We all know how important a good routine can be; it keeps you honest, breeds good habits and reduces stress. We also spend a great deal of time establishing these routines, which let’s face it, in the midst of all the chaos that is our everyday lives, is in fact quite necessary. So, this begs the question; why oh why are we so quick to mess it all up the minute there’s a ‘break’ in our schedules? It may have been okay back in the day when time off was limited to once or twice a year, but in today’s world with half-terms, public holidays, Christmas, Easter, Summer, and not to mention the time off we give ourselves, seems like re-establishing good habits has become quite the norm.

Also, hard as it may be to establish these good habits, they are just SO easy to break. This in turn, makes it even harder to get back into them, as good habits are not exactly the kind of thing one can just dive right into – these things take time and a whole lot of effort, especially this time of year when pretty much everyone is coming out of an 8-week stint of bad habits.

Like most things however, the good news is, with a little discipline and self-control, we can get ourselves back on track, and here is how:

10 Effective Ways to Help you Get Back into Good Habits after Summer

1. Don’t wait until the party is over; sure, you may still have another week of vacation left, but why put off the inevitable? Set a goal and an intention to start early. That way, when the vacation is over, you are not filled with dread on getting started, because guess what, you already have!
2. Planning ahead always helps; I cannot stress this enough! Once the goal and the intention are set, you can start putting your plan into action. Think about what you would like to start with and work from there. If it is eating habits for example, get on yufeed right now, put in your filters and you’re all set – P.S. traveling is no excuse here, as we are pretty sure healthy options are available wherever you are.
3. Start small; to begin with, don’t go too extreme, as that is often how people ‘fall off the wagon’, so to speak. Set a more realistic goal to start; if it’s exercise but you dread the thought of it, then start with a couple of times a week and build you way up from there, if it’s food but you’re not ready to give up your gelatos entirely, then don’t; simply reduce the frequency from daily to once or twice a week. The goal here is to get you eating better and moving more, but no one rule fits all, figure out what works for you and your family and go with that.
4. Keep it simple; don’t expect to get back into ALL your good habits at once; that almost never works. Depending on how many adjustments you need to make, start in order of priority; ideally one or two practices at a time. Once it starts to feel like second nature, you can move on to the next one. This way, you are easing your way back into your good habits, as opposed to forcing them on you and this is more likely to establish long lasting results.
5. Make it as easy as possible; for example, if you’re planning a workout first thing in the morning, set your clothes out before you go to bed at night. Or if you’re making a smoothie before work, set out the ingredients the night before. These little things will save you a lot of time in the morning, which means you’ll be less rushed and less likely to ditch the idea entirely and either go back to bed for a little more shuteye or grab a sugary bite on your way to the office.
6. Make it fun; this really doesn’t have to be tedious or boring. If you hate working out or just dread the thought of getting back into it, start with something you actually enjoy, like a fun class. If you have a favourite instructor, then opt for their sessions, whether they are group classes or one on one personal training. If you have a workout friend/partner, find out if they’re back in town and create a buddy system where you each hold the other accountable, after all, misery does love company. If your big issue is food, that too doesn’t have to be boring. For example, make a big batch of your favourite salad dressing and pour it over your next healthy meal – and guess what, it doesn’t have to be a salad! Check out yufeed’s Pantry for some healthy and delicious salad dressing recipes.
7. Be flexible and forgiving, but not too much; there are always going to be reasons for us to steer off course, and that is okay. If you fancy an ice cream at your friend’s dinner party or skip a workout because you want to sleep in, those are all okay. The occasional treat and lazy lie-ins are fine, it is what you do afterwards that’s important. Sure, miss your workout today, but set an intention to get back on the horse tomorrow. DO NOT however, allow yourself to slide down that slippery slope – just be mindful, as moderation is key.
8. Hydrate; drink plenty of water, at least 2 litres a day to flush out those toxins, improve your circulation and boost your immune system. There really is no end to just how good staying hydrated at all times is for your overall health and well-being.
9. Prioritise Sleep; believe it or not, sleep is just as important as a balanced diet and regular exercise in maintaining good health. Aim for nothing less than 8 hours a night and two good tips on how to get started (1) get into bed a little earlier than you deem necessary, and (2) no electronics! For more information, check out this link: 10 Top Benefits of Getting More Sleep (healthline.com)
10. Let this be the LAST TIME you ever ‘start’ again; In short, don’t drop your routines and good habits, even during holidays and vacations. Should circumstances however require you to make some changes and break with routine, then try modifying, as opposed to dropping them completely, only to start again in a week or so. This last step is probably the most important, as we all know by now that falling into this habit of stopping and starting is extremely frustrating. So, gone are the days of excuses and bad habits and let’s all get started – for the last time – together!

Check out yufeed for some healthy and nutritious recipes and feel free to share you post-summer health plan with us.