If you are new to mindfulness, read on. We are sharing a one-week mindfulness plan that will completely change how you handle stress. Been using mindfulness for a while but need a little refresh? Yep, this one-week mindfulness plan is for you too! 

What is Mindfulness?

Real quick-let’s just break down what mindfulness actually is. Mindfulness is being able to be present and aware of the here and the now while not reacting or feeling overwhelmed to what’s going on. It’s easier to really understand what mindfulness is by actually doing it, so stay with us here. 

But, how exactly does mindfulness help you manage your stress better? Research has shown that being more mindful may build an inner strength. With inner strength comes more resilience to the outside stressors, and what used to stress you out may not get you totally frazzled anymore. 

Ready to try it out for yourself? Here’s your one-week mindfulness plan to get you started.

A One-Week Mindfulness Plan to Help You Manage Stress

Monday: Bring Mindfulness to Your Monday Morning Breakfast 

You can be mindful without having to stop what you are doing. When Monday morning comes around, and you are enjoying breakfast, focus on the flavor and the aroma of your morning meal. Try to tune out other thoughts that come in and just sit and be mindful for a few moments while eating your Monday morning breakfast. 

Tuesday: Be Mindful at the Grocery Store 

Hey, you can even be mindful while you are waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store. Just be present in the moment, take some long deep breaths and just be in the moment. We promise it will make the waiting time in the checkout line go by that much faster. Plus, it makes the perfect mindfulness practice moment!

Wednesday: Be Mindful While Stuck in Traffic 

There’s truly no better time to be mindful than when you are stuck in traffic and irritated about the fact that your commute is significantly delayed. Of course, you want to be 100% focused on the road, but when stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, or when you are stopped at a red light, just be mindful in the moment. How does your body feel, are you super tense? Pay attention to how you are feeling without any judgment. 

Thursday: Be Mindful While Washing Dishes

We all have to wash dishes, and for some of us, it’s the most dreaded household chore. Why not take this time to put in your headphones, listen to some calming music and be mindful and present in the moment? Notice how the water feels on your hands, and maybe even notice the colors of the dishes you are washing. 

Just being present and taking in what’s around you is a great way to train your brain to be more mindful in other areas of your life. 

Friday: Bring Mindfulness to Your Teeth Brushing Routine 

Most of us brush our teeth twice per day, so being mindful while brushing your teeth means you are practicing mindfulness at least twice. Win! When brushing your teeth, notice how the toothbrush feels, how to mint flavor may invigorate your senses, and how your teeth feel once they are brushed and clean. It’s the perfect opportunity to really practice being more mindful. 

Saturday: During Your Workout

Next time you press play on your FitOn workout, practice mindfulness by just being present in the workout and noticing how each move makes your muscles, joints, and breath feel. When you notice a thought coming in telling you “you can’t,” or a certain exercise is “too hard,” acknowledge the thought and let it pass and press on with your workout. Mindfulness can actually be a really great tool to maximize your workouts.

Sunday: Take a Relaxing Bath While Diffusing Essential Oils

Make Sunday the ultimate relaxation day by enjoying a warm bath with your favorite bath bomb, and diffuse some lavender, chamomile, or copaiba essential oils. Play some quiet music in the background. Focus on your breath, and the relaxing scent of essential oils as you just sit and be. Try to let each thought come and go without judgment to just completely relax.

Be More Mindful, Change Your Life

Try this one-week mindfulness plan, and see how it can change your life. After one week of trying out mindfulness and being more mindful during periods of stress, you may be totally shocked at how such a subtle shift can change how you handle your everyday stress. So, give it a shot. It’s only a week, and you have nothing to lose. 

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Think about it, between a commute in the car, an 8-hour work day, chill time at home, then sleep – we do a lot of sitting and lounging. So, even if you try and get 30 minutes of exercise a day, it’s still probably not enough movement throughout the day to keep your muscles, heart, and brain happy. You might be thinking – “how the heck am I supposed to find more time for more exercise?” Luckily, there are simple exercises and movements that can be done right at your desk (whether you work from an office or from home) without taking time from your busy schedule.

Sounds awesome, right? Let’s get to it and look at how you can stay active even during your busy workday. And, the best part? These 15 ‘deskercises’ are sneaky enough to do without your co-workers looking at you funny all while you improve strength, burn calories, and keep your positivity up in between staring at Excel all day. (Sign us up!)

Cardio

• 1-minute cubicle jog. You get to work at 8:00 am, sit down at your desk, then the next thing you know it’s 10:45 and you haven’t really moved at all. Set a timer on your phone or computer to get up every 30-60 minutes and jog in place for 1 minute. If you really want to get your heart-rate up, do some high-knees! That might draw more attention your way but who cares?
• Get up and make ‘hello’ rounds. Take a 5-minute break a few times a day to just wander around for a bit. Say ‘good morning’ to co-workers or just find a reason to grab something from the supply room. The bottom line – make a conscious effort to get up and move
• Take the stairs. This work-cardio tip has been around for ages, but that’s because it’s a great way to get your heart pumping. Avoid the elevator if you can and take the stairs instead. Plus? You get to avoid elevator small talk.

Shoulders & Arms

• Shoulder raises. Typing away at a computer all day can really tighten up the muscles in your neck. We often hold tension here without even realizing it. Raise your shoulders up to your ears, hold for 10 seconds, then release.
• Chair dips. Get some strength-training done for your arms right in your cubicle. With your hands on the armrests of the chair, scoot yourself to the front of the seat. Straighten your arms, lifting your body off the chair. Hold for as long as you can then lower down. Repeat.
• Self-handshake. This one seems a little strange but it really does work. Sit up straight and with arms at shoulder-height, give yourself a handshake, making sure one thumb is pointing toward the ceiling and the other to the floor. Now, pull! Create resistance by pulling with each hand and arm. Hold for 10-15 seconds then release.

Core

• Breathe and squeeze. This is a great ab and core exercise that is silent, discrete, and effective. Just take a deep breath in and tighten the ab muscles. As you exhale, bring in your abs toward your spine. Hold that squeeze for about 10 seconds then release and repeat. This can even double as a mindfulness tool to take a few minutes to just breathe and be present.
• Perfect your posture. Simply sitting in a certain way will activate your core and engage your muscles. Make sure your desk chair is positioned in a way that your feet, hips, and arms are all at 90-degree angles to the floor.
• Seated crunches. Work on those flat abs all while multitasking with Photoshop duties by doing seated crunches. Take a few breaks throughout the day and place both elbows on your thighs. Try and curl your chest forward and in toward the legs while resisting with your arms. Hold this crunch for 10 seconds, then release. Repeat as often as you’d like.

Legs & Butt

• Copy machine calf raises. Waiting for that million-page report to print? Or need to make copies of a document for the entire floor? While you’re waiting, stand at the machine and do some calf raises. Press up onto your tippy-toes, hold for a couple seconds, then lower down.
• Super secret butt squeeze. Tone and tighten your glutes while sitting at your desk by simply giving your butt a tight squeeze. Just squeeze your glutes then hold for 5-10 seconds. Your co-workers in the open workspace won’t even notice.
• Seated leg raises. Get in some quad and hamstring work while sitting at your desk. Sitting up straight, straighten out one or both of your legs and squeeze your quad muscles. Lower the leg or legs back down but don’t fully touch the ground. Lift up and repeat the process for however many reps you’d like.

Back, Neck, & Chest

• Shoulder pinch. Stretch out your chest and engage your back muscles by pinching your shoulder blades together as much as possible. Pretend you’re trying to hold a pen in between your shoulder blades, squeezing tightly. Hold for 5-10 seconds then release.
• Head swirler. Here’s a nice move that is great for stretching out tense neck muscles and getting some movement going. Just drop your head, chin toward the chest, then gently roll your head from side to side.
• Back twist. Give your spine a much-needed stretch by doing back twists throughout the day. Sit in your chair then place your right arm behind your right hip on the armrest. Twist to the right side and hold for 5 seconds. Release and repeat on the other side.

The Takeaway

Doing these movements and exercises throughout the day is a great way to increase your physical activity if you can’t leave your desk. But, if you can, get outside and go for a walk around the block! Any movement you get in during your workday is considered a win, and both your mental and physical health will thank you for it.

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We’re here to let you in on five tips on making a healthy breakfast and enjoying breakfast on the go. Because here’s the thing, we know just how important proper nutrition is and how eating the right foods is an act of self-care.

So, no more excuses as to why you can’t get a quick and healthy breakfast in. We are going to show you how you can do that even on the busiest days.

5 Ways to Get a Healthy Breakfast in On the Go

#1 Preparation is Key

Prep, prep, prep. This is the key to success when it comes to having time to enjoy a healthy breakfast on the go. If you find just a half hour on the days you aren’t completely overwhelmed, and you put a little time into prepping breakfast for the week, you will thank yourself come Monday morning.

Try setting aside as much spare time as you have on a weekend day. If that doesn’t work for you, just do it whenever you have time! Prep some frozen fruits in resealable bags and toss them in the freezer. This way, you can just toss them into your blender for a quick on-the-go smoothie. Pre-measure your oats, store them in mason-style jars, and put all your items in the front of your fridge. Doing so will allow you to see exactly what you have to eat when things get blurry during that morning rush.

The more you prep, the lower your stress when it comes time to figuring out what the heck you are going to eat before the craziness of the day begins.

#2 Wake up 10-Minutes Earlier

If waking up any earlier than you already do sounds like a totally painful idea, trust us, we get it. This can be especially difficult for mommas who feel like they’re barely getting enough sleep to function. The same can be said for busy working women out there who are completely exhausted from everyday life. However, here’s the thing. Getting up and fueling your body before your day begins may be your secret weapon to more energy throughout the day. So, while you may cut your much needed sleep by 10-minutes, it may be very worthwhile.

We can’t underestimate the power of nutrition when it comes to helping us feel our best. Try setting that alarm 10-minutes earlier to feed yourself something nutritious and delish. If you need a little extra motivation to get out of bed, make sure your breakfast is extra yummy! You can enjoy a healthy breakfast and have it taste good, so try adding some raw cacao nibs to a smoothie or bowl of oatmeal, or add an extra scoop of almond butter to that piece of toast. Do what you need to do to get excited about breakfast (while being healthy of course!)

#3 Stock up on the Right Storage Containers

If you find the only way you get a solid breakfast in each day is to eat on the go, that’s totally cool and hey, it’s better than not eating anything at all. But, to make your life easier, so you aren’t dripping almond butter, or spilling your morning smoothie all over the car seat, invest in some on-the-go storage containers. Things like Mason jars, glass Tupperware, and reusable straws will all make your mornings ten times easier. And bonus points if you skip the plastic and choose glass or stainless steel! You can make your mornings easy while also cutting back on environmental waste. It’s a total win, win.

#4 Make it Work-Friendly

Still finding it hard to squeeze in a healthy breakfast between getting the kids fed, dropping them off at school, and getting yourself to work on time? We get it, and can totally relate. But, don’t make this your excuse not to take care of you and feed your body what it needs to feel your best. Instead, try taking breakfast on the go to a whole new level by packing it up and making it work-friendly. Pack a bowl of oatmeal that can be reheated or a protein shake in a stainless steel bottle that will keep cool before you enjoy it at your desk. This can be an invaluable tool on mornings where you don’t have a spare second to even think about breakfast.

#5 Make it the Night Before

Have a few minutes to spare after the kids go to bed or in between The Bachelor commercial breaks? Get that healthy breakfast prepped and ready to go the night before. Try making overnight oats, or getting your fruit and nuts all packed and ready to go. If you can make breakfast and have it ready to grab and go in the morning, you have no excuse to not eat breakfast.

The Takeaway

Don’t let the morning rush be your excuse for not eating breakfast. By taking a few minutes to prep on the days you happen to have some spare time, buying the right storage containers to chow down on the go, and packing your lunch for work (if needed) are all ways to make sure you get your breakfast in and your day started off on the right foot.

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Sure, paper straws sort of disintegrate in your mouth. And metal straws stuffed into purses for days at a time between use may not be the most sanitary of drinking options. And, it might feel a little crunchy-granola or insignificantly small… But do these plastic straw alternatives actually change anything for the health of our planet?

Celebrity yogi Tara Stiles says yes, they do. She says our society today is all about convenience, which has desensitized us to the way our actions and shortcut-mentalities influence our communities and the world. The “throwaway culture” that has become a norm is all about making life easier and faster, and it’s probably true that we’re all guilty of subscribing to it in some way or another.

Why We Need to Rethink How We Drink Our Daily Iced Americano

While straws seem like a small issue in the scheme of wasteful habits, they actually add up to something massive. Americans use 500 million plastic straws every day. Yup, you heard that right…every single day! That’s enough to completely fill up 125 school buses, according to Saveur. And most of those are no eco-friendly, and end up in oceans and landfills.

Even though straws aren’t the top contributor to plastic waste–in fact, plastic food wrappers, containers, plastic bottles and caps, and plastic bags all fall ahead of straws–they’re the most harmful to marine wildlife. Their size is so small and unassuming that people forget to recycle them. Or if they do, they get tossed out of the recycling sorter from their light weight.

They end up being disposed of most commonly as regular garbage. And when they get tossed in the ocean, fish and aquatic animals mistake them for food and attempt to ingest them. Plus, they add to the immense pollution of our oceans that harms wildlife and damages the environment. Can you see how something many of us don’t think twice about using with every smoothie or juice order can have a real ripple effect?

On average, people use an estimated 1.6 straws per day. If 25,000 individuals stopped using them, 5 million straws would be kept far away from the ocean. That makes the movement against straws seem much more approachable. If one just person at a time commits to nixing straws from their daily drinks.

The Eco-Friendly Takeaway

The best part about deciding to boycott plastic straws? You don’t actually need straws to drink anything. Yeah, some of us prefer them in our iced coffees or other cold beverages. But they aren’t a requirement to consuming drinks (what a relief!) That means being eco-friendly and helping our environment could be as easy as eliminating unnecessary utensils from your smoothie or iced coffee runs.

If you do want or need a straw for your next bevvy, try out the various options for harmless straws out there. Options include metal, glass, bamboo, paper, or cardboard. Even if it seems like an inconsequential change, you’re actually contributing to a major movement. And, that’s something to raise our (plastic straw-free) smoothie glass and cheers to.

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We are sharing why working out for shorter periods of time may actually be more beneficial than cranking out hour-long workouts every single day.

Shorter & More Focused Workouts

Not too long ago, the belief was that longer workouts were optimal for getting in shape and losing weight. A typical workout might look like 45-60 minutes of cardio followed by another 45-60 minutes of strength training. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s a mighty long time to exercise. And, frankly, doing that much doesn’t guarantee greater results unless fatigue is your goal. Think about how tired you are just after the first hour, and now you are about to do more.

Your focus should be on what you do rather than how long you do it. If you’re familiar with CrossFit, you’ll notice that their WODs (workouts of the day) are not long. In fact, most are twenty minutes or less. But they are jam-packed with purpose and intensity. For example, one of their benchmark WODs is called Fran. It’s only two exercises, but they require great overall strength—thrusters and pull ups.

The workout goes like this—you do three rounds of each exercise. The first round is 21 reps, the second round is 15 reps and the last round is 9 reps. It may look easy, but it’s anything but. And, ideally, it should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Luckily, you don’t have to spend money joining CrossFit to get the same types of short, intense workouts. FitOn has many workouts that are thirty minutes or less. Some are as short as ten minutes. That’s right. You could get a great workout in ten minutes as long as you are doing the right exercises and really pushing yourself to the max.

Benefits of Shorter Workouts

You might wonder how a workout that takes half the time can be effective. Wouldn’t working out longer burn more calories, make you stronger, get you into better shape? Not necessarily. Here are a few benefits you might not expect from cutting your workout time in half:

• You can exercise at a higher intensity
• Decreases your chances of burnout during your workout
• Improves your focus (no time to waste when you only have a little bit of it)
• Better overall workout as you’ll be using more muscles simultaneously rather than concentrating on only a few

When it comes to shorter workouts, it’s all about the intensity. You can’t simply go through the motions while taking endless breaks. You must commit to making those 10, 20 or 30 minutes count. If you don’t, then you won’t reap the benefits that shorter workouts provide.

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) has become popular because of its intensity and the short amount of time it takes to do. Usually, 20 minutes of intervals is more than enough to get the job done. And frankly, if you are really pushing yourself, your body won’t be able to do much more than that.

Setting Up Your Routine

It’s best to exercise in intervals where you go back and forth between exercises. Minimize your breaks. Only take them when you really need them. Otherwise, press through it as hard as you can. For strength exercises, choose those that will give you the most bang for your buck while hitting the major muscle groups like:

• Thrusters
• Deadlifts
• Squats
• Clean and presses
• Pull ups
• Push ups

The Takeaway

If you’re not sure how to create a routine of your own, FitOn has you covered with a variety of short and effective workouts. The only rule is to give 110% in order to maximize your results. You’ll only get out of it what you put into it.

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