I often get asked as a professional speaker & author where I find the energy to juggle different responsibilities. I jokingly response most times saying Starbucks Cold Brew but it’s SO much more than that. With that, I wanted to share 5 health habits I’ve adopted over the years that keep me energized and will hopefully help our autism community do the same. These are habits I often share with my mentees, but I’d really recommend them for anyone…
- Drinking 8 glasses of water a day
As someone who’s just hit his 30’s I’ve started to realize that my metabolism is starting to slow down. One of the areas I struggle with as someone who’s autistic is change and this was a big one. With that, I realized the importance of drinking water. I try to break it down by remembering the ’30 rule’ for half of those glasses: At least 30 minutes after I wake up to kickstart my body, then 30 minutes before breakfast/lunch/dinner to help aid with digestion. The other 4 sporadically during the day or whenever I feel thirsty.
- Walking 30 minutes a day
Because of COVID-19 I invested in a treadmill and it was a true savior. Add a standing desk and I walk at least 30 minutes each morning while doing work or reading something I enjoy on my laptop. I realize that it’s easier for me to push myself to do cardio when I’m distracted by something else such as a key interest. This has helped with my retention and energy throughout the day.
- Putting yourself on a schedule
Sometimes I don’t realize when I’m hungry and need to eat so scheduling things like meals was really important for me. Having a structure through schedules in other areas of my life have helped too.
- Dumping negative people
Toxicity, whether it be someone online via social media platforms or in person face-to-face can have negative side effects on our well-being including our mental health. Understanding the people who build you up and having a core village really helps me.
- Writing more
Not only blogs, but I love taking down notes of milestones and fond memories. While we have online platforms like ‘Facebook memories’ to give us reminders of our photos and statuses from previous years, I enjoy these notes I wrote down to self-reflect. My parents for example did this for me growing with autism when it came to milestones.
What would you add to this list? Here’s to more healthy habits to you and yours for years to come!
Follow my journey on Facebook, my Facebook Fan Page, & Instagram!
My name is Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum that started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a post-secondary education. Help support me so I can continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
