Welcome friend! I am so thankful for September to be here. The start of Fall is one of my favourite times of the year. While summer has been fun filled, by the end of August I’m over the heat and ready for the cooler temperatures of Fall. As a winter baby I feel best in cooler temperatures(not sure that’s a thing, but I’m going with it). I also thrive with routines and having two young kids(mine are 3 & 8) home for most of the summer has made routines less consistent(or not at all)! The routine of school is a welcome adjustment for all of us in my family:)
There are many Healthy habits that are good to do in Fall and the habits that work for me might be different from what works for you. The point is to focus on what is important for your wellbeing and find ways to incorporate that into your daily life. With the change of any season it’s a great reason to assess and refresh what may need to change for you to feel your best. Here are some Healthy habits that my family and I will focus on this Fall.
- Meal planning – I’ve been an off and on meal planner for many years, but last year got into a groove with meal planning once I found a simple method that worked well for my family. That came from assessing what meals we like to eat and compiling a master list of those options. This helps so much to take the guesswork out of “what’s for dinner??” and also reduces meal time stress. Not to mention meal planning helps reduce food waste and over spending on food. We all know just how expensive food has become! As a Nutritionist, I believe meal planning is a fantastic tool to ensure we eat variety throughout the week. It helps to plan meals around seasonal produce and ensure we make nourishing meals that keep us satisfied.
- Choosing Play over Screens – Since having kids I have become more aware of the impact of screens on children(and myself) and have focussed time on other things as much as possible. We aren’t a screen free family and have our fair share of screen time, but being less attached to a screen is something I see great value in. For myself that means I am reading more and leaning into other hobbies I have like gardening and cooking. With my kids, they LOVE to play. Anything from dolls to Lego and pretend play are all ways they have fun without screens. My oldest has also found board games, card games and reading to be a source of enjoyment. Like all seasons we try to be outside everyday, even if it’s only for a short time. Fall is no different, we will be playing outside after school longer and enjoying bonfires as a family, bike rides and getting outside to have fun.
- Physical Movement – After my second child was born I noticed that I didn’t have the same strength, energy or flexibility that I used to. Being physically strong, capable and able to enjoy life is a priority for me. I want to be able to keep up with my kids and be able to run and play without struggling. Aging well is also top of my list and I have found a routine of yoga, strength training and simple things like walking a great way to support those goals. I also try to include physical fitness into my everyday life, taking the stairs, parking further from the store, lifting heavy things including my kids up(use those muscles!) and really any way I can move my body in realistic and achievable ways.
- Declutter & Simplify – I have always appreciated a tidy and organized space, but achieving that with kids has been a big learning curve for me! Baby stuff started to pile up faster than I could keep up and it didn’t take long to be overwhelmed by it all. When my oldest was a baby I discovered a podcast by The Minimalists and for the first time I realized I didn’t need to keep all this stuff if it wasn’t serving me and my family. So I focussed less on organizing and more on letting go of the excess stuff. Who knew it was so much easier to organize your stuff when you have less of it! Fast forward to now I have found the best way for me to keep a handle on the inventory in my home is to regularly assess and donate/sell/recycle what we no longer need. Because I now do this frequently, my kids have also learned this skill and have gone through their own things without asking! Yay! Not only do I practice letting go of stuff we no longer use often as a way to simplify, but I also do this with our schedule, purchasing habits and more. It is incredible how freeing life can be when you let go of the excess.
- Rest – There is no better time than today to prioritize rest. But if you need a reason to slow down, Fall is it. Colder temps, cozy sweaters & blankets, soups & slow cooked meals all make me want to relax and enjoy life a little slower. The fact that the sun sets earlier now helps me to wind down sooner and get off to bed for some much needed sleep. For Fall I will be sure to get more rest through reading books, time outside in nature, making simple meals so I spend less time in the kitchen(and make less dishes). Bring out the slow cooker(I actually use mine all year round)! Other ways to practice rest are through deep belly breathing, legs up the wall(one of my favourites), a gentle yoga practice, meditation and definitely lots of sleep. There are many ways to bring rest into your day so find what works for you!
There will inevitably be more healthy habits my family will practice this Fall, but these are just a few of the top ones. I would love to hear any other ideas you have too!
Happy Fall!
Xx
Megan
