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Finding balance between having a full time job, side hustle, social life, significant other, eating healthy, working out, getting 8 hours of sleep, drinking enough water, saving money but still having fun is so much to juggle. Even just typing it out makes us EXHAUSTED! Since starting Sweat and Tell back in 2018, the both of us have consistently worked full time (40+ hours a week) in addition to the time we dedicate to running our account and growing our brand. We know first hand how difficult it can be prioritizing workouts and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (whatever that looks like for you!) when you’re being pulled in so many different directions. As schedules get busier and countless responsibilities pile up, health tends to be one of the first things to be thrown out the window which is counterintuitive to our well being.

If trying to maintain healthy habits in your life wasn't hard enough, being in a workplace means you're often surrounded with unhealthy temptations like donuts, catered lunches and happy hours that can get in the way of your pre-booked spin class or meal prepped lunch. There have been many instances, especially early in our careers, where we've struggled with honoring our passion of health and fitness. It’s important to note that you can absolutely go out and get drinks with coworkers and even skip a workout if you’re not feeling it, so long as it’s going to fulfill you in one way or another. We’ve certainly gained more confidence in making decisions for ourselves, without other people’s opinions diluting our choices. There is power in being able to *politely* say no. We like to make decisions by asking ourselves this simple question, “what choice is ultimately going to make me feel better afterwards?” Incorporate that question as well as the tips listed below in our day to day, and we guarantee you will pave the path to be the healthiest version of yourself possible.

We wanted to share how we've overcome this hurdle of balance in the workplace

♡♡ All of our Tips Listed Below ♡♡

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#1. Schedule your workouts for the week on Sunday and write them down in your planner and/or work calendar. By building your workouts into your schedule you can plan ahead of time and view it as something that is scheduled which indicates that it is important, and you're less likely to cancel just like as if it were a work meeting. If you are going with a workout buddy, share the calendar invite with them so you're both being held accountable. If you're new here, we like to do a mix of different studio + home workouts and mix it up with morning and evening classes so booking in our calendars is crucial since it’s always something different!

We love to schedule our workouts in our google calendars AND put them in our planner. We also just love to cross them out when we’ve completed LOL so satisfying honestly. Our favorite planner is linked HERE. Trust us, you will love it!

#2. Speaking of workout buddies, this one hits HARD. One of the best ways to stay accountable is when you're showing up for not just yourself but for someone else too. Having a workout buddy transforms a typical workout into something more fun and even social. We have the best time going to workout classes together and we make it something that we can both look forward to. Think about how much easier it is to cancel a workout when no one knows besides your bank account (aka late cancel fees) vs when you have to draft up a text to a friend, anxiously coming up with an excuse as to why you don't feel like going. It’s likely that you’d rather just go even if you’re dreading it, than avoid bailing on a friend. You never really leave a workout wishing you hadn’t done it - the hard part is getting there, and sometimes we need our friends to help on that front. Fun fact: we've only bailed on a workout with one another TWICE total, we are so committed to it haha. Proof that it works!

#3. Make it a habit, not a chore. We remember back when we first started Sweat and Tell and we would book workouts like crazy. We were both already used to working out a couple times a week, but with S&T, we suddenly started booking studio workouts more frequently. It took some time getting used to. I (Jo) remember thinking, "wow all these studio workouts are taking up a lot of my free time after work.. when can I nap?" lol. Although we both looked forward to them, our new routine had not yet become a habit, which felt a bit uncomfortable to be honest. Our raw advice when you face this hurdle is to simply give yourself both grace and time to get used to any sort of change - whether it’s working out, cutting out junk food, etc. For us, it was about a month or two that went by and all of a sudden it would feel weird to NOT have a workout planned after work, it was like something was missing. Funny how your perspective can change so drastically when you are able to form habits into your typical routine. Creating healthy habits in our routine early on has stuck with us and truly shaped our view on health and wellness today.

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#4. Make it something to do with coworkers. It doesn't necessarily need to be a team event at Soul Cycle (although it is really fun and Jo has absolutely done this before), it can be something less daunting that suits all activity levels. Whether it's something planned in advance like a hike or an impromptu 15 min outdoor walk with a coworker, you have the power to influence an office mindset and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Let’s use Jacqs for an example, she waltzed into her Nashville office and little did she know there would be fast food around for nearly every meal. She recognized it and instead of feeling guilty, thought of easy (and unintrusive) ways to start getting her coworkers to incorporate some of her favorite healthy habits! She stocked the fridge with kombucha, suggests yogurt parfaits instead of biscuits for breakfast and prioritizes working out right after work with an open invitation. We've had so many people ask us how to be healthy at work and/or around coworkers because they feel pressured to drink at an office event or eat unhealthy during a work lunch. Our best piece of advice is to OWN BEING THE HEALTHY ONE. Make it a cool thing. At this point, our coworkers and bosses know the lifestyle we like to live and it's not only provided something to talk about but also can be a way to bond. Either someone will agree and now you have something in common (it could literally be about almond milk), or maybe someone disagrees and you can make a joke about it then move on. Seriously, don't be afraid to be "the healthy one" it's truly nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn’t mean you can’t still have cake on a coworkers birthday - it’s just that you have a preference on choices that you value. People should understand and respect your choice. Maybe your healthy habits will even rub off on them!

Fitness is an awesome team building activity. It will make everyone feel more awake and confident. Below are a few videos you can do in the office and as a team. Get those good vibes flowing!

5-Minute Break - Office Yoga
Study Break Routine - This one is a little more cardio, so you might want to warn your team to where something flexible that day haha!
10 Min Office Workout Exercises - Quick Office Workout Routine - 1 workout a day

#5. To emphasize on one of our point above, go on walks throughout the day! Even if they are just 10-15 minutes each they will significantly improve your mood and it’s any easy way to get in movement. If you have an internal meeting or a casual phone call to take, make it a walk and talk meeting!

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#6. Meal prepping is one of the best ways to eat healthy in the office. We like to plan our meals for the week ahead when we go grocery shopping over the weekend (usually on Sunday) and will cook up a few easy meals that will last awhile. If you don't bring food with you, you are now at the liberty of convenience. If something is in front of you, you'll likely eat it even if it's something you wouldn't normally choose. Or you might go out to lunch (which is totally fine - we love picking food up sometimes!) but you might just need to be a little more aware of what ingredients are in your order. For example, one of our favorite meals is a salmon teriyaki bowl with amino acids as dressing. If we were to order this at a restaurant it would be packed with sugar and fat (usually in the sauce). We don't want to encourage you to be afraid of going out to eat whatsoever, just to be aware that typically meal prepping is easier, cheaper and can be healthier in general.

Here are some yummy recipes you can browse through for meal prep inspo.