How To Master The Top Five Healthy Habits For Women Over 50

Evening Routine

Good sleep starts here

You cant turn something on that's not turned off.   

The key to being productive, successful, and vibrant during the day and to enjoying life - is to also have times when you're "off."  When you're resting, relaxing not thinking or planning or produtive.  An evening routine is a great way to transition from the end of the busy part of your day to the wind-down and/or relaxation of evening. 

What are the best things to include in your evening routine? 

1. Plan the next day based on your most important goals.  Once you know you're on track for this you can forget about it until tomorrow. 
2. Create a closing ritual to help you transition out of work mode.  It could be exercise, meditation, a walk, playing with your dog, a bath, changing out of your daytime clothes or makeup, taking off your watch, or a relaxing diffuser blend or scented candle - anything that helps you shift gears. 
3. Bonus activity for your evening routine - Reflect on the day by writing in a gratitude journal for a few minutes.

Learn more on this truly great article on creating an evening routine

Skillful Habit-Forming Hacks

Essential life skill for wise women

When it comes to life skills to master - knowing how to form new habits is a GREAT one.  I like to think by menopause we're older wiser and ready to be masters of things like this.  And - I've got some resources here for you where you can learn this one.   It's just step by step practices anyone can do - that successfully form new habits!

Highlights: 

1. Try to do just a tiny bit - like 1% - better than the day before in practicing one of your healthy habits
2. Pick new habits small enough you can stick with them for at least 30 days in a row - then do it.  So they become familiar. 

Learn more from  Amy Porterfield and James Clear in this podcast interview on crating habits that stick.. 

And learn what Marissa Peer (celebrity hypnotherapist) has to say about the way successful people get things done and the power of repetition.  

Meal Prep

The key to weight loss without dieting

How long have you been thinking this would be a good idea and not doing it?  Me too.

Either sign up for one of those services that delivers healthy ready to eat or ready to prepare meals...

Or make start doing some prep.  Because having abundant healthy food ready whenever you get hungry means you can eat whatever you need whenever you need it - and you just wont be reaching for - or craving - the other stuff.

I even had a section in this blog called weight loss without dieting but meal prep covers that too. 

There are lots of different ways to do it, and my tip is don't be too ambitious at first.  Dip your toe in and see what works for you. 

To get started try the week by week recipes in this article - talk about the right combination of delicious, satisfying, healthy, and quick and easy to make!  They nailed it. 

Essental Oils

Hack your mood & brain

I use these every day.  I just love them.  But the thing is, I used to avoid them at all cost, because anything fragranced gives me a migraine including average quality essential oils...  But then I discovered really high quality oils, and I've been in love ever since.

And because memory, habit, and emotion are all closely tied to the scent receptors in our brains:

1.  The oils can be a practical tool we can use to use to shift the emotions that accompany negative or unhealthy habits we're trying to change
2. You can link new habits to certain fragrances, and over time the fragrance will become a trigger for doing the new habit! 

Try 2 drops Basil, 3 drops Lemon and 2 drops Rosemary when you want to kickstart clear thinking.

Try 2 drops Bergamot, 2 drops Lavender and 2 drops Rose when you want your nervous system to release anxiety and relax.

And try 2 drops Marjoram and 2 drops Cedarwood at bedtime to help you stay asleep for longer.

Learn more and get some great ideas for blends here

Make sure you're using really great quality essential oils.  I'm not here to sell them to you, but I recommend reviveeo.com, doterra, or young living.  The really good ones are all have a lot of oils approved for internal use.  

Bonus

So what's the "bonus" technique for magically creating new habits or breaking unhealthy old ones? 

There are certain combinations of Chinese herbs that help open up energy blockages in your "central channel."  It's the energy that connects your upper body - your heat and heart - to your lower energy centers like your gut and reproductive area. 

When your logical mind and kind heart are thinking one thing - like of course I should eat more vegetables and meditate and exercise every day - I'll feel so much better!

But your gut, lizard brain, and cravings for pleasure have you reaching for chex mix and tubs of ice cream while lying on the couch.... 

And the two just can't seem to come to an agreement...

These herbs can help open communication between these two areas, so all of you is getting the same messages and reaching for the yoga mat, fresh juice, and healthy energy balls. 

It can feel a little like magic - like it suddenly becomes so much easier to change habits and addictions you've been trapped in for a long time.  But to work the herbs need to be customized for you:)