicken from Butcher Box is always free-range as well. They offer seafood options as add on items and those selections are wild-caught.

How does Butcher Box work?

butcher box delivery

Butcher Box is a subscription service. You can receive a box each month or you can choose to have a box delivered on a different schedule such as every other month if your family does not consume all that much meat.

They currently offer five different types of boxes. You can choose from a mixed box (beef, chicken, and pork), beef and pork, beef and chicken, all beef, or a custom box. They also offer two sizes of boxes so you can get anywhere between 8 and 26 pounds of meat with each delivery depending on your family’s needs.

Other than the custom boxes, all of the other types of boxes have a curated selection of meats and cuts each month. This will provide you with a variety of meats to use. You can always view the contents of the previous month’s boxes to help you get an idea for the types of cuts that might be sent. The classic size of the curated box is $129 which works out to around $5.38 per meal.

If you’d prefer to make your own selections you can choose a custom box and get exactly the cuts and meats you’d like. The custom box also allows you to get 20% more meat than the curated boxes. The classic custom box is $149 and works out to about $4.97 per meal.

They also have a large number of add on items that you can select to add to your box to give you even more options and customization, even with a curated box.

All of the meat delivered by Butcher Box is frozen and vacuum packaged at the peak of freshness. The boxes are packed with dry ice so they arrive on your doorstep frozen solid, even if they sit for a few hours while you’re at work.

Why use Butcher Box?

If you are used to buying conventionally raised meats at the lowest cost then Butcher Box will be significantly more expensive for you and may not be worth it. However, if you try to prioritize organic, healthy, ethical meats than Butcher Box is a great option to consider.

Convenience

The biggest reason to consider using Butcher Box, in my opinion, is for the convenience. No more driving to every store in town trying to source all the right quality meats to feed your family. With a few clicks of a button, you can have all the meat you need delivered right to your doorstep. Hallelujah!

Cost-Effective

If you live in an area where you have access to plenty of quality, healthy meats then you will likely be able to find cheaper options than Butcher Box. The purpose of Butcher Box is not necessarily to provide a huge cost savings. I have found that some of the meats through Butcher Box are more expensive than what I can find locally while other cuts are less expensive. That is part of the deal when you are looking at a subscription model service. The savings for me is more in the time and gas money I’ll save by not even needing to leave my house.

Quality/Taste

Butcher Box is very careful in selecting only the best quality meats, which means that not only will your food be healthy for your body but it will also taste really good as well. We have enjoyed all of the meats that we received from Butcher Box.

My Butcher Box Review

butcher box meats

A while back Butcher Box reached out to me regarding being an affiliate and offered to send us a box to try out. We received a classic curated mixed box ($129 value). Our box included two 10 oz sirloin steaks, a beef shoulder roast, two pounds of pork tenderloin chops, two pounds of ground beef, three packages of chicken breasts (almost four pounds), and a package of bacon.

Everything was extremely well frozen when it arrived. I even left it to sit outside for a while and then it sat in the kitchen for a couple more hours until I could get around to opening it and checking everything out. There was definitely plenty of dry ice to keep it frozen for a good long time in the middle of summer.

We don’t typically buy tenderloin chops or sirloin steaks, so I had to adjust our meal plan a little bit and do some research to come up with a plan for how to serve everything. Butcher Box has a recipes section, cooking instructions, and other tutorials on their webpage to help you come up with ideas if for some reason you are stumped or if you’re not sure how to prepare one of the cuts of meat you receive.

We enjoyed all of the meat we received. It was all incredibly delicious. And I felt great serving everything, knowing that we were eating extremely high-quality meat to fuel our bodies well.

Get in on the current deal

From now until September 30th, every new customer who signs up for a Butcher Box subscription will receive two pounds of ground beef in every single box, for free, for the life of your membership. You will get all the meat in whatever box you purchase plus an extra two pounds of ground beef thrown in for free. If you buy grass-fed ground beef regularly you know just how good of a deal it is to get 2 pounds for free every month!

I hope this Butcher Box review has helped you make an informed decision about whether Butcher Box would be a good fit for your family or not. If this sounds like something you want to try, be sure to use my affiliate link before September 30th to get an extra two pounds of ground beef for life.

Have you tried Butcher Box before? Feel free to leave your comments and thoughts in the comments.

Be sure to check out my other review posts

Green Chef Meal Delivery

Home Chef Meal Delivery

Prep Dish Meal Planning Service

Rockets of Awesome Kid’s Clothing Subscription

YNAB Budgeting Software

ThredUp Online Consignment

honest review of butcher box

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10 Signs That You Might Need a Social Media Break

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In late December of last year, I was deep in the mindset of reflecting on the year coming to an end and dreaming and planning for the year to come when I had an idea to do a one-week food fast and social media break. I’m not typically the type of person who does any type of fasting. I’ve never celebrated Lent in my life. Not because I think there’s anything wrong with Lent or fasting, it’s just never been a big focus in the churches I’ve attended.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe I could pull away for a week to try out what it would be like to live without social media and food. I’d spend more time in prayer and really try to gain some direction and wisdom for the year to come. At the very least, I’d see what the experience was like to know if fasting was something I should consider doing more often.

My experience with a social media break

social media break

I picked a week and made a plan. I removed all the social media apps from my phone on Sunday night, I avoided social media websites on my laptop, and took a complete social media break for the entire week.

It took a while to figure out what to do without social media. I kept finding myself with my phone in my hand, trying to find something else to do with it without any social media apps. I was playing games on my phone that I haven’t played in months. I even read the news a couple of times. Eventually, though I realized that playing games and reading the news were just other ways to waste my time, so I pulled myself away from those too.

I won’t try to tell you that the experience completely transformed every area of my life or anything like that. But by the end of the week, I was kind of sad to see my social media break come to an end (I was completely fine with the chance to eat like a normal person again). It was nice to have a break, give myself the chance to think and experience life without the constant noise of everyone else’s business and opinions. I also got so much accomplished during the week which made the whole thing worth it.

Scheduling regular social media sabbaticals

I’ve now chosen to regularly take a social media sabbatical. Since I set quarterly goals I’ve made it part of my end of the quarter routine to select a week to take a social media break, do some kind of food fast, and spend extra time in prayer and reflection to plan for the months ahead. My third social media break week was just a couple weeks ago and each time I enjoy it even more.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love social media. I think that there is so much you can do and so much potential benefit from social media. I am grateful to live in our modern world of technology, Google, and the connectedness and information we can find through social media. But just like everything else in the world, there are certainly some downsides and dangers. It can be overused, misused, and abused and I think it’s important to find a healthy balance when it comes to technology, the internet, and social media. Taking a regular social media sabbatical helps me to keep that balance.

Whether you’ve considered a social media break or not, today I want to share some of the reasons you might want to give a social media sabbatical a chance and some of the benefits you might experience if you do. I’ll also share some tips and steps to take if you are ready to embark on a social media break of your own.

Signs you might need to take a social media break

social media anxiety disorder

1. You experience anxiety when you can’t be on social media.

Have you ever run to the store and forgot your phone at home? You know everyone will be safe and fine, you don’t actually need your phone for emergencies when you’re just running down the road for a few minutes. But the idea of not having your phone and therefore not having access to your social media kind of makes you feel uneasy. What are you going to do when the checkout lines are long? What if something funny happens and you don’t have a chance to snap a picture to post about it?

Whether its the grocery store, a long meeting, a day of travel, or a hectic schedule, if you experience a time where you can’t be on social media how do you feel? If you feel anxious, upset, or like you’re going to miss out on something, it might be a good time to take a social media break.

2. You emotionally binge on social media.

Most people have experienced an emotional food binge at some point in their lives. You have a bad day and come home to decide that the best thing to do is sit on the couch with a carton of ice cream. Or maybe something really great happens and you decide to celebrate so you plow through an entire package of cookies, a specialty latte, and a piece of cake.

Have you ever done the same thing with social media? You have a bad day so instead of dealing with the difficult circumstances facing you, you plop yourself in bed and spend the rest of the evening numbing out with the endless scroll of social media. Or perhaps you’re having a fantastic day, but instead of being present and soaking up the experience you feel the urge to capture and post every single good thing, and then constantly check back in to watch all those hearts and likes and comments come in. These might be signs that you could benefit from a social media sabbatical.

3. You regularly experience low-level anxiety, unworthiness, or feel low, especially after scrolling.

Scientists are paying attention to our use of technology and social media and they have discovered that high rates of social media usage are linked to high anxiety and low self-esteem. They’re also talking about things like social media anxiety disorder and social media addiction.

When we’re on social media, we constantly see everyone else’s highlight reel. She’s on another tropical vacation, he just bought a fancy new car, they have a gorgeous and perfectly decorated house, her husband is always helping around the house, she’s doing amazing in her career, and on and on it goes. Sure, there are some people that post the downsides to life, but the overwhelming majority of what we see on social media is everyone else’s great life, which can make our lives feel less than.

If you’re finding it hard to feel joy, hope, and peace, and you’re constantly plagued with worry, unworthiness, and lack then it might be a good indication that you could use a healthy break from social media.

4. You are on social media for more than two hours a day.

spending too much time on social media

I was so excited when I found out that Apple now allows for screen time tracking and limits on iPhones. When I found out about this feature, I immediately set my phone to lock my social media apps after two hours of use each day. It seemed like a very generous amount of time to be on social media throughout the day so I figured it would be a good starting point to curb my addiction. And then I realized that most days I’d hit my limit and be locked out before lunchtime!

The amount of time we spend scrolling on our phones is staggering. I’m constantly complaining about not having enough time to do all the things on my to do list, but you better believe I still know all about what happened in the lives of all my friends on Facebook.

You can choose whatever time limit you think is appropriate for your life situation, two hours just seems like a reasonable amount to me personally. The point is, if you find that you’re spending hours of every day on social media and you’re simultaneously complaining about being busy or not having enough time to do all the things you want to do, then it might be a good idea to take a sabbatical from your social media for a while.

5. You spend more time on social media than you spend engaged in your real life relationships.

Who else lays in bed or relaxes on the couch at night, next to their husband, while you both scroll through your social media feeds? You are literally inches away from the most important human in your life but instead of spending time interacting and connecting with that human you stare at your phone catching up on all the happenings in the lives of people you haven’t actually seen in person in years (and in many cases you wouldn’t want to see them in person anyway).

You have a real life with real people in it that would like to interact with your face and your voice. If you’re finding yourself more engaged in the social media world than in the lives of the people in front of you then it might be time to step away and take a social media break.

6. You adjust your life and experience for the post.

A friend of mine used to have a blog. He stopped blogging years ago. One of his main reasons for quitting his blog was that he had begun to view every experience in life through it’s “blog potential”. How can I use this story for a good blog post? What deep meaning can I extract from this experience to share about on my blog? Instead of living and experiencing the fullness of his life he was living so that he could have a good blog.

How many people do this with their social media? We constantly run through quippy phrases or funny stories to get the most laughs and engagement from our friends and followers on social media. Every experience is scrutinized, not for how it impacted our lives, but rather, for its worthiness and value on social media.

I’m sure we also have been in experiences that seemed to be manufactured specifically to make a good social media post. You’re at an event and just trying to enjoy yourself and have a good time when someone decides to take a picture. But not just any picture, everything has to be staged just perfectly, we have to find the best light, remove all the background clutter, be sure to include a glimpse of a product or logo, and everyone needs to look fully engaged so we can give the appearance that this is a candid shot when it actually took 20 minutes to set up.

If you find yourself manufacturing and viewing your life for its social media potential, it might be time to take a break.

7. You have a lot to do and/or struggle with productivity.

We are all busy people. And I’m not trying to claim that we constantly need to be working or that there should be no time in our lives to rest, relax, and scroll through social media to stay connected and informed about the lives of our friends and connections. However, it can be really easy to go from resting and connecting to mindless, endless scrolling. And the mindless, endless scrolling can suck you in for hours. Those hours could be spent doing some productive things so you won’t be so busy and you might actually have the time to do something that is truly relaxing and fun.

If you’re going through a particularly busy season or you just really need to get some things done, you might want to consider taking a social media sabbatical to give yourself hours of extra time each day.

8. You use social media without thinking.

It drives me crazy how often I find myself staring at my phone and I don’t even know how I got there. One minute I was productively working on something around the house and then suddenly, I’m not. I don’t even make the conscious decision to pick up my phone and go check out my social media feed, it just happens. It’s like this involuntary automatic response that takes over my body.

If you find yourself getting on social media without any real reason or conscious thought, it might be time to delete the apps for a little while to give your brain a chance to make some new neural pathways about how it can better use its time.

9. You feel stressed and angry about what you see.

Does everyone in your social media feed believe the same things about every issue as you? I hope not. I’m a firm believer that we don’t all have to agree or believe the same things. It is good to surround ourselves with people who think differently than we do, experience life differently than we do, and look differently than we do. However, the internet also makes monsters out of a lot of those people.

In person conversations, in the context of a relationship, and with body language and vocal nuance, allow us to discuss our differences, learn from each other, and develop empathy, compassion, and influence. Conversations that happen online, without any kind of relationship, hiding behind the safety of our screens can be dangerous, damaging, and divisive.

We’re gearing up for another major election. There is a lot of unrest and problems in the world. Everyone has their own opinions about these things and many people feel it is their duty to express these opinions and attack everyone who doesn’t agree with them online. It’s not helpful or healthy. If you’re finding that what you see on your news feed is making you stressed, angry, or depressed you should remember that you can unlike, unfollow, and block to your heart’s content. And you might also consider taking a break from social media altogether.

10. You worry about missing out.

FOMO (the fear of missing out) is one of my biggest struggles during my quarterly social media sabbaticals. What if something important happens and I don’t know about it? What if something happens to one of my friends and I don’t see it and can’t help them? Will people notice I’m gone and worry about me? (I don’t typically announce my social media sabbaticals ahead of time.) What if someone is trying to reach me and I don’t respond? Will they think I’m rude?

The truth is that if something really important happens that I need to know about I will eventually find out about it in my real, in person life. If one of my friends is going through something and needs help they know how to reach me or they can tell me about it when we see each other in real life. On the off chance that someone is worried about not seeing me on social media, they are probably in a close enough relationship with me that they know how to reach me on an actual phone or at least by email.  Eventually, my social media break comes to an end and I log back in to catch up. If someone is waiting for my response, I can reply then and if needed, apologize for the delay and explain my break.

If one of the reasons you check in to your social media accounts so often is because you are worried about missing out on something, it might be a good sign that you could benefit from an extended break. Log out of social media and discover new ways to connect and keep up with your friends, the news, and life in general.

How to take a social media break

how to take a social media break

Social media is a huge part of most of our lives. It could be part of your job or business. As someone who works from home, social media helps me feel connected to the outside world. It can help us find and reconnect with old friends. We can follow accounts that help us learn, grow, feel inspired, and get motivated. There are tons of benefits to social media and I would never say that we should all give up social media forever.

But, as we’ve seen, there can be some major drawbacks. We can get highly addicted. We can waste a lot of time and it can seriously hinder our mental health and wellbeing.

The idea of giving up social media completely, even if just for a short period can be anxiety producing and scary. But I promise, you can do it, and I’m willing to bet that if you give it a fair chance you might just find that, in many ways, you enjoy your time away. You might just decide to commit to taking a social media sabbatical on a regular basis.

How long should a social media break be?

The first thing to do is decide how long you want to log off. It’s okay to start small and just go for a day or two to get you started. If you’re feeling brave, try for a week or so. I’ve heard many people say that once they logged off they enjoyed themselves so much that they extended their break by a few days or weeks. For now, just set an initial goal for yourself knowing you can extend it as you desire.

When is the best time to take a social media break?

Then, you want to decide when you will take a break. Maybe you jump right in and start today or perhaps you schedule a time in a week or two. Depending on your life situation and schedule this is completely up to you, but decide a time and get it on the calendar.

How to prepare for a social media fast

When it is time to start your social media break be sure to turn off all notifications. If you are constantly getting notifications in your email inbox about what’s going on it kind of defeats that purpose and it’s a huge temptation. Log into your social media accounts to turn off email notifications. If you have browser notifications on your computer turn those off too. You’ll also want to disable notifications on your phone and tablets (unless you’re deleting the apps altogether).

For my first two social media breaks, I completely deleted all of the apps from my phone to avoid the temptation to log in. It was quick, easy, and it worked great. When my break was over I was able to download the apps again and log right back in to pick up where I left off. It’s super simple.

This last time I went on a social media sabbatical I chose not to delete the apps. I didn’t really have a reason for this other than I was feeling lazy and I kind of wanted to test myself to see if I had the self-control to have them on my phone without actually opening them. I moved all the apps to one folder and then shoved that folder to the back “pages” of my phone screen so it was out of sight and out of mind. This worked well this time, but I don’t think it would have worked as well on my first attempt.

If you really struggle with self-control you might also want to find a way to block social media websites on your computer browsers as well.

What to do during and after a social media break

Once you get started on your social media break, enjoy it. Use all that extra free time to get caught up on your to do list, enjoy some extra time to relax or do something fun, spend time with your real life friends and family, pray, go for a walk, read a new book, or whatever your heart would like. Enjoy and savor the quiet and let your mind think and wander without the added noise of everyone else’s thoughts and opinions.

When you come to the end of your social media break, feel free to log back in slowly. You don’t need to jump right back in and binge on everything you’ve missed for hours. You will feel like you need to. It might be really tempting to endlessly scroll to make sure there’s nothing you’ve missed. But you’ve probably missed very little and anything important will show up in the first few minutes of being back on. Check back in but don’t give up on the healthy boundaries and limits you’ve gotten used to during your break.

Are you considering taking a break from social media? Have you ever taken a social media break? What was your experience like? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Additional Resources

Andy Crouch has an excellent book all about setting up healthy boundaries for technology usage in our families. His suggestion is to go technology free for one hour a day, one day a week, and one week per year. You can read more about his ideas and approach in his book, The Tech-Wise Family.

Most people spend a lot of time on social media. But how do you know when or if you should take a break. Could a social media fast be helpful for you? What would it look like to regularly take a social media sabbatical. This post shares 10 Signs that you Might Need a Social Media Break and tips for how to successfully take and enjoy your break.

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20 Ways to Reduce Stress Today

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A couple of months ago my life took an unexpected turn and my stress levels went way up. We didn’t have any drastic life changes or tragic circumstances, it was just a culmination of several things happening at once. My schedule became much tighter than I prefer and I felt like I was constantly on the go. Basically, I had a lot of extra plates spinning in the air and I felt incredibly responsible for making sure that none of them would come crashing down and break.

We all face stressful times at one point or another. Whether it is a short-lived season like I went through or stressful circumstances that you don’t have full control over, stress is an inevitable part of life.

However, we do have the power to reduce and manage our stress and stressful circumstances so that they don’t derail us or negatively impact our health and life. Here are 20 ideas that you can begin to implement right away to help you reduce stress in your life.

1. Reduce your to do list.

reduce your to do list to reduce your stress

If you don’t have a to do list that could be part of your problem. When everything is stuck inside your head it is easy to let anxious and negative thoughts control you and throw you into overwhelm. However, if you take the time to get everything out of your head and onto paper you have the chance to take a realistic view of everything you’ve got going on.

Once you’ve jotted down everything you can think of that needs to be done I want you to read through your list. For every ten items on your to do list I want you to find one that you can remove. I promise you that you’ve written down at least something that doesn’t actually need to get done.

I like to paint my nails every week, but for the last couple of months while my schedule has been extra full my nails have been extra plain. No one noticed but me and the small benefit I get from having pretty nails was nothing compared to the time I saved by not doing them. Find the things that are not urgent or important and cross them off.

This isn’t saying you’ll never do these things, just that you won’t do them today or for this season. I’m happy to report that as of today both my fingers and my toes are freshly painted now that my busy, stressful season has come to an end.

2. Exercise

Do not try to fight me on this one. I will literally sacrifice taking a shower in order to exercise every single day. I promise you, whatever you need to do to start exercising on a consistent basis is worth it. I’m not suggesting that you go to the gym for hours a day. I simply mean that you should move your body in a way that requires moderate effort for at least 10 minutes a day. If you don’t have 10 minutes a day available to move your body then you most certainly need to go back to item #1.

Exercise helps to relieve mental stress, it helps to clear your mind so that you can think logically and rationally and solve problems. Exercise lowers your stress hormones like cortisol and releases endorphins that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers. It also can help to improve your sleep, and we all know that stress can wreak havoc on our ability to get a good night’s rest.

Related: 8 Ways to Sneak in Exercise

3. Get enough sleep.

sleep well to manage stress

Speaking of sleep, when life is stressful you should not significantly reduce the amount of sleep you are getting in order to try to manage all the things stressing you out. When you are stressed, you want to bring your best self to all of the activities and events you need to deal with. I can assure you that you will never be operating as your best self if you are sleep-deprived. Go to sleep. Everything is easier when you’re well rested.

This particular item is not aimed at people who try to get enough sleep each night but remain awake due to stress-related insomnia. If you’re in bed, in the dark (without your phone in your face or the TV on), trying to sleep for at least 8 hours a night you are doing the right thing. The other items on this list should help to reduce your stress more so that your insomnia can improve. If not, go to the doctor for help. For everyone else, get your 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

4. Use essential oils.

Your sense of smell can do wonderful things for your brain. That is why aromatherapy has been around for centuries. You can diffuse essential oils in your home or office to help calm your brain and relax you throughout your day. It is part of my morning routine to turn on a relaxing or energizing scent in my essential oil diffuser nearly every day to help my family start with a calm and peaceful morning.

Some relaxing scents to try include lavender, rose, bergamot, roman chamomile, frankincense, and orange. If you are new to essential oils you can check out this post where I break down all the basic information you need to know to get started safely.

5. Avoid procrastination.

When I’m feeling stressed and busy my brain goes into overdrive. I see all that I need to do and immediately feel overwhelmed. Instead of diving right in I feel paralyzed and do nothing. Or I waste a whole lot of time doing unimportant things that are easier or more enjoyable than the urgent things I actually should be doing.

Grab that to do list and start numbering the items in order of priority. Don’t number them based on what you feel like doing or what would be easiest or fastest to do. Order your tasks by their importance and urgency. What absolutely must get done today? What will have the most consequences if you don’t do it soon? Start with number one and get to work. Bonus points if you schedule the items on your calendar so that you can better force yourself to keep moving at a pace that will allow you to get things done.

6. Watch your self-talk and thoughts.

How you feel is determined by the thoughts you are thinking. If you are feeling anxious and stressed it is not because of your circumstances. Your emotions are always caused by the thoughts you think.

You might have a full schedule. There might be a lot of responsibilities on your plate. But did you know that you don’t actually have to feel anxious and stressed just because you are busy?

Our emotions can be helpful signals to guide us in our choices. Feeling anxiety or stress could be a useful sign that you need to reexamine your schedule and your priorities.

But if you are not able to change your circumstances and you don’t want to feel stress and anxiety then you need to change the thoughts you are thinking and the words you are using both with others and with yourself.

This article can guide you through the process of changing your thoughts in a way that will change your emotions and therefore your actions and results.

7. Reduce your caffeine intake.

reduce stress with less caffeine

About a year ago a Biggby coffee shop opened up around the corner from my house. I’ve never been a huge coffee drinker, but when you put loads of syrup, foamy milk, and a mountain of whipped cream with some coffee, I am all in.

Ever since the coffee shop opened our household budget has struggled. We pass by multiple times a day in the car, and it’s just a short little walk on foot. Why not go every day, especially when you’re busy, stressed, and tired?

For many busy moms, caffeine is like a lifeline. Without it, we can barely function and we need a constant stream of it to keep us moving throughout the day.

Now, I’m not telling you to kick the caffeine or coffee habit completely. I think that a small to moderate amount of coffee can sometimes be perfectly acceptable. However, caffeine is a stimulant and it is known to increase anxiety. If you are already struggling with stress and anxiety, you don’t need to add a stress-inducing drug to the mix.

Back off that coffee pot for a little while and figure out how to get your energy from sleep, exercise, and healthy food.

8. Journal

Take out a notebook and make a list of all the things you are grateful for. Be sure to include the little stuff like “warm sun coming through the windows” or “belly laughs with the kids at bedtime”. If you’re grasping at straws and can’t come up with very many things you can even go real simple with things like life, food, clothes to wear, clean water, and more.

The purpose of this exercise is, of course, to help your brain focus on gratitude and thankfulness. Did you know that what you focus on expands? If you focus on the negative things in life you’ll see and experience more negative things. But if you instead focus on the positive things in life you’ll begin to notice more positive things coming your way. You’ll experience more joy. And stress has a really hard time sticking around when joy is present.

You can also use your journal to write out your thoughts and feelings. It can be really helpful just to get it all out. If you’re worried about someone reading it later you are welcome to shred the paper after you’re done writing, but take some time to be fully open and honest, even if it’s just with a pen and paper.

Related: How to Start a Journal

9. Spend time with good people

Did you know that spending time in good relationships helps to release oxytocin? It is literally a natural stress reliever to spend time in relationships with others. Obviously, you want to be smart about who you’re choosing to spend your time with. There are people who spread stress, drama, and negativity like the plague. Those aren’t your people. Intentionally work to develop relationships with people you can be real and honest with, people who will build you up and encourage you. Choose positive, empowering people who will support you in your journey.

10. Laugh

laughter reduces anxiety

Sometimes my children have overly dramatic meltdowns or tantrums. I know, I’m probably the only parent with this problem, but it happens. They scream and cry and sometimes even kick or push someone. It ain’t pretty. And there is very little I can do in the heat of that moment to make things better. Their emotions have taken over and they literally have no control over their actions.

In order to get a child to calm down in the midst of an emotional tantrum, you’ve got to figure out how to quiet the lower level primitive brain that’s freaking out and doesn’t understand reason. One of my favorite strategies for this is is to do something funny. It works like a charm a good majority of the time. A kid will be screaming and thrashing, I’ll say or do something funny, you’ll hear a pause, and suddenly they’re doing this weird giggle and scream thing at the same time. Within moments they are full on laughing and we are back in control.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you, as an adult ever lose control and throw a tantrum or have a meltdown. But if you ever feel like your negative emotions are overwhelming you and you are losing control, I invite you to find something funny. Watch stupid videos on YouTube, have a dance off with your kids, crack a joke with your coworkers, whatever you need to do to get yourself laughing.

As I said before, joy and anxiety have a really hard time coexisting. Find yourself some joy and give yourself the chance to get control over your negative emotions.

11. Say No.

No can be a complete sentence. If you want it to be. If you don’t absolutely want to do something, say no. You don’t have to explain yourself, you don’t have to come up with a compelling reason. No, all by itself, is good enough. When you’re already stressed out and busy you don’t need to add more things. Say no. It will be okay. Everyone will survive.

12. Practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is simply the practice of being present, right here and now. Focus all of your attention and awareness on exactly the task and the people right in front of you. Don’t let your thoughts wander, don’t try to multi-task, just be mindful of this present moment.

Mindfulness takes practice and effort in our busy, noisy world. But when you practice mindfulness you clear out the nose in your head too. You are able to stop your anxious, negative thoughts because you aren’t thinking a whole bunch of thoughts, you’re too busy focusing on what’s right in front of you. And unless there is a person literally dying right in front of you, your present moment probably isn’t as stressful as your mind might be telling you it is.

13. Snuggle.

snuggling is good for you

The other trick I use when my kids are spazzing out is to pull them in and envelope them in a giant hug. Hugging, cuddling, and snuggling release oxytocin, lower cortisol, lower blood pressure, and lower your heart rate. Snuggling is like a calming drug.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed with anxiety find someone to hug. Your kid, your spouse, your friend, or even your pet. Hang out and cuddle until you feel calmer.

14. Play some music.

In the past, I’ve let my kids choose which Pandora station we listen to while we’re driving around in the car. But often they pick things like “Baby Shark” or “Pink Fluffy Unicorn” or some other song that makes me want to stab my ears out. Several months ago when I was feeling particularly stressed out I finally pulled the mommy card on the car music selection. I played the music that I loved, the music that I knew would bring me joy or peace or both. The kids complained a bit, but then they realized my music isn’t so bad after all.

Music, when it’s a style we actually enjoy, has a way of calming us down, bringing us joy, and making the world seem a little brighter. Play some music, dance, sing, and enjoy yourself.

15. Deep breathing.

You know how to do this one. You know it works. But we don’t often think about it. Take some deep, slow breaths when you’re feeling anxious. Just focus on the air coming deep into your lungs and then slowly let it out. As you blow out the air, imagine yourself blowing away the anxious thoughts with it.

16. Eat wisely.

There are two types of people in the world. Those who eat when they feel stressed and those who starve themselves when they feel stressed. Neither are great options. You want to be functioning at your best when you’re stressed, your body needs good fuel to function at it’s best. Too much fuel will slow it down, even if it’s good fuel. Too much bad food will make your body sluggish and struggle.

But if you aren’t giving yourself any fuel because you’re too busy and stressed to eat then you won’t be able to function well then either.

Eat food that fuels your body well. Not too much and not too little.

Related: Four Pillars of Healthy Eating

17. Manage your time well.

manage your time well

There’s a lot that goes into this tip. For starters, understand what your priorities are. When making decisions during stressful periods it is important to really focus on and remember what is most important to you. Focus on the things in your life that are priorities and feel free to let other things go.

You also want to plan ahead. If you don’t have a system and a calendar in place that you regularly use, it is time to make one. Don’t just throw things on a calendar and forget about them. Take the time to review what is coming up each week and each day so there aren’t surprises and things won’t fall through the cracks.

Additionally, now is the time to get help. Every successful person in the world doesn’t do everything all by themselves. They have mastered the art of delegation. Ask your husband for help, your kids for help, your coworkers, hire a cleaning service, and order your groceries for delivery. Figure out the things that don’t need to be done by you and find someone else to do them.

The final piece of this tip is don’t neglect your self-care. When life gets stressful it is so easy to drop working out, drinking water, eating healthy, getting rest, and the like. But in fact, these are the times when we need these things the most. Schedule workouts on your calendars, make sure you have time to find and eat healthy food, and block off your time to rest.

Related: 18 Time Management Tips for Working Moms

18. Live your values.

Make sure your actions reflect your beliefs. Make sure what you do is a representation of what’s important to you. If you’re feeling stressed it can sometimes be an indication that you’re pursuing the wrong things or doing things for the wrong reasons. This isn’t always the case, but it can be helpful to consider. Use stress and anxiety as signals to pay attention and get curious. Uncover the reasons why you are experiencing these feelings and figure out if you need to make some changes.

19. Be realistic in your expectations.

You only have 24 hours in your day. There are only so many things you can fit into those hours. If you’ve set yourself up for too much, figure out a way to pare things down.

You also need to pay attention to the expectations you have toward others. My kids can often cause me a lot of stress and anxiety. But often, the times when I’m most upset and stressed about their actions and choices is when I’m expecting them to act like grown adults. They’re not and they won’t be for quite some time. My job is to guide them into adulthood, not expect perfection from the start.

With all people and situations, we can often have higher expectations than reality would suggest. If you’re finding that things aren’t quite working out the way you had hoped or the people in your life aren’t living up to your expectations it might be a good idea to step back and reexamine what you’re expecting.

20. Pursue a hobby or activity you enjoy.

Even when you’re incredibly stressed and busy, you should still make the time for leisurely activities you enjoy. God commanded us to rest. And rest isn’t just sleeping. He wants us to rest and relax because He knows that He created our bodies to need it.

Even if it’s just 15 minutes, find a pocket of time in your schedule to do something that you enjoy. Something that fills you up, calms you down, and makes you happy. Maybe this is going for a walk, crocheting, going to a dance class, hanging out with a friend, reading a book, or playing a card game with your husband.

Life should never be completely packed with work and stress, be sure to make the time to enjoy your life, no matter your circumstances.

Related: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Course

Today’s Action Step to Reduce Stress Right Now

I started this list by mentioning that you could do all of these things today to help you reduce stress. Obviously, if you tried to do all 20 of them you’d run out of time and be more stressed than you started. So, just pick one. Pick the one that made your heart excited when you read it. Everyone is different, and every day is different. But I’ll bet that there is at least one thing on the list that you know would make a big impact for you today. Go and do that thing.

While you’re at it, sign up for the Working Mom’s Balance email club in the box below and I’ll send you my Life Balance Worksheet. This will help you to identify the areas of your life that could most use your attention to tweak and adjust to help you live your best and fullest life.

 

These 20 tips will help you reduce stress and anxiety in your life. There are activities you can do that will help you to better manage stress at home or at work. You can destress yourself. #mentalhealth #anxiety #wellness

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How and Why You Should Begin Running Every Day

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Every day for the past four years I have gone for a run. No exceptions. No days off and no excuses. Running every day has become my strongest habit and one of the things I am most grateful for in my life.

Before you think that I’m some strange, super athletic, exercise loving phenomenon, I was not athletic growing up. In fact, I was quite clumsy and I’m still terrible at just about every sport. I faked asthma in fourth-grade gym class because I hated running so much. I didn’t grow up loving to run and move my body. My love for running has come on slowly and gradually as an adult.

Running every day is worth it, but not easy.

running every day is not easy

I love how running allows me to explore and experience the beauty of our world on my own two feet. I enjoy the satisfaction and pride I feel after completing a long, hard run. Running gives me a boost in energy, mental clarity, and helps me keep a positive outlook and attitude.

But running is still hard. There are many days when I just don’t feel like it. Just yesterday I was doing my usual lap around the neighborhood and I could not understand why my legs and lungs felt like they were on fire. I do this every day. I’ve run a marathon! But still, every mile takes work and effort.

And every single mile is completely and entirely worth it.

In the past four years, I’ve run thousands of miles and completed dozens of races. I’ve run in the frigid cold with blowing snow in Indiana, under the blistering hot Texas sun, and I’ve been drenched with buckets of rain, and every type of weather in between. I’ve gone for runs with fevers, upset stomachs, and a broken toe. I run when I’m busy, when I’m bored, when I’m stressed, when I’m happy, when people I love die, and when I’m celebrating great accomplishments.

Why You Should Consider Running Every Day

run streak

Consistency

One of the most common questions I get is “why do you run every day?” The shortest and easiest answer is for consistency. Before I started my run streak I would create a training plan and try to run on a regular basis, but life would always get in the way. I was too busy and I always had an excuse for not going for a run. Completing races was a nightmare because I had never trained properly and was always miserable. I enjoyed running, I enjoyed the effects of running, but I just couldn’t get myself into a regular habit and routine.

When I decided to start running every day I just wanted to see how long I could do it. Running every day for two weeks sounded impossible all by itself, but I could see the potential of developing a habit so strong that you did it every single day without fail. So I decided to give it a try, and now four years later I will tell you that deciding to run every day was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

If you want to be a more consistent runner, run every day.

Improved Life

family run

If you want to work out more often, get healthier, get stronger, gain more energy, develop motivation, lower your depression and anxiety, manage your stress, increase your confidence and self-acceptance, or even get better sleep, you should consider running every day.

I started running every day in an attempt to be a more consistent runner. I wanted to run more races but I didn’t want to keep showing up undertrained and miserable. But I keep running every day because the benefits have literally affected every area of my life.

I’m a calmer, happier mom. I’m more disciplined and focused at work. And I’m a nicer wife. Developing such a strong habit in this one area of my life has helped me to develop habits and self-discipline in other areas.

I don’t run every day to lose weight. I’m not trying to change my pant size or the way I look in the mirror. I run every day because it actually improves my life and makes me a better person.

It could do the same thing for you too.

Better Health (of course)

Also, there’s a lot of research about how running can improve the longevity of your life, increase your cardiovascular health, lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke, decrease your chances of getting cancer, improve your brain function and cognition, and help you age well. But I bet you’ve heard those types of reasons before.

How to Begin Running Every Day

running every day can help you accomplish great things

When I decided to start running every day I didn’t put all that much thought into it. I honestly didn’t think it would last more than a couple of weeks, so I wasn’t worried about what a life-changing decision it could be. It sounded like a neat idea I wanted to try, so I just started going outside and moving my feet every single day. It really is that simple.

But it’s also extremely hard to run every day. You are busy. You will get sick. And at least some part of your body will hurt at some point. You’ll always have an excuse or reason not to run. You’re going to be too tired, often. Here are my best tips for how to get going and keep going if you decide to start running every day yourself:

1. Commit

The mental aspect and commitment is truly the hardest part of running every day. The good news is that the longer your running streak gets, the easier it will become to overcome your mental junk.

I can be exhausted and busy and grumpy and sore all I want, but there is no way I’m going to let that stop me from getting outside to run at this point. If I could do it for the past 1461 days I can surely briskly move my feet for 10 minutes today.

Take things one day and one step at a time. If you’re starting off with the goal of running every day for 50 years you’ll stop before you start. That sounds awful even to me! Don’t worry about 50 years or even tomorrow. Your job is to go out and run today. Lace up those shoes and start moving, then just keep moving until you’re done. You don’t actually have to put all that much thought into it. Make your body move before your brain has time to complain. Before you know it you’ll be done and can go back to Netflixing on the couch.

2. Build Mileage Slowly

build up slowly as a runner

If you’re going to run every single day with no rest days you are going to need to be smart about it. If you aren’t regularly running several times a week already, you will need to take things really slowly.

The most popular guideline for people who run every day is to run at least one mile each day. There are some people with run streaks who have a higher minimum number of miles. It’s your streak so you get to make whatever rules you want. Just be careful not to set your goal too high and cause injury or burnout. In my opinion, one mile every day is a completely doable goal for most people.

I’ve had weeks where I only run one mile each day and I once ran three miles or more each day for a month. There’s quite a bit of variety in the amount I run each day with a range from 1 to 26.2 miles. Typically though, I prefer to run 3-4 miles two or three times a week, get a long run of 5-10 miles on the weekend, and then just one mile all the other days of the week.

When creating a plan for yourself be honest about what you are currently doing and take things slowly. If you’re literally just rolling off the couch and getting started then you should stick with just a mile a day for a few weeks. If you’ve been running on and off for a while, you might be able to throw in some longer runs during the week, but be sure to have several days at the minimum (one mile) while you’re body adjusts to your new habit.

3. Change Your Shoes Often

The two most important rules for injury prevention and recovery when it comes to running are to wear good shoes and stretch. I’ll get to the stretching part in a minute.

Running doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment, but you absolutely, positively need a good pair of running shoes, preferably two, if you’re going to run every day. Running is a high impact activity that can put a lot of stress on your bones, joints, and muscles. Do yourself a favor and get some good support and cushion for all that impact by wearing decent shoes.

Your running shoes should be replaced every 300-500 miles. It’s a good idea to log your runs in some form just so you can keep an eye on the number of miles you’re putting on your shoes. But even if you don’t log your miles very well or lose track, it’s fairly easy to know when you need new shoes.

I typically can tell when my shoes need to be replaced before my “gear tracker” tells me because I pay close attention to my body. If I start getting pains in my feet, shins, or knees it is almost always a sign that my shoes have reached their maximum mileage. Ignoring these little pains will lead to plantar fasciitis, shin splints, runners knee, or any other injury that could end my streak. Don’t ignore pain. Address it immediately and order yourself some new shoes.
Joes New Balance Outlet

Shop Online to Find the Best Deals on Running Shoes

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on running shoes. I typically find my running shoes on deal sites like Joe’s New Balance or by watching the deals on Amazon. If you’re first starting out with running then you should go to a good running store to have them watch your gait and give you some recommendations on which shoes are best for you. But once you know what works for you it’s pretty easy and much cheaper to search for deals online.

4. Stretch and Foam Roll. And You Should Probably Warm Up Too.

running tips

Dynamic Stretches to Warm Up

When I first started my run streak I was really good at warming up before each run. I had an entire routine of dynamic stretches I would do to warm up each area of my body. This is the right thing to do and I’d encourage you to always make sure that you warm up before each run with some dynamic movements. Don’t be like me and start skipping this part, it really only takes a couple of minutes to do.

You’ll notice that I mentioned doing dynamic stretches for your warm up. Dynamic stretching means that you are moving your muscles through the full range of motion rather than holding a static stretch of your muscle for a period of time. Dynamic stretching will help to increase the blood flow and joint mobility before you start running so that you aren’t putting stress on “cold” muscles.

Static Stretches to Cool Down

After you’re done running you want to practice more traditional static stretching where you stretch a particular muscle until you feel a pull and then hold it for a period of time. Static stretching will help to elongate and loosen your muscles, cool you down, and increase the blood flow needed for your muscles to recover from your run.

When someone asks me what to do about a particular injury, it doesn’t really matter what the injury is, my answer is always, always, buy new shoes and stretch as much as you can. I promise you, other than my broken toe, stretching has been the number one thing that has fixed every single running injury I have had.

The key with stretching, particularly when it comes to stretching to prevent or heal injuries, is to stretch every muscle that is near the injury. If you have plantar fasciitis, don’t just stretch the bottom of your foot, stretch your toes, your ankles, your calves, your shins, and even your quads and hamstrings, it’s all connected, and tightness in one area causes injury in another. If you are struggling with shin splints, stretch your calves for sure, but also your feet and ankles, quads, hamstrings, and your glutes.

All of this stretching should be done on warm muscles. It is not advised to do static stretches on cold muscles, so warm yourself up with a few dynamic stretches, go for your run, and then spend as much time as you can with static stretches when you’re done. If you are dealing with an injury it can be good to stretch multiple times a day. Do some dynamic stretches to warm things up and then you can move into your static stretches.

Foam Roll to Work Out Kinks and Tension

Foam rolling is also incredibly helpful for sore and tight muscles. You can get a foam roller pretty cheap online or at a running store (I have this one). The main thing to remember when foam rolling is to take it slow. Rolling your muscles with the speed that you’d roll out some pie dough isn’t going to do you much good. You want to go slow and pause when you feel tightness or a knot. If you’ve ever had a good massage and noticed the massage therapist pressing and holding on a certain spot for a while that is what you are aiming for. There are tons of YouTube videos with foam rolling demonstrations to help you make sure you are foam rolling correctly for each particular area of your body.

I will mention that foam rolling hurts. There’s no way around it, especially if you are tight and sore, you will grimace and cringe. That probably means you’re doing it right. The more you foam roll the less it will hurt because you won’t have as much tightness to overcome.

5. Do More Than Just Run.

exercise in ways beyond running

This is probably the thing that has taken me the longest to work out. It’s not that I don’t enjoy other forms of exercise, it’s just that running is my priority. But to prevent both injury and burnout it’s important to do more than just go for a run every day.

For one thing, you should stretch as I mentioned above. But you should also work to build your strength. Running builds muscle endurance but strength training will actually make your muscles stronger.

Avoid and Fix Muscular Imbalances.

Injuries often occur due to muscular imbalances. It is common for some runners to use their “front of the leg muscles” (quads and hip flexors) more than they use their “back of the leg muscles” (hamstrings and glutes). If your front is stronger than your rear it can throw off your gait and balance and lead to injury. New runners, fast runners, long-distance runners, and treadmill runners are all likely victims of having this particular type of imbalance (which means just about all runners). Incorporating some strength training can help to fix these types of imbalances and avoid injury. Strength also adds power and power means speed when it comes to running, so it’s a win-win.

Try to set aside some time a couple of days a week to focus on strength training. It doesn’t really matter when you do your strength training exercises, it just matters that you actually do them. Figure out what works best for your body, personality, and schedule. Some people like to strength train before they run, some prefer after, and others, like me, prefer to stick strength training at a completely different time of the day.

Increase your Speed and Enjoy All that Your Body Can Do.

Don’t just focus on your leg muscles either. You want a strong core and a strong upper body not only to be healthy but also to increase your speed as a runner.

You might also enjoy doing other cardiovascular types of exercises once in a while just to shake things up and enjoy all the activities your body is capable of. Go for a bike ride with your kids, take a fitness class with your friends, or swim some laps in the neighborhood pool.

I highly recommend both Aaptiv or RevWell TV if you are looking for a resource to help you with additional workout options.

6. Notice Pain. Stop. And Rest When Needed.

stop and rest while running if needed

Just because you’ve decided to run at least a mile every day doesn’t mean you need to try to kill yourself to make it happen. It is so important to constantly pay attention to your body. Know the difference between injury pain and muscle soreness.

Stop. Reset your gait. Restart.

If you experience a stabbing injury pain at any time, immediately stop. Don’t try to muscle through and hope that it will work itself out. The moment you feel pain, slow way down or stop. There have been many times that I’ve felt a surge of pain while out on a run and all I had to do was stop and restart. It could be that you’ve tensed up and need to slow down to release it or that your gait is off just a bit and you’re causing strain somewhere. Momentarily stopping and restarting may be all it takes to reset and relieve the pain.

Shake It Off or Stretch It Out.

If stopping and restarting doesn’t relieve the pain you can try to shake it out or stretch it out. If you can’t get the pain to go away entirely run slowly until you get to your minimum mileage for the day and call it good.

By immediately addressing pain as soon as it starts you can avoid most major injuries. Our bodies have a great way of giving us warning signals when something isn’t quite right. If we pay attention and do something when we get those signals we can often remain injury free.

Take Injuries Seriously.

If you do experience an injury, take it seriously. Depending on the injury, you may be able to get by with going for your minimum mileage for a week or two to give your body a chance to heal. Go slowly and carefully on your runs to avoid aggravating things further, stretch a lot immediately after, and use heat, ice, compression, and elevation as much as possible.

If you can’t seem to get things to heal on your own don’t be afraid to go to the doctor. My run streaking friends and I have had injuries that we couldn’t get to go away on our own. We worried that a doctor would tell us to stop our streak. But in many cases, the doctor was able to encourage us to continue our running streak while giving us the support and counsel we needed to heal from our injuries.

7. Figure Out a Routine That Works.

run all the races

You’re busy. I’m busy. Everybody is busy. And yet, no one can use busy as an excuse to not work out. You are a grown person. You get to make grown person decisions about how you use your time and how you live your life. If you decide that working out is not important to you, then it’s fine if you don’t schedule any time in your schedule to workout.

Be a Grown Up. It’s Your Life. You Will Make Time for What’s Important To You.

However, if you want to work out. If you claim that it is important to you. If you desire to make your health and wellness a priority, then you get to make some hard grownup decisions about how to best utilize your time to do the things that matter to you. Nobody can make those decisions for you and nobody can work out for you. Time will also not magically fall into your lap. Everybody gets the same amount of time. It’s up to you to decide how you use your time.

If you’re going to run every day you will need to figure out how to fit your runs into your schedule. Maybe you’ll wake up earlier and get it done first thing. You could run on your lunch hour like I usually do. Perhaps you could run right after work or just after getting your kids to bed. There are 1,440 minutes in your day. It shouldn’t really be all that hard to find 10-15 of them to go for a jog around the block.

Try Different Times Until You Discover a Routine That Works.

run any time of the day

There will be some trial and error in the beginning. You’ll get busy and forget and have to squeeze it in when you’d rather be in bed already. You might be out and about and realize you need to run without the proper clothes or shoes (one day won’t kill you). But eventually, you’ll settle into a routine that works for you and your family.

Everyone who spends any time with me knows that I run every day and they’ve learned to live with it. Sometimes that means my kids have to come run (or ride their bikes) with me, sometimes that means I need to step away from a conference or business trip to get my run in. I wake up early and run on family vacations. I’ll sneak off during a cookout to get my run in.

No one has told me they’re upset or offended yet, and even if they did, I’m not living their life, I’m living mine. I get to decide what I spend my time on and I’ve decided that running every day is one of the things I will spend my time on. If you’re worried about offending people I promise that you will inspire, encourage, and motivate far more people than you offend. And someone who takes offense when you prioritize your health and well-being is probably someone who is just jealous that they don’t have the courage to do that for themselves.

Best Reason to Run Every Day.

ragnar relay

You should run every day because you are worth it.

Your health, your joy, your peace, your self-love, your strength, your self-discipline, your courage, your determination, your focus, your passion, your drive, your energy, your relationships all depend on how well you take care of yourself. You get one life, one mind, and one body. What are you doing today to take care of them well?

If you don’t want to run then don’t run. But find some way to move your body every single day to experience the abundance and good life that can only come when you prioritize your own health and wellness. If you’re not living your best life, that’s on you. Make the choice today to stop making excuses and get out there and do something to help you bring your best self to life. You deserve it and the world needs it.

Reasons why you should run every day and tips for how to start running every day from a streak runner who has run every day for 4 years. It will change your life, you will see results. #running #runstreak #runeveryday #runner #exercise #workout

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