Can You Stack Good Habits for Wellness Multitasking?
Those of us who serve clients in the legal profession and have families at home find that self-care can be a challenge. This month, our Book Club has been reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. One of the suggestions is to stack your good habits on top of each other to maximize what the small amount of time available for wellness.
Lawyers and legal professionals are natural multi-taskers, and we’ve found this strategy to be right in line with A type personalities. It can be helpful to create a schedule or a routine that incorporates these stacked wellness habits.
By combining multiple healthy activities into one, you can maximize the benefits of each activity and make the most of your limited free time. Here are some examples of how you can stack wellness habits to create a comprehensive self-care routine:
Exercise and Meditation: Many people find that exercise is a great way to reduce stress and boost their mood, and most listen to music or podcasts. However, if you try meditation to your exercise routine, you can enhance its benefits even further. Try practicing mindfulness while you jog or run, or do some yoga stretches before or after your workout to help calm your mind and reduce stress. If you have a long commute, you can meditate with an app like Headspace or Calm to guide you through the process.
Take a walking meeting: Instead of sitting in a conference room for a meeting, you can take a walking meeting with your partners or staff. This can help improve all of your health and creativity, get you outside for some fresh air, and can lead to more productive and engaging discussions. If you have a phone call where you don’t need to take notes, take it while walking outside.
Healthy Eating and Cooking: Eating a healthy diet is essential for good physical and mental health, but cooking can also be a form of self-care. You can make it a habit to prepare healthy meals with fresh ingredients and experiment with new recipes. Not only will you nourish your body, but you'll also engage in a creative and relaxing activity. Do this activity with your spouse and children as much as possible, as cooking a meal together is social and sparks conversations and bonding.
Soaking in a Tub and Reading: Taking a warm bath can help relieve muscle tension and promote relaxation. Add reading to the mix, and you have a perfect combination of physical and mental self-care. Try reading a book or a magazine while you soak in the tub, and you'll feel rejuvenated and refreshed. Scared of dropping the book in the water? Get an Audible Plus subscription to really change your reading game and multitask your books to other, mundane activities.
Being Outside and Hiking: Spending time in nature is a great way to reduce stress and improve your mood - even better with friends, your spouse or your kids for another great social activity. You can combine being outside with hiking, and you'll get a great workout as well. Choose a trail that offers scenic views and have a wellness night where you engage in some self-care (instead of a glass of wine) then get up early for a beautiful and inspiring weekend morning.
Use Downtime to Plan and Organize: If you have some downtime, you can use that time to plan and organize your tasks and goals. We always go through the upcoming week on Sunday night to help relieve any tension or stress. Organize a plan for the week for both work and home life, while maintaining room for flexibility. This can help you be more productive and focused when you do have time to work on those tasks.
How do you multitask your wellness activities? Let us know your creative ideas and we can publish them in a future post.
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