Step 1: Ramp up your health
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Learning about prepping has been eye-opening. There are so many things I though prepping was, and now I realize that prepping is so much more than having a stash of food in a big tupperware in your garage. It’s about living well regardless of what’s happening in your world. Staying well tops that list and that’s where I’m starting with my prepping journey.
Yes. Getting yourself in good mental and physical shape is the most important part of prepping, apparently. And after thinking about it - I would have to agree!
When you think about it, medical issues and emergencies are probably the most likely type of scenarios you’ll deal with in your life. If you aren’t in the best physical and mental shape that you can be in, you’re increasing the chances of dealing with these sorts of things, decreasing your ability to deal with them, and the severity with which they disrupt your life will be exponential.
On top of that, If an external emergency hits (such as a natural disaster), it’ll be much harder to deal with an emergency if you’re sick, injured or in rough shape (or get sick/injured because of the stress on your body and mind during an emergency). Having a PMA (positive mental attitude) and being resilient in good times is awesome, but becomes essential in emergencies and challenging situations. And think of the people that rely on you. Maybe you have kids. Pets. Parents that need your help to deliver meals or shovel their snow. Friends that you help out. All of this becomes much more complicated if you’re incapacitated because you haven’t been looking after yourself. No guilt trip or judgement passed - but it’s time to own that shit and get on the path to good health (if you aren’t already).
The facts remain - the better shape you’re in, the better you can handle whatever life throws your way and be an “asset” to those around you. This, in turn, can influence those around you to take better care of themselves, and before you know it, you’re those annoying healthy people that are always smiling and running ultramarathons. Maybe not, but you’ll feel better and have better lives and be able to rely on each other at the worst of time at least. (A word of advice - don’t try to encourage people to live healthier - just be an example and those who are ready to work on their health/fitness will find their own way there. The last thing you want to do is alienate your close ones because you can’t stop talking about the Reds and Greens you take every morning or how many miles you ran before sunrise).
If you’re already in great shape - perfect. But there’s probably something you could work on, or improve so that you are even stronger, more resilient, and healthier. Not only will this help you in an emergency, but your quality of life will probably improve as well. Win-win.
If you’re not in the best shape where should you start? Simple. Start with just one of the things I mention below -whatever the easiest one is for you first! - and each month, add in one more category to work on. In a year, you won’t recognize yourself (in a good way!) If you’re well on your way with some of these, start with something that’s challenged you for a while and start small, building up slowly.
I realize these are super vague - but they are just starting points. You need to figure out the rest for your own particular situation, but I delve a little more into each point below with my own expeiences in there for a good laugh.
Improve your health with these:
Eat better.
Move your body in whatever way you like.
Improve your sleep.
Be social.
Meditate and/or work on your mindfulness and stress reduction.
Get therapy.
Laugh.
Get outside.
Get off screens.
Read more.
Find your purpose (or at least a new hobby)
Give back to your community
Eat Better
If I had a dollar….
Yes - eat better. But what does that even mean?
It all depends where you’re starting. Maybe you’re like me, a busy mom who’s often too tired to cook or grocery shop on a regular schedule. My day often starts with two double shot lattes, grab and graze on whatever is hanging around my kitchen throughout the day and grab couple take out pizzas on the way home from the kids’ activities. Or maybe you have a great Monday to Friday schedule with your meals all planned out and super healthy choices, and then go for several beers on the weekends. Only you know your starting point and what could improve upon.
Take stock of what you’re doing now
I find the easiest way to tackle this is to take a glimpse into what a regular week looks like. Journal your eating for the week. Use paper. Use an app. Whatever you like. Just get it all down in one place and be as details as possible. Include times and water intake. No cheating.
At the end of the week have a sit down and look through it. Look for patterns. Things that make you go huh? I ate how much/what thing/at what time? and then take the next month just focusing on that one thing and tiny improvements to do with that. Hint: start with hydration (click here for a discount on my favourite electrolytes!), and then start looking at protein consumption, fruit and veggie intake, and sugar/sweets/junk food. Most people would benefit from increased water, protein and fruit and veggie intake, and decreased sugar/sweet/junk/caffeine/alcohol/drug intake. (If you are struggling with addiction, reach out to the appropriate people in your area for help. It’s ok to need help. No judgement. People helping people is rad.)
Being hydrated is NOT over-rated
Getting in more water can be hard. Life is busy and it’s just another thing to remember. I find it helps to have a giant insulated waterbottle always on the go at home. Yes, I know everyone makes fun of moms with their giant 40 oz. Stanley “cups”. But I bought a similar one anyway - mine is this model here - and for real it’s a game-changer! I add in my favourite electrolytes, and it keeps me amped up throughout the whole day. Find what works for you and get hydrated!
Don’t waste your money, but…supplements can help
Some people find supplements are helpful. If you do go down this route, make sure you do some research and get good quality supps that are third party tested for contaminants/heavy metals/etc. And only add one thing at a time and see how it makes you feel. In my busy mom-life, I add a collagen supplement to my coffee in the morning (helps me get my protein intake), and most days I’ll fit in a smoothie with a scoop of protein powder. The one last things I have regularly is electrolytes. If you are more of a diy person, electrolytes can be added with a pinch of salt, squeeze of lime and dash of maple syrup into your water (trust me, it’s delish).
One last tip: Try not to get into a good vs. bad mindset. Look objectively at things. It is what it is. What can be better and how will that make you feel? Total deprivation doesn’t seem to work well for most people with most things (and affects other areas of your life like mental health and happiness), so let’s just say that maybe 15 beers/tubs of icecream/cans of coke/espressos/cigarettes/joints/cbd drinks/cupcakes/whatever-your-vice-is per day probably isn’t going to help you live your best life. So reign it in and start living baby! Maybe I’ll share some more fitness/nutrition info in the future…but for now, drink some water please. Like, right now.
Move Your Body
I think movement is an amazing way to improve your health, mood, longevity, resilience, sleep, energy, and so much more! Plus, depending on what activity you do, it can make you feel like a total badass. For me, it’s lifting weights, and rucking, and sometimes yoga. For my partner, it’s bench press and squats. For my kid it’s BJJ. My aunt and uncle love Tai Chi. Find the thing you love doing, that makes your body feel really good.
If you’re not currently doing any form of intentional movement, start with whatever you think you’ll enjoy and can do consistently. It might be a daily walk around your neighbourhood, lifting weights in your garage, or doing some yoga each day. Whatever you start with, try to keep it consistent: daily, 3x week, or whatever works for your schedule. Generally, anything less than 3x week won’t be super effective. Little and often is better than a 3-hour session once ever 2 weeks. Remember: start slow and build up gradually - the last thing you want to do is get injured/overtrain and be worse off than when you started!
Start with your movement of choice and then after a few months, try rounding out your routine so you’re hitting strength, endurance, mobility and intensity (adding one element for a few weeks at a time until you’re incorporating all 4).
For example:
3 x week strength workout
1 x long run/bike/swim/walk
1 x yoga
1 x HIIT workout
That’s just an example of a fairly well-rounded routine that may or may not work for you.
You might want to train for that triathalon you’ve always wanted to attempt. Find a coach/plan and get to work!
Because I’m short on time and opportunities to workout, I like combining a strength with endurance workout by doing “ruck” workouts (walking with weight). I’ll throw on my weighted backpack and ruck a few miles around my neighbourhood early in the morning. Check out these ruck workouts!
If you’re already quite active, maybe you’re stuck in a rut or have hit a plateau. In that case, try exploring new movement ideas, join a group, or set a new challenge. Always wanted to try rock climbing? Join a local gym or convince a friend to be your Saturday morning belay partner. If you’re a runner, signing up for a race you’ve always wanted to do might be great motivation for your training. Even just a personal challenge such as hiking a challenging trail can be a good motivator for your training planning and execution. Or maybe you want to bench your body weight: find out your starting point (where you are now), work on a plan, and get down to work!
Whatever you choose to do, remember that something is better than nothing. A plan will only work well if you follow it. And choosing to do movement you enjoy will ultimately lead to greater consistancy than something you don’t like doing.
Improve your Sleep
This one is simple. Stay in bed and sleep more.
Ok, maybe not so simple. But improving your sleep, especially if you’re not getting consistent, good quality shut-eye, is one way to boost your health.
TVs & Screens in bed, eating late, caffeine after 5, Too much light in the bedroom. Alcohol. You know what you’re doing. It all affects our sleep negatively, and it’s hard to change those habits. Once again, start small with one thing at a time. Maybe you’re going to bed too late because you’re binging your fav tv show. Set a time, just a little earlier than you’re going to bed currently, and slowly work the time back over several weeks to the “ideal” bedtime for you. Same with the other habits: trade your coffee for a decaf, or better yet, some electrolytes, trade your screens for a book, try to have a few hours before bed with no eating, get some dark curtains or a sleep mask, skip the beer(s) with dinner; you get the idea.
The most important thing about sleep according to recent articles, is consistency. Consistency with timing and duration of your sleep. Try to make each day similar if possible, even on weekends or days off.
The jury is out on duration - anything from 6 hours to 10 is considered “normal”. If you’re waking up refreshed and ready to attack the day, then you’re probably doing fine. If you’re tired, cranky, reaching for espresso shots at 4 in the afternoon, skipping workouts, and waking up feeling less than good, there’s probably room for improvement in your sleep routine.
Be Social
Everyone has their own ways of being social, and everyone recharges in a different way. As we get older/have kids/etc., it can be harder to find that same sense of friendship with people that you did when you were younger (especially if you moved around a lot as a young adult, and settled down later). This isolation can lead to depression, lonliness, and a lack of purpose. The important thing about being social is being part of a community in whatever way makes sense to you. Find your people, and hang with them. You might even hit a couple things on this list by incorporating social with something else, like fitness or giving back to the community.
I recently joined a local Search and Rescue group, and this hits all of the following for me:
be social
get outside
find your purpose
laugh
give back to your community
move your body
My group is diverse, and everyone brings something different to our monthly (and sometimes more often) training and gatherings. We’re learning new skills all the time (Bonus: many of them super valuable for preppers!), and it’s a great way to meet new people in and around your community. Search and Rescue isn’t for everyone, but I found it because I took stock of the things I love doing in my spare time: working out, being outside, hanging with people, helping people, navigating/orientation, first aid training, and looked for ways to incorporate those into my spare time activities.
Maybe you like crafting, investing, travelling, off-roading, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Scouts, dancing, yoga, photography, architecture, learning new languages, cooking new foods or AHEM prepping...HA. Find your people and get out there.
Meditate
You might look at this and laugh. But don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Create some new neurological connections, reduce stress, strengthen your immune system, and much more.
Start with a minute a day and work up from there. You would do well with 5 minutes a day. Some people have the time and ability for 30 minutes per day, but with two young kids, a business, a partner, aging parents, search and rescue, blah blah blah, I ain’t got time for 30 minutes. My goal is usually 3-5 minutes a day. The key here is……consistency. One again - find a time, find a spot, remove distractions, set a timer, and get to work. Just focus on your breath and try to chill. There are a hundred and one ways to meditate, and it might take a few tries to find the methods that work for you. I’m a fan of buddhist meditation. Do some reading, do some searching, learn a little, or just sit and breathe.
Get therapy
This is a big one, and not available to everyone.
If you can afford therapy, why not give it a shot. I haven’t found the right one for me, but I’ve heard great things from friends who have. If you can afford therapy, try it and report back (and skip the rest of this section because it’s a rant).
The cost of therapy is a huge barrier to the vast majority of people that would benefit from regular therapy. Sure places boast sliding scales, pro-bono sessions (to find the right therapist), or reduced cost therapy (with a student or recently graduated therapist/councellor), but everything I’ve found has been horseshit. I once applied for therapy at a place touted for it’s “accessible rates due to their use of a sliding scale”, and on our measley salaries (I had just used up all my maternity leave, and my partner was working hourly for a local company)…I got quoted $160/hour. Where the hell are people gonna find that. So, $250 a session is just not available to many people. And though I’m not commenting on the worth of therapy (because I do think it’s worth it), but it’s just SO HIGH. When you take into account that you need to shop around and find the therapist that works for you, and do regular sessions to get some long term benefits, randomly throwing $250 at people until you find the right one is a crap shoot. My monthly massages cost $95 for an hour. My physio is $120. Therapy is generally reserved for the rich. Change my mind.
Laugh
Find the things that make you belly laugh and do them more.
My family. Movies. My SAR team. Old school friends, and friends from my travels over the years. All of these things I’m adding more of in the coming years because they bring me total joy and make me (almost…ok maybe once or twice I’ve had to run to the bathroom) pee my pants laughing.
Get outside
Every single day. Go outside. Regardless of the weather. Unless you’re like super sick. Just get outside, get some vitamin D into your eyeballs, get some fresh air into your lungs and move a little. Even better if there are trees and nature around you. Even better if you’re barefoot. Some people really believe in “grounding” - google it. I love being barefoot outside (since I was a little trouble-maker), but modern society makes it hard in built up areas because of random garbage/sticky things everywhere. If you take off your shoes, just be safe.
Get off screens
As I sit and write this on a screen, I’m telling you that spending less time in front of a screen can only add to your life. Spend more time with people, hobbies, outside, moving, laughing, creating, helping, decluttering, organizing, prepping, learning, travelling, anything. You will be glad you did.
Find your purpose
This one can be super tough. Most people aren’t born with a singlulary focused sense of purpose that they follow through their adulthood. Maybe it changes throughout childhood and through adulthood. That’s cool. Just think of what makes your heart sing - that thing you can’t stop thinking about day in, day out. And go from there.
Give back to your community
This one was hard for me to figure out. I knew I wanted to volunteer, and I tried lots of different avenues to do this: beach clean-ups, coaching kids in sports, planting trees, trail race aid stations. They were all great, and made me feel good about helping out. But none of them really got me fired up, and I found the communities weren’t really the places where I felt at home. Finally, I found SAR, and I’ve been there for almost 6 months, training to be a full member. So far, it is exactly what I was looking for in a volunteer position: time outside, a diverse group of people, a common goal, constantly learning new skills, and a way to help others. One of the great things about Search and Rescue is that you’re learning all sort of skills that would help in an emergency situation, and have a group of people you can rely on around you.
The great thing about volunteering is you can just flit around and date different things to find the right fit for you. Food banks, kids sports leagues and activities (especially if you have kids yourself), environmental and humanitarian causes, hospitals, local trail systems; the opportunities are many - you just have to find the right fit. Depending on what kind of volunteering you do, it can tick a few boxes too. Like SAR for me. Trust me, when you find your thing, you’ll get way more out of it than you put in.
What else would you add to this list? Did I miss anything? Have a different opinion? I’d love to hear it! :)
