How to make bettering your wellbeing part of your routine

Article written by Abi Rosser – AMR Fit.

Exercising allows me to feel most motivated, I really notice my mood change if I haven’t blown off some steam throughout the day. This means any form of exercise. I really enjoy long walks. I tend to just go on my own, put my headphones in and listen to some of my favorite music. It’s surprising how far you can get when you just zone out.

I’ve also found being organised and tidy has allowed me to have a much clearer mind. Now I’m a girl with a lot of makeup and an unnecessary amount of clothes, so you can imagine if I wasn’t on top of keeping my room tidy, how much of a pig sty it could get. It made my mood low and then I didn’t have the care or energy to tidy it, so it became a vicious cycle.

Now I ensure my room is tidy and the way I want it when I leave and when I get home.

So my safe space is my room, this is so important to have a space within your home where you can just relax and unwind. So pick a part in your home (this doesn’t have to be your bedroom) that you want to be your safe space, keep it tidy, decorate it the way you want, put some fairy lights up, light a candle, get a small speaker, so you can play your favorite music. All of these things are just small changes that can lift your mood and put you in a positive mindset.

Food is another massive part of how i’m feeling, you are what you eat to put it bluntly. Now of course there is room for treats but, moderation is key in your diet. When I see people promoting “cheat days” it really doesn’t sit well with me for the following reasons; excessive eating, choosing to eat unhealthy foods for the sake of a “cheat day”, broken routine, increasing chances of developing a binge and purge cycle into your everyday life. Binging is a disorder that you really don’t want to risk developing. It not only affects your metabolism but also your psychological health, such as; anxiety, depression, loneliness, guilt and your relationship with food. So after all of those reasons why not try intuitive eating, if you feel like a chocolate bar on a monday, have a bloody chocolate bar. But make sure you enjoy that chocolate bar and go back to eating healthier alternative foods and DRINK LOTS OF WATER!

Now of course there will be days when you crave something sweet and sugary. That’s absolutely normal and don’t ignore or try to suppress that craving because it will not go away. So to make sure you satisfy those cravings, make a meal that you love that is healthy and add a bit of naughtiness in it. My go to meal if I’m craving something sweet is alpro yoghurt, blueberries, raspberries, chia seeds, almond butter, vegan chocolate protein and syrup. Mix this all together and it tastes like a chocolate cake mix. Get creative with your foods, eating from a packet is so boring and the pleasure you get from it is only short term. 

How do you pick yourself back up after a bad day to ensure you don’t spiral? 

Acknowledgment is a massive part of progressing and overcoming bad habits or repeated unwanted feelings. Taking the time to acknowledge why you’re feeling this way is such a positive thing. It’s all about understanding what triggers you to feel that certain way and finding ways to overcome and lift you out of that place. There are many different ways to acknowledge how you’re feeling. Firstly speaking to someone, family or friends is a great way to do this, not only that but i’m certain whoever they may be will give you some good advice and support you through it. Secondly writing or drawing your mood. You can get a lot of pleasure from drawing, using different colours to express different things. You might even create a piece of art you never know. By creating a positive habit or an escape when you’re feeling low, allows you to catch it early so you don’t risk spiraling.

It’s not easy finding that one thing that can shift your mood, but it’s all trial and error. It took me a long time to figure out what i could do to change my mood. And sometimes I still struggle to motivate myself to do my one thing that allows me not to spiral. But each time it will get easier and the process will become a lot less of a challenge. 

How does fitness, food and sleep affect your wellbeing?

Wellbeing is feeling comfortable,healthy, happy and satisfied with your physical and mental state of mind. So let’s speak on the things that can ensure you’re feeling all of these things.

Fitness has a massive impact on your wellbeing. I know exercise isn’t to everyone’s taste and can be seen as a chore but, fitness doesn’t have to be done in the gym, lifting weights or running miles and miles. It can be as simple as going on a walk, playing a game of football with the family or a quick 10 minute HIIT session… you get the gist. Fitness is known for increasing energy levels, boosting immune system, improving sleep, reducing anxiety, reducing stress and increasing memory. These are just a few examples but there are endless benefits to exercise improving your wellbeing. Exercise should be implemented into your routine just like eating breakfast, in whatever form you feel you can stick to and most importantly enjoy.

How can I stick to it?

Set yourself some realistic goals. Don’t say “i’m going to do 5 days a week of exercise” especially if doing 1 or 2 days is something you’re struggling to commit to. Don’t be over ambitious, think realistically. Think about your current day to day and see where you can fit in that 10 minutes of exercise, or that walk or playing a game of football. I always say to someone who is feeling unmotivated, something is better than nothing. So whatever you choose to do make sure you acknowledge you’ve done it and feel proud of yourself for doing it.

As i’ve previously said above and i will say it again, you are what you eat. Be aware of that, make notes of foods that are energy boosters, antioxidants, stimulates your metabolism or reduces inflammation. Whatever you feel like your body needs fill it with the foods that will improve that. Food is fuel, yes the unhealthy foods can taste great but so can healthy foods. We eat to survive, not to satisfy.

Sleep is vital to replenish and restore your energy, it allows you to recover and for your body to relax. Running on fumes is never beneficial, it lowers your immune system and increases chances of being unwell, which is never fun. If you struggle to unwind there are a couple of things I do listed in my night routine further down.

What would you say to someone who is struggling to get out of a rut?

I’ve always said to anyone trying to boost their mood or energy, that mornings and evenings are the most important parts of your day.

The morning sets you up for the remainder of the day, so ensure you try and make it as positive as you can before you leave for work. Set yourself a morning routine that you can do religiously. Implement things into your morning routine that will enhance your mood or energise you, for example; playing some empowering music whilst you’re getting ready, making your bed and doing a quick clean, having a green tea, taking your daily vitamins and drinking 1L of water. By doing these small things,  you’re already setting up your day with the right attitude. 

For example:

1. Wake up and light a scented candle 
2. Play some music that makes you feel happy and motivated, for me it’s smooth jazz. 
3. Make your bed
4. Get in the shower, get dressed and put on your shoes 
5. Make yourself a herbal tea/coffee 
6. Take your daily vitamins 
7. Drink 1L of water before 8am. 
8. I tend to eat my first meal of the day between 11am – 12pm, but do what works for you. 

The evenings are also a vital part of your day, this is how you prep yourself for the next day. If you go to bed feeling relaxed and rested, then you will most likely wake up in the same way. However if you go to bed feeling stressed you will not only have a bad night’s sleep but, you will probably continue where you left off the following day. So to ensure you’re doing what you can to keep your mojo healthy and at it’s best, set an evening routine. Add all the things that make you feel relaxed, for example; lighting a scented candle, playing smooth jazz music, making a night herbal tea, having a bath with some bath salts and one of my favorites, playing some sleep hypnosis music. All of these things are great ways to encourage a good night sleep and to make sure you feel at your best and prepared for the following day to be even more of a success. 

Example: 

1. Prepare dinner with music playing in the kitchen 
2. Eat dinner with the family 
3. Make an evening herbal tea 
4. Light a scented candle in the bedroom 
5. Night time skin routine 
6. Update  diary and look over schedule for following day
7. Set an alarm for the morning
8. Turn  phone to airplane mode an hour before you go to bed and place it away from the side of the bed. 
9. Pick a sleep hypnosis track off of youtube 
10. Get to sleep between 9:30-10:30pm 

“Mojo” means many different things, but I know for a fact everyone thrives when they have it. So why not get it back, why not maintain it and why not spend that extra bit of time trying to keep it healthy and energized. Find out what it means to you. It’s all about trial and error but once you’ve got it, you can’t go wrong. 

John F Kennedy, Flexible Funding

John F Kennedy talks about how to keep motivated whilst maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout his busy work schedule.

What do you do in your everyday life to allow you to feel most motivated and allows you to achieve your goals?

I exercise everyday, often twice even if time only allows an early morning walk. I do this no matter what the weather is like. I also train (Karate, circuits stretching, nearly everyday) I find the buzz of working out relaxing and calming. I do however feel less relaxed if I do not train so I try to do some form of workout everyday. I think the most neglected athletic/physical and health advantage is sleeping!

I became a vegan to support my daughters and now also my wife in their diet choice and I find the change over the last two years has provided more energy for me and better all around health.

I read and study lots of subjects away from work but rarely watch TV or browse the internet apart from work and research. I think the media is too much bad news and I think that is detrimental to everyone trying to be positive.

What would you say to someone who is struggling to get out of a rut?

Read fiction, not news. You have more control over a book than the constant stream of news… bad news…

Try to stay in the present moment more rather than worry… Marcus Aurelius…

How do you pick yourself back up after a bad day to ensure you don’t spiral?

Workout, stretch and breathe… have a long stretching cool down and take time to eat and enjoy food. Debrief with your other half/family and be interested in their debrief more than yours… lose the ego… (male, fragile, laughable…)

How does fitness, food and sleep affect your wellbeing?

Being fit or getting fitter is key (I am actually on the obsessive side and that is something I find hard to control… so I am not a well balanced example…!!) Stay away from junk food entirely… which is not easy… get much more sleep by going to bed earlier and avoiding screen time and news. Have a routine yourself or with your other half and family which enables more relaxed discussions, routines and a more enjoyable engagement. Do not let outside media intervene later in the evening… it is 90% negative so talk about positive things and possible things.

I now seem like a slightly mad Zen master but I have studied and taught Karate for 35 years and think a lot of physical and cerebral elements of our lives have been lost and getting more attuned physically helps everything… but I understand that people have big challenges of time and resources as well as challenges to get relaxed time as individuals and families.

Dominic Hare, Blenheim Palace

Dominic Hare shares his tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, stressing the point of a long term commitment and not a quick fix! 

What do you do in your everyday life to allow you to feel most motivated and allows you to achieve your goals?

I’m not sure I do anything daily – it is more of a long cycle.  Possibly I need to find a daily routine, especially while I am not based in the office every day, as I can feel flat some days.  One thing I do get strength from is regular one on one and group contact with my team (virtually!) – being part of that group with a shared cause means that we can lift eachother – I liken it to a relay race when people step up to grab the baton when they can see a lead runner flagging.  Sometimes that is by them taking a burden or taking responsibility for something, sometimes it is them doing something great which helps us on our journey and therefore inspires me, sometimes it is just reminding me that I share this journey with wonderful people.  I would struggle to go through a day without that contact.  A final thing for me is a quiet breakfast in the garden, getting that blast of fresh air is really important.

What would you say to someone who is struggling to get out of a rut?

(1) fresh air and brisk walk in the countryside, sometimes pausing for a reflection break in a nice spot.  Don’t take your watch! Do take a map – hard lesson learned there. (2) for me, when I am falling into a rut, I purge chocolate and sweet treats from my diet, and hit fruit and smoothies etc – maybe it affects my mood directly, maybe it is just an association thing – it makes me feel like I am taking control. (3) own up to friends – they can only support you if they know.

How do you pick yourself back up after a bad day to ensure you don’t spiral?

(1) Fruit not chocolate – especially frozen grapes, like sorbet but better and healthier.  To be clear, wine is just old fruit, right? (2) meditation and reflection on why we do what we do, remind myself of the difference we try to make (3) I probably should say “exercise” but today the reality is more likely to be a walk in the garden if it is dark. (4) a call with a friend

How does fitness, food and sleep affect your wellbeing?

I have always thought that food made a big difference to my wellbeing.  I have been intermittent fasting (the 5:2 diet) in order to ensure I don’t put on weight while working at home – looking after myself is comforting.  In my struggles with depression, I always associated the low moments with stress-eating unhealthy snacks in the middle of the night – so for me, when I feel myself sliding towards depression, I try to take control by forcing myself to eat healthily.  I don’t know if it really makes a difference but feeling like I am doing something to take control is itself very comforting.  I know that when I squeeze in exercise it does me good; I probably need to get myself addicted to it again.  The endorphin rush is definitely good for me even if I have never been truly fit.

Helen Money, Helen Money Nutrition

Helen Money reveals how she maintains a healthy lifestyle which allows her to feel at her best.

What do you do in your everyday life to allow you to feel most motivated and allows you to achieve your goals?

The base of everything I do comes off eating well and exercising. Nothing extreme, just consistent. Enjoyment is also a big thing for me; I read a great piece at the start of lockdown about the importance of doing at least one thing a day that brings you joy. 

What would you say to someone who is struggling to get out of a rut?

Plan. All good things start with an achievable plan – however big or small. And structure. Start by timetabling healthy meals – get up, have breakfast, lunch at X o’clock etc. Timetable a time to exercise – even if it is just a walk around the block, put it in the dairy for a set time. I find that a change of scenery, such as a walk can really help me think bigger picture and stop me overstressing about the small things. I also find swimming very therapeutic. Structure creates less chaos, and seeing the bigger picture makes the route out of a rut clearer.

How do you pick yourself back up after a bad day to ensure you don’t spiral?

Think positive. I am naturally someone that looks at the positives and glosses over the negatives – that’s not always a good thing, but does limit my downward spiral. I also call on close friends to talk it through with rather than let it fester in my head.

How does fitness, food and sleep affect your wellbeing?

They most definitely affect wellbeing. I see this in myself, my clients and the weight of research supporting this. It’s not just one in isolation, it’s all 3 together. I believe that exercising regularly, eating well and sleeping well creates a solid foundation upon which greatestness can be built.

Salim Benadel, Storm Internet

Salim explains how he keeps motivated and upbeat throughout his day to day life.

What do you do in your everyday life to allow you to feel most motivated and allows you to achieve your goals?

The first 30 minutes of the day are some of the most important as they’ve been proven to influence your mood for the rest of the day. Thoughts go in deeper when you wake as you’re in a more suggestible state. So I start most days with a little exercise while listening to something positive and motivational.

What would you say to someone who is struggling to get out of a rut?

Depends on what the rut is. If it’s something short term, you can take comfort in knowing that it will pass. Just like the seasons, life goes in cycles. If more long term and a bit deeper, well what’s my word count here!? Longer term ruts generally happen when people lose purpose. So you need to find something that again ignites you and that you care about. And then take small positive steps towards it every day. That will build momentum. Momentum builds inner belief and confidence. Inner belief and confidence fuels personal growth. And personal growth means that you’ll steamroll over all the ruts and obstacles as they come your way. Just aim to be your best and the rest will take care of itself.

How do you pick yourself back up after a bad day to ensure you don’t spiral?

We all have bad days. That’s just part of life. So if we come to expect them as normal, it’s not so demoralising nor surprising when they hit. Although often incredibly frustrating and infuriating at the time, bad days tend to put us in situations where we learn the most about ourselves and also where we grow the most. So I always try and take something from it.

How does fitness, food and sleep affect your wellbeing?

Fitness and eating well are vital. If you want to be your best, start with your body! I go for a 5K run most mornings at 05:30 followed by hitting the gym. It’s my primer for the day. Not only does it get the blood pumping and oxygen flowing but mentally it has a huge affect. By doing this I tick off my first goal of the day and get a small sense of pride from it. That encourages me to hit another and another and the momentum begins to flow. Re sleep, it’s important but I find you don’t need as much as is claimed. I typically get between 5 and 6 hours most nights and am usually fully on form still.

I hope you take away some tips shared within this article that can help improve your wellbeing. Please feel free to reach out to AMR FIT at abi@amr-fit.co.uk and I would be more than happy to answer any of your questions that you have! Stay safe and keep healthy! – Abi