Great Wellbeing Results: Not Just for Summer

Most people would agree that taking care of your wellbeing is easier in the summer.  The weather is better, days are longer and it seems as though there are more accessible options to help you look after yourself.  

Outdoor exercise and fun social activities make getting moving easier; there seems to be a greater variety of healthy food choices and these appear more appealing in the summer; and there are more holidays during the summer which, combined with the lack of pressure from Christmas or Easter commitments, helps to put everyone in a more relaxed frame of mind than at other times of the year.  Holidays also serve to provide deadlines for wellbeing objectives, particularly losing weight and toning up for the beach, and they add much-needed balance to life.

Looking and feeling great during the summer months is fantastic – we’re not going to argue with that.  But what about the rest of the year?  

What if everyone could experience the health, energy, vitality, confidence and satisfaction they enjoy during summer and carry this with them through every month of the year?  Now that’s an exciting prospect and that’s why today we're beginning a series of top tips to guarantee all year round wellbeing results.

Create a structure for your healthy living year

Many people keep their wellbeing on track during spring and summer with events, races and charity fitness activities.  There aren’t so many of these during Autumn and Winter.  They do exist however, so make a schedule of the events that will help you stay on track all year round, rather than just during peak race season.

You can also set yourself some challenges to keep you going from October to April.  These challenges needn't necessarily be organised events but could be as simple as setting yourself a daily steps target or exercising a set number of times each week.  You can make challenges social to add some extra accountability and chances are that if you stay on track with your exercise, you’ll make better choices with your food, and then quality sleep and successful stress management will also follow.

Plan your exercise calendar

For many people getting active during the summer is a pleasure rather than a chore.  They run or cycle outside, play tennis, softball or netball and generally get a bit more social with their exercise, even if this is as simple as walking with friends or colleagues.  When Autumn approaches these same people tend to migrate back towards exercising alone in the gym - or at least intending to.  

But think about it.  If you really enjoy outdoor and social activities, there’s a limit to how inspired you’ll be at the prospect of indoor and solo activities.  So, during the summer months, give some thought to how you can maintain at least an element of outdoor training and / or social exercise during the rest of the year.

Set monthly targets

Sketch out your wellbeing year on a seasonal planner.  Write out your priorities in each area of wellbeing so that you are crystal clear on what you need to do to feel great and perform well all year round.  Summer targets are relatively easy - most people want to look good for their holiday.  An Autumn target could be to build resilience for what is usually a busy period, and Winter can be all about managing your energy through Christmas and shorter days.  Springtime targets to begin making progress early and save some of the effort closer to summer usually work well.

Healthy eating: not just a warm weather option

You may find it easier to eat lighter meals, make healthier choices and avoid comfort foods during May, June, July and August so make notes of what constitutes your best healthy eating routine for Summer.  Now extend your notes to cover the rest of the year, writing down specifically where you may need to flex some of your successful summer options.  Fruit may be substituted by vegetables, salads by soups and buffets by stews.  This type of planning makes your annual healthy eating routine far more proactive and likely to succeed.

Seasonal sleep

Your sleep routine might shift a little during summer and winter but a clear understanding of how much sleep you prefer for different seasons, and any variation in your bedtime and waking times through the year, will help you plan to get the sleep you need, when you need it. If you sleep better at certain times of the year than at other times, think about why this might be and aim to replicate the routines that lead to good sleep and implement them all year round.  

Image by Flickr: Jeffrey