We are going through some difficult times.

Some of us have been “furloughed”, others are working from home.

Our lives have been disrupted.

 It’s surreal. At a moments notice, the world came to a crawling pace.

I’d imagine that tempers are running high in your household. You are anxious. Can’t wait to return to your usual routine.

But let me ask you this; How satisfied were you actually with your old routine?

Do you recall what you’ve promised yourself at the start of the year? What about last year? Did you have something urgent that you wanted to achieve? Maybe you’ve conquered it, maybe you haven’t. Most of us can’t say that we have.

Time constraints, urgent projects and exhaustion from overworking all disappeared in the blink of an eye.

How often do we have a chance to gather our thoughts, take a break from the world, and then regroup? Well we just did!

By all accounts it’ll be a few more months before we return to normalcy.

When we do return to our jobs. What kind of life do we want to lead?

It takes roughly 21 days to build a new habit. Now is the time to cultivate new habits.

Not tomorrow, not yesterday. Today. Now. For the sake of your future. Do this for yourself!

Now is the time to start a new exercise regimen, become better at cooking, eat healthier, get more sleep, and be more present. Now is the time to develop long-lasting, healthy lifestyle habits.

Don’t get me wrong; by no means do I think this is an easy task. But it is a necessary one. And if we approach it methodically and systematically, then we are all the more likely to keep those habits, when this is all over.

So what can we do?

One of the most meaningful ways to improve our nutrition is learning how to cook and making a habit of it. Restaurants and fast food joints don’t always have your health on their agenda. Furthermore, you have no way of knowing what’s healthy and what isn’t, when you eat out. On the other hand, when you cook at home, you have complete control over what goes into your mouth.

Many online classes teach cooking. From basic skills, all the way to becoming a full-fledged badass in the kitchen. In light of the current situation, a lot of them are offering free classes. Enroll in one!

Another important aspect that will help you take charge of your health, is to educate yourself on what it means to eat healthy. Most of us intuitively know what’s good and less good for us. But the devil is in the details. You might be surprised to know that it’s the little things that will often throw you off your game (pastries come to mind). A few resources I use to help my clients are:

Choosemyplate.com

Blog.myfitnesspal.com

That’s a tough one, I know. But there are ways to set you on the right foot.

Nevertheless, the important thing is to get started! Even if it’s just 5 or 10 minutes a day. Start with something, anything. Get moving

An extremely useful tool is setting process-oriented goals. Your original goals are commendable and ambitious. But they can be intimidating at first. But what if you set a process-oriented goal, such as working out 8 times in the coming month.

 Would you be more likely to do it? So when embarking on a new fitness regimen, set both a process-oriented goal and a results-oriented goal. Focus on the process-oriented goal. Become successful by working out consistently. Success breeds confidence. You will see that in no time you will have also achieved your result-oriented goal.

Walking is deemed the healthiest exercise that you can do. Considering that it doesn’t take much effort. It’s a bargain. The same goes for taking the stairs, doing yoga and doing fun activities, such as hiking. Ultimately, it is what we do the majority of the time that will affect our health and well-being the most

 If you are at a lower risk of getting sick, then it would be wise to get outside for a short walk every day. Maintain social distancing, do not linger or gather in groups, put your facemask on. Take all the necessary precautions, but try to take a short walk every day.

I can tell you from first-hand experience, what a difference it makes. If you can adopt this habit and maintain it for years to come, you will see great changes in your life.

These are but a few ways, to get you started in the right direction. They are not exhaustive. And if you already had something else planned, that’s Great! Follow through with it!

But remember to be patient; Rome wasn’t built in a day. Focus on following your plan for roughly a month, then once it becomes automatic, afford yourself some leeway. Let those new shiny habits become an element of your life, not your whole life.

–Shaked Rosenthal

Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach