Here’s 1 piece of advice that will dramatically help you have a healthier life after 40, “Pay yourself first.” If you’re a woman over 40 who struggles to meet your health goals, practicing this mantra daily will help.
I first heard this advice from The Bike Guy last fall when we tried to find a time to ride bikes together. He learned it from a healthcare provider years ago. It summarizes the Self-Nourishment Menu Strategy I’ve taught clients for the past couple of years. What does it mean and how can you apply it to your health goals in after 40?
Pay yourself first means, make time for activities you do just for yourself.
Activities that recharge your batteries, help you find your center, and increase your capacity to be everything for everyone else in your life. Pay yourself first consistently will help you have enough capacity to get through your day-to-day without burnout. When you’re in burnout mode, your stress response is in constant fight or flight, and you’re less likely to follow through with your health goals.
If you struggle to create a healthier life after 40, it’s not your fault and you’re not broken.
It’s a capacity issue. During perimenopause and menopause, your default capacity booster estrogen fluctuates and eventually declines. However, you can still increase your capacity by engaging in activities that pay yourself first. How does this help your health goals after 40?
Part of paying yourself first is realizing you don’t need to do all the things, all the time, for everyone else. You also don’t need to do all the things to improve your health at the same time.
Instead, practice this mantra “Simplify to amplify,” from one of my mentors, Marie Forleo. Do less to achieve more. Whether you need to delegate tasks on your to-do list so you have time to do a 15-minute workout or say no to an additional work project so you can go grocery shopping and prep dinner, simplify to amplify will help you focus on what’s most important to you and reduce the risk of burnout.
Paying yourself first works with the mantra “simplify to amplify” to help you create a healthier life after 40.
Say you want to reduce your cholesterol and blood sugar and get stronger. Diet-wellness culture messaging says you should:
- Reduce saturated fat
- Cut carbs
- Eat more fiber (a direct conflict with cutting carbs but the way)
- Increase your protein
- Get more sleep
- Exercise daily
- Lift weights 3 times per week
- Take a walk in nature
- Cook dinner at home every night
- Don’t eat fast food
- Drink more water
- Meditate
- Do Yoga
- Do self-care
- Take your nutrition supplements
The list goes on and on. You’re “supposed” to do so much to be healthy! Not to mention how many mixed messages fly around social media about how to be healthy the “right way.” No wonder you’re overwhelmed and your capacity is zero!
Frustrated you say “F*ckit,” reach for another sweet-salty snack and scroll Netflix or your social feed. You need a shorter list of health to-dos, my friend. Simplify to amplify. Try this instead.
Health-promoting practices that reduce your cholesterol can also reduce your blood sugar – win, win. Anytime you can double your health impact with the same health-promoting practices, the better.
For example, increasing your fiber intake with complex carbs will soak up excess cholesterol and blood sugar. Eating more complex carbs can also improve sleep, boost metabolism, and reduce stress, indirectly reducing blood sugar. A walk in nature can reduce stress, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Increasing your protein intake to around 20-30 grams per meal will also reduce blood sugar. If it’s a plant-based protein, it can also lower cholesterol.
Instead of focusing on 15 different health-promoting behaviors you “should be doing,” focus on 3. Like increase your fiber intake with complex carbs, take a walk outside a few times per week, and boost protein intake. How do you practice 3 activities when you’re capacity is low?
This is where the advice to pay yourself first comes in. Add 3 health-promoting practices to your weekly calendar.
If you want to increase fiber with complex carbs, schedule in time to go grocery shopping, and buy complex carbs like whole grain brown rice, bread, pasta, and fruits and vegetables (think pre-cut veggies, bagged salads, pre-cooked brown rice and quinoa, and bottled sauces or dressing to reduce prep time). Bring the food home and spend 15-20 minutes on a meal you can eat now and have leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow. Now you can meet your goal to increase fiber with at least two meals in one week – amazing!
If you want to get strong or increase your endurance, schedule yourself to pay yourself first with a 20-minute walk outside and 10 minutes of a body weight or strength training HIIT workout. The combined 30 minutes twice per week will help increase strength, give you a mental break, and help you connect to your body.
Simplifying to amplify is another version of “lowering the bar” and practice without perfection.
Meaning, chose 1-2 goals to work on every month, instead of weekly. Give yourself time to get the foods, resources, and routine you need to make your goals become habits.
You don’t have to do all the things to improve your health all at once. Start small. Go slow. Keep moving forward. That’s how you’ll create a healthier life after 40. You’ve got this!
