It’s back-to-school season! By the end of summer I’m ready for a good healthy dose of routine! In our home, back-to-school means more structure which makes consistent healthy habits much more manageable.

Today, I’m sharing five healthy habits you can incorporate into your back-to-school routine. These tips help me get a head start on my day, keep my energy strong through the rigorous back-to-school transition, and help me manage my time well! I hope these fall friendly tips help make your back-to-school season the best it can be!

Get up at least an hour before everyone else

Hands down, for me, this is the most important habit that helps keep me sane, my soul satisfied and my schedule manageable. I get up two hours before the rest of my family, but I recommend at least an hour if you can get into the habit. This provides such a blessed time to enjoy solace before the race begins each day. Before my family wakes up, I pray and spend time with God in the Word, workout, and sometimes even wrap up loose ends from the day before. It’s a sacred time for me and while it takes some getting used to, enjoying early mornings becomes easy when it yields so much blessing!

Workout early

This is of course, close in nature to the first tip, but specifically planning to get your workout done early can be so helpful. Particularly during school season, I find that my days and schedule fill up in the blink of an eye. I also know that by afternoon and evening, I’m running on fumes. If I don’t get my workout done first thing, chances are it simply won’t happen. A regular exercise regime is important to me, so I’m sure to prioritize it and check it off my list first thing in the morning. If you’ve never exercised early, try experimenting with it. Morning workouts may just become something you come to love and look forward to!

Prep and freeze meals

During summer I can get away with a little less structure in my meal planning and prep. During school months though, it’s a critical part of keeping my mind sane and my family’s bodies well nourished. Setting aside time for meal planning and prep is important for establishing healthy back-to-school routines. It keeps you on top of your week, so you manage your nutrition, not the other way around. Even small steps toward incorporating meal planning such as making meals in advance and freezing them will go a long way toward making your fall and winter more efficient. We have meal planning tools to make it simple, as well as many articles and videos on the blog to help guide you through meal planning and prepping. If you need motivation to get started be sure to check them out!

Make your car work for you

Back-to-school also means a lot of car time. I used to feel like waiting at school and sports was lost time. It was frustrating. This tip has really helped me feel to feel more empowered by making good use of the “in-between time” while waiting in my car. I’ve literally set up my car to help work for me. Examples of this are:

• Keeping trash bags in the car so I can clean out my purse and wallet.
• Keeping Windex wipes, a small portable vacuum, and disinfectant wipes in a box for a quick car clean-up
• Books I need to/want to read.
• A copy of my “to-do or schedule” list so I can scratch things off like scheduling appointments, paying bills, returning calls, etc.
• My favorite podcasts so I can fill my soul while I have a quiet moment.

Keep eating like its summer

For most of us, healthy eating is easier in the summer. The selection of fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant. We tend to eat more protein because it’s easy to toss on the grill. Summer just generates fresh, nutritious eating. A healthy habit is to carry that freshness into winter. Now, I’m not talking about eating salads everyday when it’s cold and wintery. I’m talking about being intentional to keep up the same amount of veggies and proteins you're likely to consume during the summer months. Set a goal to maintain the same quantity of veggies, maybe just prepared differently as the seasons, and seasonal veggies change. You can enjoy veggies prepared in soup and casseroles or try roasted veggies for a warm, nourishing side dish. Simply staying mindful to continue to fill your body with lots of fresh produce and protein will help it thrive all year long.