Life is crazy, period. It is busy, active, stressful, and wonderful, all wrapped into 24 hours in a day.
Add being part of a triathlon family and it not only compounds the situation, but affects everyone… and not always in a positive way. We find that with all the craziness, even in a healthy and active family, we tend to forget the little things, because we’re too busy just trying to hold everything together. But, by doing this, we’re all missing out on those special moments and touches that make being part of a family so special.
One day while speaking to an old friend, she asked a question about my husband that I didn’t have an answer for. She heard it from her husband and at first, I felt really embarrassed that she knew I hadn’t a clue what she was talking about, and then I felt really sad that my husband and I obviously hadn’t found the time to speak about this issue. I knew something was wrong that needed fixing, so went about determining what we could do differently in our everyday lives.
Along the way, I came across a few other areas where improvement was in order. While certainly not a cure-all, here are…
3 Simple Changes To Make Everyday Life Simply Better
Talk Time
We know. You think you’re either already doing this or wondering where you’re going to fit it into an already packed day. But, this is so important to keep your family healthy, that you need to take this seriously and carve some time out of your day. You could certainly spend less time on social media, right? All you need is about 15 minutes to actually talk to each other – partners AND children; not chit chat, but really connecting to find out what’s going in each other’s lives.
Heres’ what my husband and I did…
We carved 30 minutes into our day by incorporating it into something we already do. We made walking the dogs in the morning our 30 minutes. We wake up, throw on our shoes, and walk together rather than one running the dogs out and the other doing something else. These 30 minutes are not impacting any other part of our day and everything else can wait. Just by changing up our routine, we start our day fresh and attuned to what’s going on with each other.
Oatmeal
Yes, oatmeal. Not quick oats, not instant, but real, organic steel cut oatmeal. Why? Well, because they are good for us and honestly, they are a perfect quick breakfast or breakfast to send on the road.
On a recent annual visit to our doctor, he suggested we add oats to our daily routine as it helps to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood glucose levels. To add to our everyday, we simply make oats for the week on Sunday and each morning we warm 1/2 cup cooked oats with some hot water and add some fresh fruit, almond butter, or both.
Even when we travel, it is easy to take the oats on the road. We simply pack them in a small bag and warm them wherever we are. Somedays, we have them as a mid-morning snack. Oats are great to make us feel full and with toppings, we love that they curb that carb craving!
Bedtime Routine For Adults
Yes, you’re reading it right; bedtime for adults. In our crazy days, we just don’t stop. There is no downtime and at the end of the day, we check our e-mail, our social media, send a text, and/or get caught up on an episode of The Walking Dead. But, these are really the worst things we should be doing right before going to sleep.
Each of these actions makes us more awake or if exhausted, may put us to sleep, but of course, we don’t sleep well. And, I don’t think anyone disputes the power that sleep has over our well-being these days.
So, it’s time to introduce a new bedtime routine into your life…
Just like we do for the kids; turn off the TV, plug in all your devices to charge for the night, and go screen free. We read, we chill, or we just be. Our heads declutter and sleep is much more peaceful. We are honestly waking up better rested. Just remember…no big discussions about any topic that could make you upset or you have to think a lot about. That’s not what bedtime for adults is about.
Sounds crazy, right? But, it’s really not. Please keep in mind that these changes may not happen over night. In fact, the bedtime routine took us many tries before it became a habit. But, we stuck with it, did it, and so can you…
What changes can you make to your everyday?
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Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.
