These wellness tips come from my personal management strategies for managing my diet and my stress. When we think about wellness, many of us often forget what that encompasses. We may get something to eat when we’re hungry, or maybe we take a nap when we need it. However, many of us end up lost and unable to manage everything we need to keep ourselves grounded and healthy. What happened to simply having a life where those aspects were built in?

When you have a special diet or medical condition, your life changes. Taking care of your body–even if you’re in excellent health– takes a lot of time and dedication. While I may be speaking for myself, I am also fairly confident that you have hit a few roadblocks in chasing your health goals.

Guess what! It’s okay to fall behind a little bit. Healing is never linear, partly because reality does impact routines. As much as we don’t want to admit it, work, commutes, and other social obligations cut into our wellness time, which makes it difficult to maintain progress. Learning about how your energy flows is crucial for understanding your limits. Check out the below Wellness Tips, and see how they fit into your lifestyle!

Progress Over Perfection

Have you felt like a failure? I’m here to tell you that you’re not. It is okay to fail sometimes, as long as you maintain focus. Healing is never linear, even when all factors are aligned.

When I Don’t Have Time To Cook

To be frank, I do not have a lot of time on my hands. In these times, I do my very best to maintain my diet, by cobbling together meals.

As a foodie, one thing I had to accept about a special diet was that sometimes I would have to eat something bland or eat nothing at all. Quelle horreur! There are ways to make even easy, bland meals palatable. In these instances, I keep several things on my shopping list, so I never have to go without:

• Pre-cut or Cooked Vegetables – I love roasting off a tray of vegetables or sweet potatoes to use as side dishes or in salads!
• Two Cooked Proteins – Roast a chicken. Buy a rotisserie roast. Your local Health Food Store may have pre-cooked meats and vegetables on-hand.
• Salad Greens – Greens are conducive to a healthy diet, and round out a meal of protein + starch easily!
• A sauce or two (I like to have dairy-free tzatziki, gf teriyaki, and my favorite salad dressing at the ready!)

These are ingredients that you can season any way you like, to ensure you aren’t completely miserable. For example, I can always grab a quick meal of roasted sweet potatoes and turmeric-rosemary roasted chicken with a dollop of tzatziki sauce, and an easy green salad comprised of greens, the aforementioned dressing, and a few other additions if I have time!

In addition to that, if it’s in the budget, I will swing for some meal prep from Paleo On The Go. Even if I simply end up eating paleo donuts every day! At least I know my body is nourished properly, keeping energy levels stable and keeping me committed to my goals.

Then, make yourself something really delicious at the end of the week. You deserve it!

When I Don’t Have Head Space

Typically, I am big on meditation and self-care. I'd say it's realistic to maintain a meditation practice every day, but I'd also say you can achieve similar benefits via a variety of means! Many people find centering satisfaction from exercise, reading, hobbies, and more. Don't limit yourself! Do something nice for yourself, even if it means you're slipping away for 10 minutes for some solitude.

Sometimes, for me, I just need a nice hot shower and a nap. Listen to your body and your mind, and it will soon tell you what it needs the most.

When My Body is Off-Balance

On the note of listening to your body, it will always cry out for what it needs. You will have to learn its signals.

How are you feeling? What was your diet like the last 24-48 hours? The chronically ill body is constantly requesting favors. Sometimes mine is just low on nutrition, so I supplement with Liquid IV, which contains nutrients that are easy to assimilate.

When I Don’t Feel Like Exercising

Either give yourself a break, or find things that are easy to start. I knew I'd have more trouble motivating myself to go to the gym, so I bought myself a cheap exercise bike. Now, I can simply walk over and exercise. My advice? Find a hack that works for your brain and stick with it!

Know When to Take a Break

You're human. You will show signs of stress. Know when you’re at your limit, and when to ask for help. You can do this by paying attention to your mental cues during times of mental distress. That way you will learn to recognize your own patterns that way you can get ahead of your stress.

At the end of the day, I can give you all the tips in the world to help you strengthen your resolve for change. However, you can take these Wellness Tips and apply them easily to your lifestyle of choice, no matter what it ends up being!