How To Create Your Own Wellness Plan

Plan, plan, and stick to the plan! I know, boring right? When we’re working long hours or overnight, it is so easy to hit those break-room snacks, order food with your friends, or grab fries in the cafeteria. Planning doesn’t mean you have to do away with all the fun things in life, BUT, working to incorporate more balance. When you plan, you have already made a choice, which removes those “game time” calls that leave you feeling bummed about yourself.

Now, you don’t need to have an elaborate plan, but it does have to be something realistic for your lifestyle. This isn’t a one size fits all approach and that is where many of my clients have gone wrong. When you force what works for someone else’s lifestyle into your own, there’s a good chance you end up failing. We’ve all been there right? So discouraging when you make moves to better yourself and it doesn’t work out. Never fear though, it’s not you, it’s the plan! Every wellness plan should be individualized, so it wouldn't be possible to capture them all here; but here are some questions I ask my clients when creating a personalized approach to their wellness:

Is it better for you to prep meals for your work week all at once or more frequently?

o I recommend doing it on whatever day is “Sunday” for you. Usually shift workers have 3-4 shifts per week so you are aiming to prep/plan your breakfast pre work (or at work, remember this is about what YOU prefer), lunch at work, and dinner.

Realistically how much time do you have to prep at the beginning of your work week?

o Maybe you have all day and love to cook, maybe you loathe being in the kitchen, or have a short window to get it done. If you are saying to yourself, I really don’t have any time to give, I would challenge you to look at what you are prioritizing over planning for a healthy week. Bottom line, plan for meals that you actually have time to make!

Do you have weight loss/fitness goals or are you wanting to improve overall health?

o If you have specific goals you are working towards, planning may require a little extra time and commitment. That may seem obvious, but this is the crux of failure for many people. How? Well, you see your favorite wellness influencer achieving their goals by XYZ…so you do XYZ for one week and find it is unsustainable, unless you are willing to make an uncomfortable (and likely unnecessary) amount of sacrifice. Guess what!? It doesn’t require special diets, workouts that feel like death, or eating disgusting food to be healthy.

What kind of budget do you have to work with?

o As ridiculous as it is, eating healthy comes at a price, especially when compared to junk food. Don’t let your finances discourage you!! I have coached many clients with smaller grocery budgets, it is possible. When you have less money to play with, this also might require a little more effort on your end. You may need to go to multiple stores to get the foods you want at reasonable prices. Perhaps you can find a local market for produce. In most of the places I’ve lived there are Hispanic markets with fresh, delicious, and affordable produce! (and you are supporting local small business, win win!)

Do you want to incorporate exercise? If so, what have you enjoyed doing in the past?

o At this risk of sounding like a broken record, remember this is about you! In order for you to create a sustainable lifestyle change, you have to find something you enjoy (at least a little bit). I will use myself as an example, I am fundamentally against going to a gym (I’m kidding, but I don’t formally exercise). Am I active? Yes! I absolutely loathe working out and going to the gym, so I have found ways to stay active doing things I enjoy! I like to rock climb, hike, or play volleyball. Does that mean you need to take up my hobbies? No way! Think about what activities might be fun for you and ditch them gym (if you want)!

Stressful day or difficult job? What is one thing you can do a week for yourself?

Think about the last time you felt good about life, what were you doing? Maybe you can’t recreate that every single week, but perhaps you could find a realistic alternative! It doesn’t have to be complex. One of my clients would de-stress every morning (after a night shift) by tending to her plants! That was a peaceful and sacred place for her to decompress before going to bed.

As the old southern adage goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat!! Translation, you can take many paths to achieve your goals. If you are feeling ready to make a change but still feel lost in creating your own plan and sticking to it, send me an email/message! Let’s figure this out together! N + N coaching does FREE 30-minute coaching consults!