You get home from a long day at work or you’re a busy full-time house spouse who needs a break, so you sit down and take a quick power nap to escape from the stresses all around you before tackling the remaining chores at home.

I wish! Maybe this isn’t exactly your routine, but it’s what people try to do or at least dream about doing every now and then for some extra sleep and an energy boost. The question is does this quick nap really help when we have so much stress that weighs us down in life?

A new holistic approach in the world of health and wellness combines time, stress and sleep management with healthy nutrition and exercise. More people are hearing about a personalized ‘healthy lifestyle plan’ or this easy to remember acronym HLP (help!). We always feel like we should be able to make these changes alone, but with a little help and teamwork you can achieve greater success.

Here are 3 simple ways to help get your HLP started:

1. H: have a conversation with someone you trust (friend, neighbor, coach, co-worker, etc.) who has made a lifestyle change and get onboard with them for early accountability. Even though their plan isn’t going to be exactly the same as the one you will soon develop it will help you get started by seeing their transformation.
2. L: let go of a few bad habits early in the process. If you sit all day at home or work, start standing more and walking 2-3 times during the day. If you drink 3 soft drinks a day, cut down to 1 and drink more water. These simple first steps can help you get started and give you confidence to make even bigger changes along the way.
3. P: plan your FOOD carefully and ahead of time! Food is usually a central theme around our daily activities ranging from ‘what will I eat when I wake up?’ to having a ‘quick snack’ during break at work. Develop a personal list of ‘must eat’, ‘occasionally eat’ and ‘special eat’ foods based on your own food cravings and knowledge. Come on you know what’s bad and good! Let your friend or coach look over it with you. Be critical but realistic! Use this list as a check and balance tool to help you plan your food wisely and proactively.

Develop a personal list of foods based on your own food cravings and knowledge.

A friend once advised me that it takes time to make a lasting change but alsodon’t wait until Monday to get started. Pacing yourself is important. Getting started now by taking a few simple steps is also important and will allow you to hit goals and develop long lasting lifestyle healthy habits.

Start today and remember to do the following:

1. Have a conversation with someone who has made a transformation.
2. Let go of a few of those pesky bad lifestyle habits like sitting too much.
3. Plan and list what you will eat so you mostly eat those ‘must eat’ foods.