Lifestyle gurus have hit TV shows but it isn’t always so easy to follow their advice. If you have a corporate job in a major city like Melbourne, it’s challenging to find the time to cook healthier food or go for a jog.
But often the key to lifestyle changes isn’t to plan a huge adjustment. Rather, it’s about making small changes that have a massive impact. Also, there are resources you may not be aware of that instantly simplify healthier living. Whether it’s an online instructor so you don’t have to travel to the gym or vegan meal delivery Melbourne locals often use to gain instant access to healthy dinners, your answer to a healthier lifestyle could be out there.
Let’s be clear, healthy living is not only about a healthy body but also a healthy mind!
We’ve listed some of the best tips and strategies Melbourne locals have discovered.
Trick Yourself Into Eating Better
If you’ve tried it all, let’s start with fun but very effective way towards healthier living. Overeating can be curbed slightly but very effectively by using different tableware—smaller plates to be specific. When there’s less space on your plate you’ll automatically dish smaller portions.
Even if you plan on going for a second helping you may realise you’re replete before you do.
Sleep 1 Hour More
Your body needs sleep to heal but also simply to facilitate basic, essential bodily processes. Without this ‘reset time,’ important biological cycles can’t take place.
For busy corporates and busy parents, getting more sleep often seems impossible, right? But monitor what you do with every hour of the day and you most likely will realise there are 30-minute periods of doing nothing really important. Perhaps you binge a series on TV or scroll through your phone? Turn that into more sleep time and you’re bound to have more energy from now on.
Schedule Social Media Shut Downs
There are multiple reasons to minimise your social media scrolling, not just your sleep schedule. Facebook and Twitter feeds often expose you to negative news stories you won’t ordinarily give attention to. But because it pops up there you feel it’s worth your attention.
Whether it’s a disturbing news story or simply click bait to prompt reaction while being laced with negativity and controversy, it usually doesn’t do much for maintaining a positive mindset. It’s worth limiting your exposure to it and being more selective about what you give attention to:
- Stop online scrolling 60 minutes before bedtime.
- Unfollow profiles that often share controversial stories and fake news.
- Research which channels shares truthful news and upbeat stories.
- Use apps to limit how much time you spend online.
Add 1 Glass of Water to Your Diet
Few people enjoy drinking water as much as other drinks, so to prevent feeling too demotivated to follow through, set the bar low if you want to increase your H2O intake. Drinking one glass of water with a meal is healthy, but if this doesn’t seem inviting, pick just one meal a day where 250ml of water is a non-negotiable add-on.
Make Meals Fun, Satisfying Experiences
The reason why healthy eating plans often fail is that they spoil mealtimes altogether. Change this with these tips:
- Make meals enjoyable by eating when you’re hungry, so you feel satisfied when done.
- Eat slower so you can savour the moment
- Pick meals with healthy ingredients you like, not hate
- Spend time with people you enjoy, making mealtime more inviting even if you don’t love every dish
Bulk Buy, Meal Preps and Meal Ordering
Often, the overwhelming thing about healthy eating is getting the food on the table. A quick fix is to buy in bulk at the start of the month so you don’t have to grocery shop and compare labels every week, while also trying to ignore unhealthy, processed foods that look divine.
Also, pick one Saturday and prep meals together as a family, then put them in the freezer. Whoever is in charge of dinner will have easy options to pick from so there’s less chance of ordering takeout or making a starchy, unhealthy meal because everyone’s tired or in a rush.
Lastly, don’t feel guilty ordering in. Melbourne has many tasty but healthy options to pick from that align with healthy living standards. You can even have healthy gourmet meals delivered Melbourne residents will enjoy, so if you have guests over you can still impress.
Burn Calories at Work
Daily exercise is important but you can get this at work or during daily chores:
- Use a standing desk
- Always take the stairs
- Walk to deliver a message instead of phoning another office in the same building
- Walk when going out for lunch instead of driving
Last Tip: Pick 1 Health Event for This Month
Perhaps you want to run a marathon somewhere in the next decade. Don’t plan that today—it can seem so overwhelming that you give up before you started. Simply pick one health milestone for the next few weeks, whether it’s opening a gym contract or a community fun run.
And when you’ve achieved that, pick the next one.
Living healthier can seem overwhelming, but one adjustment at a time is more manageable and will still help you reach your goals.