While we continue to work at home in order to keep ourselves and others healthy, it is extra important to hone in on our daily practices. By mindfully doing so, we keep ourselves and our well-beings nourished and thriving. We asked Registered Dietician, Olivia Wagner (MS, RDN, LDN) to share nine ways to build healthy habits at home.

1. Start your day with lemon water: Hydrate yourself right out of the gate with 32 oz water, the juice of a lemon and a pinch of sea salt for an extra electrolyte boost!  Bring awareness to how this may impact your focus, hunger, and energy levels over the course of the day.
   
    

2. Keep chopped vegetables at the ready: Set yourself up for success by having veggies ready to go for building salads or as a balanced snack paired with a fat or protein-based dip (ie. hummus, avocado mash, or dairy free pesto) and a few Simple Mills crackers! 

3. Choose a mindful snack after dinner to avoid excess evening snacking: Typically grab a bag of chips? Try making a plate with a produce rich snack extender (ie. small portions and pair with water rich crunchy vegetables like bell pepper strips, jicama, or fennel) that supports increased satisfaction with a smaller portion of the chips! Craving something sweet? Build a plate with a square of chocolate or Simple Mills cookie and a produce extender like berries or sliced apple! 

4. Veggie boost your breakfast: We can take this beyond spinach in your smoothie - bowls are a great option to add some extra veggies to your breakfast. Consider serving eggs over leftover cooked cauliflower rice OR pairing chicken sausage with a make ahead breakfast slaw (ie. thinly red cabbage + lemon + olive oil + blueberries and sliced almonds) for a fiber rich twist on your morning meal. 
   
   

5. Plan for mini mind or fitness breaks: Set intention to take a break from the screen and reboot with a self-care strategy at least two times during your day. Think anything from 3 minutes - 20 minutes, you make the call! Consider a walk, guided meditation, calling a friend, mini-dance party to a favorite song, or a little bit of movement like a walk, a few push-ups, squats or jumping jacks, or a few of your favorite yoga poses. You will feel recharged with a mini break that helps get your blood flowing and relieves your mind from the screen. 

6. Forecast your day and create a loose plan: During times of change, uncertainty, and removal from typical structure, it can be challenging to create a routine. Don’t let this hang you up! Allow yourself some flexibility by forecasting one day at a time. You can do this the night before or the morning of, depending on whatever you prefer. Allow each day as an opportunity to try out new patterns and see what feels good to you! Give yourself the space to let this evolve and also the grace to have days that are simpler than others ☺.

7. Make a self-care toolkit and incorporate one daily body-focused care: Often while trying to create patterns of self-care, it can be easy to become rigid with an all or nothing approach. Instead, pick a few self-care items you enjoy, write it out on a note card or sticky note to leave by your workspace and each day choose one item that feels authentic and good to you in the moment! Your tool kit might include a virtual exercise class, stretching, foam rolling, taking a long hot shower, dry brushing or doing a face mask, to name a few!
   
   

8. Allow for 30-60 minutes to wind down before your bedtime: Consider journaling, forecasting, breathwork, meditation or light reading in this window. You should also allow additional time for skincare, oral care, and hair care. Limit screen time during this time and if using, incorporate a blue light blocking feature to prevent the mal-effects of blue light production on melatonin. Low natural melatonin in the evening, more difficulty with sleep! Try options like f.lux to install on your device or purchasing blue light blocking glasses.

9. Plan for a 15-minute tidy every day: Whether it be the kitchen, your living space, or bedroom – keeping a tidy environment helps to boost productivity and encourage positive behaviors of all sorts!  It can be easy to find a mess or disorganized space to be overwhelming, but I tell you, it is surprising what you will find you can accomplish in just 15 minutes!  Pop on a podcast, audiobook, or your favorite playlist, set the timer on your phone or oven and go to town!  When using this method in the kitchen, many find it more inviting to cook and stay on top of their food prep game!