Overcoming Barriers to Healthier Choices: “If Only I Had More Time”
Whenever I ask people what their biggest struggle is related to eating healthy or prioritizing a healthy lifestyle, it always comes down to either time or energy - usually a combination of both. I get it. In fact, I frequently catch myself thinking the same thing, “if only I had more time.”
Due to the prevalence of this issue, I’m sharing a few tips along with some tough love to help you overcome the common barrier of “never enough time.”
Tough love truth:
We make time for what’s important to us.
You’ve probably heard this one before. The problem with this statement is it suggests that healthy eating or a healthy lifestyle must not be that important to you. For most of us, that’s not true. It’s true we likely all take our health for granted, but we likely value it more than this statement gives us credit for.
The real problem might be that we haven’t checked in with what’s actually important to us. It’s very easy to go about our day in a reactive state. What happens to us throughout the day dictates what we do and how we spend our time. However, if we thoughtfully determine our values and proactively prioritize them, we’re much more likely to make time for them on a daily basis.
In addition, we often focus on what we will lose by prioritizing that workout or an extra 30 minutes to cook dinner - usually it’s more time to check things off our to-do list. Instead of focusing on what you’re losing, focus on what you could gain by prioritizing your health. Maybe you’ll actually be more productive, think more clearly and show up with more vitality.
Reflect on what you value and ask yourself if you’re making time for those things every day. Are there things you currently spend time doing that you don’t value? What can you rearrange or remove from your schedule to make time for what matters most to you?
Make a plan & be prepared
Having a plan and/or being prepared will typically be your first line of defense when your motivation, willpower, energy or schedule gets in the way. When applied in the context of our health, this could look like:
booking your workout in advance/blocking off the time in your calendar
laying out your workout clothes in advance
planning your meals in advance
stocking your desk/kitchen/bag with healthy snacks
thoughtfully stocking your pantry/freezer with quick and healthy meal components
meal prepping in advance
using a healthy meal kit services like Sunbasket or OnePotato.
hiring someone to cook for you like Dinner Elf or a local personal chef service
healthy takeout go-to’s
If planning or preparation is a struggle for you, you’re not alone. This is an area I work with clients to improve all the time. If you’d like to step up your meal planning game, consider working with me directly whether through 1:1 consulting or my upcoming Nutritional Literacy course.
Delegate, outsource, automate or eliminate
Sometimes we feel like we don’t have enough time, because we really don’t. Many of us just simply have too much on our plates. If this is you, consider where you can delegate, outsource, automate or eliminate completely, both at home and at work.
Delegate - I know how tempting it is to want to do everything yourself, but delegation can clear up more time and energy for you in a big way. This can apply at work - what can you delegate to direct reports? Or are there responsibilities on your plate that don’t really fit within your job description? Or at home - what tasks can you delegate to your partner or your kids?
Outsource - Can you hire someone to do this for you? Consider this an investment, not an expense. What could you gain from outsourcing this? Maybe it’s more time for what matters to you, less stress, etc.
Automate - Leverage the power of automation. What tasks do you spend time on that you could automate?
Eliminate - Is this task/errand actually necessary? Or is it a distraction from your true priorities?
Establish boundaries at the workplace
This is one of the most common issues I see with my clients who struggle in this area. I know every job is different and a lot of this will depend on your industry, hours, role etc. but establishing boundaries and setting expectations with your employer is critical for your overall health and wellbeing. Not only will it improve your own quality of life but it will likely make you a better, happier and more productive employee. At the very minimum, I would consider these non-negotiables:
Concrete work hours - not required to be “on” or “available” outside of your defined work window. For example, 9am-5pm, outside of this window, you are not available.
An hour lunch break. No meetings during this time.
In addition to these very basic boundaries, I would recommend you ask for the flexibility that you ideally need. It never hurts to ask and if you don’t ask for it, you’ll never get it. If you ideally want to be home/logged off by 4:30pm so you can cook/eat as a family, ask for that. If you want a 1.5 hour lunch break to fit in a workout, ask for it. Have a conversation with your boss or employer and communicate your boundaries/requests and the WHY behind them. If it’s a healthy workplace/environment and won’t impact your overall performance, they should respect your request.
Hopefully these tips will help you see that you can always create time for the things that matter to you. If you want more support in this area, consider working with me directly. My upcoming course Nutritional Literacy is designed for people who struggle to feel prepared with healthy meals and snacks. The course will help you discover a simple, personalized meal planning strategy leaving you feeling prepared and set up for success on a weekly basis. Check it out or get on the waitlist here.