10 Tips for Less Labor, Better Health This Labor Day

In this article: 

• Labor Day marks the last unofficial weekend of summer, and a time when many people have a long weekend.
• Use the weekend to recharge your batteries, not drain them.
• Here are 10 tips for making healthy choices while minimizing effort. 
• Lark is available 24/7 to help you track food, activity, and sleep, and coach you to reach health and weight loss goals.

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For many, Labor Day weekend is a time to savor the last moments of summer and recharge. It may feel like relaxing conflicts with goals like losing weight and managing health, but it’s possible to live healthily with less effort. Here are 10 tips to “de-labor” your Labor Day weekend to help you feel rested and ready for what’s ahead. 

1. Do the Bare Minimum

It’s common to make a long to-do list for a long weekend. Social events can also fill your schedule. If you feel obligated to fill every second of your weekend with a chore, errand, or event, you may finish the holiday weekend feeling like you need a holiday.

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Instead, be choosy about what you commit to.

• Keep your to-do list to errands and tasks that are essential. Can you cut two supermarket trips down to one? Can you postpone window washing to next week?
• If someone you know is going to a store and you just need one item from that store, ask that person to pick it up for you.
• Decline social invitations unless you really want to go.

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Keep in mind your goal of having a relaxing weekend rather than thinking of it as a weekend to catch up or get ahead. 

2. Shop Early

Shop as early in the weekend as you can, such as Saturday or Sunday morning. It makes things quicker and easier, since stores can get crowded later in the weekend as people shop for their upcoming parties and the week ahead. Shopping early can also reduce last-minute stress as you prepare recipes and meals later in the weekend. 

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Another benefit of shopping early in the weekend is that your kitchen can be fully stocked with nutritious foods for healthy meals and snacks. You’ll be able to eat healthier with less labor. 

3. Eat Mindfully

Weekends and holidays often come with abundant opportunities to eat, whether at home in your kitchen or when you’re out in social settings. An internal struggle between what you want to eat and what you should (or shouldn’t) eat can be exhausting, but eating mindfully can help avoid this conflict. 

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Mindful eating gives you a chance to enjoy your food more and to eat in a way that’s better for your body. Here are some tips for eating mindfully. 

• Before eating, ask yourself if you’re hungry
• Eat slowly and savor each bite
• Notice how your body feels before, during, and after the meal or snack
• Notice the flavors of your food, and whether they are as pleasing as you continue to eat 

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When you eat mindfully, you’re better able to get more pleasure and satisfaction from your food, and you’re more likely to make smart choices regarding what and how much you eat. 

4. Sleep in

Sleeping is a low-labor activity, but do you get enough? Take this weekend to start catching up. 

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If you have a typical bedtime that works for you, continue going to bed at that time instead of staying up late on the weekend. If you often go to bed later than you should, try shifting your bedtime back a little each evening. A good goal by Monday night is to go to bed at a time that lets you get enough sleep to wake up feeling refreshed when your alarm goes off on Tuesday morning. 

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Here are some more tips to feel refreshed by the end of the weekend. 

• Sleep in if you’re tired. It’s best to have consistent sleep and wake times that give you enough sleep, but if you’re short on sleep, the next best thing is to catch up. 
• Support your body’s sleep-wake cycles by being active during the day 
• Get outside for some natural daylight (with proper sun protection) to remind your body to be awake during daylight hours and tired when it’s dark
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals too close to bedtime

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Sleeping is a great way to feel rested and make healthy decisions around eating, being active, and managing stress more easily. 

5. Choose Some Shortcuts

Some things are worth putting in labor. For everything else, there are shortcuts. This weekend, only put significant time and energy into things that matter to you. Here are examples of what people may find important.

• Preparing a family recipe for a cookoff or contest at a party
• Decorating your home or garden in a way that’s meaningful to you
• Spending sufficient time with someone you treasure

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Minimize the time and energy you put into everything else. For example, instead of bringing an elaborate dish to a potluck, bring something simple like watermelon, vegetable trays, grape tomatoes, condiments, plates and plasticware, turkey and veggie burger patties, meatless hot dogs, and bagged salads can all be easy and welcome contributions.

6. Enjoy Leftovers

Leftovers can save time, money, energy, and can be healthy too! Here are some ways to take advantage of leftovers this weekend.

• When you go to a potluck, gratefully accept any healthy leftovers the host or other guests offer. Fruit, nutritious salads, and lean proteins are all good choices.
• When cooking for your household or an event, cook enough extra so that you can get another meal or two out of it instead of having to cook again.
• Prepare extra amounts of a central ingredient so you can use it in multiple recipes. For example, if you cook a large amount of skinless chicken, you can use some for dinner tonight in the form of a stir fry and some for lunch tomorrow as chicken salad on a bed of greens. Cook the rest in a pot with vegetables, potatoes, or whole-grain pasta, and low-sodium broth, and freeze a pot of soup to have another time. 

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Remember to politely decline leftovers like sugary desserts, creamy salads, and fatty processed meats.

7. Stay Cool and Comfortable

Being hot can be draining, so take steps to stay cool and comfortable this Labor Day weekend. Here are some tips. 

• Hydrate with ice water and other cold, low-calorie options
• Stay in air-conditioned spaces and shady places when you can
• Use a portable fan when out and about or not in air conditioning
• Eat refreshing, cool meals like gazpacho, lentil salad, shrimp, mango, and corn salad
• Avoid overheating while exercising with strategies like walking in an air-conditioned mall, working out in a cool gym, or swimming

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8. Sit Down to Eat

An effective way to eat less, eat healthier, and enjoy food more is to sit down when you eat. Serve yourself on a plate or bowl instead of eating straight from the bag or container. Sit down at the table where you usually eat. Then, eat and enjoy. 

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This strategy is effective because it introduces portion control naturally as you serve yourself one portion instead of eating from a multi-serving bag. It supports more nutritious choices because you’re using a plate or bowl, and so are less likely to take packaged snack foods like chips or cookies. It’s an easy strategy because it avoids conflict with yourself. Instead of telling yourself what you shouldn’t eat, it provides a blueprint for how to eat. 

9. Spent Time with Low-Effort People

Your time is precious. Spend it with people who energize you or make you feel comfortable. People worth spending time with accept you for yourself and make you feel better after you’ve seen them.

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Avoid spending significant time with people who drain your energy, add stress to your life, or make you feel inadequate. Remember that you’re a valuable person, and if there’s nobody else you’d rather spend time with, spend time with yourself. Some quiet time can be just what the doctor ordered. 

10. Expand the Concept of “Potluck”

Potlucks are fun and easy because you just have to bring a dish while you enjoy everyone else’s contributions. Why stop at food? If you’re hosting an event, ask for more contributions. 

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Here are some examples.

• Everyone can pick a song to dance to, and one person can compile them all
• Everyone can “host” one event like an egg toss, cornhole throw, or badminton game
• Everyone can spend 5 minutes cleaning up

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These contributions are small for each person, but they can add up to hours of saved effort for you.

How Lark Can Help

Using holiday weekends to recharge and energize can keep you motivated and focused. Lark can help you make small changes to improve heart health, lose weight, and manage or prevent chronic conditions. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications. 

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Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

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