Parenting and our health

How are you feeling? Does the first week of back-to-school have you as wiped out as I am? Evening meetings, snacks to pack, kids to get out the door--it feels like summer ended much more than a week ago! On top of that, at our house, we're celebrating a birthday for one of our kids. So that means a birthday party and birthday dinner all as I'm trying to navigate the massive shift back to a school routine. A routine that starts 30 minutes earlier than last year and involves both my kids this time around.

Soooo.

I'm not taking very good care of myself. I've fallen into awful routines with my sleep, exercise and diet. I'm reaching for Diet Cokes and indulging in Starbucks runs. I'm staying up late to catch up on TV even though my kids are getting up an hour earlier. I'm not drinking water. Exercise? Um, no.

There are four areas of my health in desperate need of improvement. I need to:

1. Sleep 8-9 hours a night.
2. Drink water at every opportunity.
3. Exercise 4-5 times a week
4. Cut out the sugary and salty snacks. Replace with fruits/veggies/whole grains.

Seems pretty simple, but it's a massive undertaking to commit to all four at once. For this week, I'm tackling only the first two. I'm starting with a manageable goal and building from there.

Back to my original question. How are you feeling? Are you up for the challenge of improving a health goal for the next week? Which one and how will you do it?