Does Your Health Routine Need A Reset?

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The season is a’changing and autumn will soon be here in New York City. Summer comes to an official end in less than a month, and in preparation for the change of season, I’m taking full inventory of my health, mindset, and routines. I’ve had a very enjoyable summer – I got to take a little time off to rest, and I made a lot of fun memories. However, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t stray from my usual healthy path the past few months…have you? Summer always ends up being my most indulgent season – probably because of how social it is – and now I’m ready to clock back in and do the work. 

So, if you feel like you could use a health reset, here’s what I’m doing between now and September 22 (the autumn equinox and official last day of summer).

Step 1: I’m doing a major reflecting and journaling session. 

This summer has flown by so quickly that I barely feel like I’ve had any time to process it. So in this leadup to fall, I am writing in my journal and reflecting on the past few months, starting with a gratitude list (of everything I’m grateful for and all the good parts of the summer) followed by answers to these prompts. 

  • What habits have I slipped up on this summer? What was I doing before the summer started that I’d like to get back to?

  • How am I feeling overall in my body and mind? What areas of my health seem like they could use my attention? 

  • What goals do I have for myself for the rest of the year? 

Getting some clarity on the current state of your health will make it easier to formulate your goals (see below) and your go-forward plan for the next few months. 

Step 2: I’m setting and write down my (realistic) goals

It’s been proven that writing down your goals makes you way more likely to accomplish them – so you can bet I’m adding those into my journal. But instead of setting nonspecific goals like “improve my health” or “eat better,” I’m setting specific, measurable, realistic goals for myself like: 

  • Drinking at least 100 ounces of water per day

  • Keeping sugary snacks out of my apartment

  • Having at least one serving of protein at every meal

  • Eating 30 grams of fiber every day

  • Strength training at least three times a week

These goals are easy to measure, and because they require specific actions, I’ll know quickly whether or not I’m able to achieve them or if I need to adjust. If you need somewhere to start, try setting one physical goal, one mental goal, and one fun goal for each month. At the end of the month, see how you did and plan the next one. 

Step 3: I’m putting in the work to ingredient prep

Meal prepping has been all the rage for years, but truth be told, it’s not my favorite task. That said, cooking every meal, every day takes a lot of energy and time, which I don’t always have. So instead, I like to do ingredient prep. That means when I get my groceries on Sunday, I dedicate three hours to getting everything ready for the week so that throwing together meals takes much less work. This can look like cooking quinoa, rinsing off chickpeas, roasting a whole chicken or shredding a store-bought rotisserie chicken, peeling and chopping vegetables, washing and cutting up fruit – any task that I usually have to do during the week. This saves me a lot of time and makes eating at home way more pleasant. I like leftovers as much as the next person, but after two days of the same meal, I’m ready to switch it up. By prepping just ingredients, I have more of a blank canvas. I can add any number of spices and herbs and cook the ingredients in different ways to create new meals each time with less effort. 

Step 4: I’m getting serious about sleep

You know how they say it’s easier to give advice than take your own? That’s how I feel about sleep. I know how important it is and what experts say about it, but even still, I slip up on sleep. Thankfully, as the temperature drops it will be a little easier to keep my room cool, which is a key factor for high quality sleep. Otherwise, I’m planning to start my wind down routine earlier so I can get the quantity and quality of sleep that I need. 

Step 5: I’m utilizing support and being kinder to myself. 

I suppose this is two steps in one, but both are equally important. The first is reaching out to my support system – namely my friends and chosen family, which I know some people hesitate to do. I’ve learned that everyone needs help, so it’s okay to ask for it. The second is being kinder to myself – which I know we all could use! We’re imperfect human beings just doing our best. As the season changes, we will also change, and it’s in our best interest to lean into that while giving ourselves more grace. 

I hope you join me in this autumnal health reset, and if you haven’t joined our private Facebook group for the Fall Walking Challenge yet, you can do so here!

Xo, 

Renata