Sticking with healthy habits at home (by Rebecca Rice and Bev Orrill, Chaffee County Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Coaches)
During these unprecedented times of social distancing and protecting yourself and others by staying home, it’s important to set and stick with healthy routines. Consider these tips:
Plan physical activity breaks
• At a minimum, set a timer or reminder to stand up at least once an hour
• Block your calendar for 10-15 minute activity breaks several times a day. Include kids and grandkids!
Sneak in physical activity
• Stand up to drink a glass of water
• Use work breaks to do a quick chore (e.g., walk to the mailbox, empty trash cans, etc.)
• If you are using a laptop, find a higher surface to occasionally stand while working
• Stand or walk around your house while on phone calls
Create a regular pattern of eating
• Whether you eat one or three meals a day – stick to it!
o Put tempting foods out of sight-don’t rely on self-control
Meal preparation
• Even though you are not leaving the house, planning your meals and snacks for the week can help you stick to your progress
• Put your lunch in containers as if you were heading into your usual routines
• Portion out snacks, including the indulgent ones so that you are not eating out of large containers
Get back on track if you slip
• Slips are normal, especially during times of stress and uncertainty
• Recognize your slip and –
o Ask yourself “what happened” so you can problem-solve
o Take back control as soon as you can
o Reach out for support
o Focus on the positive changes you have and are making
Support
• Consider tracking your food and activity for awareness. Tracking your food will also help you notice patterns, for example – when you are on long calls, you get the munchies for…, and then you can strategize.
• Set a weekly action plan around working on new eating or activity habit
• If you feel overwhelmed or stressed-reach out to a buddy or to Solvista Mental Health at: solvistahealth.org
• Put reminders of your “why” – what are your health motivations for yourself, your family, others?
Which of these will you add today?
Adapted from the Diabetes Training and Technical Assistance Center