How to Prioritize Your Health When You Feel Like You Don’t Have Time
I think I’ve mentioned that I follow a trainer and business owner named Ryan Fischer on Instagram, @ryanfisch. He does a lot of motivational posts, but his delivery is sometimes more on the “tough love” side of things.
However, a lot of what he says really resonates with me. And since we’re talking about mindset today, I wanted to share something he wrote recently about finding time for your health and fitness.
His point, essentially, was this: You don’t find time for your health.
You allocate it.
He says, essentially;
Nobody accidentally wakes up with a great physique, more energy, better confidence, lower body fat, better labs, and more discipline. They made room for those things.
The same way we make room for relationships, Netflix, business, scrolling, going out, drinking, watching sports, and all the other things we have decided matter enough to fit into our lives.
And that’s the uncomfortable truth.
If something genuinely matters to you, your schedule starts bending around it.
Ryan goes on to point out that there is probably somebody building better health than you right now with less money, less support, more stress, more kids, longer work hours, and more odds stacked against them.
Same 24 hours.
His conclusion?
Your schedule isn't necessarily exposing your lack of time. It may be exposing your current priorities.
And the good news is that priorities can change immediately.
Stop trying to “find time” for your health
Now, I’m on the tougher side of the tough-love spectrum when it comes to real talk about health and life, but Ryan Fischer is WAY tougher than me.
Yet this really resonates with me because I cannot argue with it.
In a separate podcast interview, I saw someone talk about how they know whether someone is going to be successful with their training.
He said he knows someone will be successful with their training, whether it’s weightlifting, Muay Thai, or horseback riding, when he sees that person move their training time into the non-negotiable side of the ledger.
Think about all the things you already treat this way. You may not want to run across town to pick your kid up from school, but you do it anyway. You may not want to pay your taxes, but you do it anyway. You may REALLY not want to go to work on a particular Monday morning, but you do it anyway.
There are certain things in our lives that aren’t dependent on whether we feel motivated to do them that day.
That’s where training has to eventually sit in the schedule of someone who is going to be successful at improving their health.
Make healthy habits the goal
What I have found most helpful in making sure that I am meeting my health goals for the week is scheduling those things first.
I know I need to eat 15 meals across the Monday-Friday spectrum. I need to lift weights twice during that period. I need to walk 10,000 steps a day. And I need to be in bed by 10. Those are my mostly non-negotiables.
So I figure out when those things need to happen and then I backfill the rest of my day.
And I think this distinction is REALLY important when you’re trying to figure out how to prioritize your health.
Don’t start with the outcome. Start with the behaviors that could produce the outcome.
Instead of saying: “I want to lose 10 pounds.” Figure out what lifestyle changes you actually want to make.
Maybe you want to:
Walk 8,000 steps a day
Get eight hours of sleep each night
Lift weights once or twice a week
Go to Pilates once a week
Eat more protein and whole foods
Those are things you can actually put on a calendar.
“I want to lose 10 pounds” cannot go on your calendar at 8:30 Tuesday morning.
“Go to Pilates” can. (Though if you want to lose 10 lbs you should prioritize weights over pilates, but you get the gist… )
And setting your goals around the lifestyle pieces may ultimately be far more useful than obsessing over what you want the scale to say.
Be realistic about the season of life you’re in
Now, I’m a business owner and control my own schedule, and I’ve been doing this a long time.
So I’m not saying you wake up tomorrow and suddenly carve an extra hour out of a schedule that is already bursting at the seams.
I also don’t have kids, and the GARGANTUAN schedule demands that those little beasties seem to come with.
Your schedule may truly be difficult. But difficult is different from impossible. And there may be more flexibility hiding in your schedule than you think.
The first step is deciding what your actual health priorities are. Maybe this fall you want to get your steps up to 8K a day. You want eight hours of sleep. You’d like to lift once a week and go to Pilates once a week.
Great. Those are your goals. Not “lose 10 pounds.” NO! You don’t want that to be the goal. And setting your goal that way won’t necessarily get you there anyway.
Make the lifestyle pieces your goal.
Put your health on the calendar first
Once you know your priorities, look at your schedule. Be ruthless.
For everyone with an office job, you CAN train the office around your schedule, if you are not doing so already. A lot of damn crafty women out there have already figured this out. Maybe there are meetings that don’t actually need to happen at 8 a.m. Maybe you don’t need to answer emails the second they arrive. Maybe there is a lunch break you could actually TAKE instead of eating at your desk while answering Slack messages.
And maybe some of the things filling your calendar don’t need to be there at all. Are you in some book club on Wednesday night but no one reads the book and people mostly just come to drink wine? Not your jam? Drop it! Go to the damn gym and press some weights overhead. You’ll feel better.
Your health deserves a place among your family priorities
And then there are family schedules.
Does Jill Jr. (great name, by the way) NEED to have both parents at every single soccer practice this summer? Or does she need to have parents without sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and diabetes when they’re 80?
Thus, get yo’self to the gym and do some leg presses.
I’ve told you before about my genius CrossFit couple who alternate days and mornings with the kids. One goes to the gym and works out while the other gets everyone off to school. Then they switch. They get up early, but damn if it doesn’t work.
Making your health a priority doesn’t necessarily mean finding enormous, untouched chunks of free time.
Sometimes it means negotiating. It may mean asking your partner to go into the office 20 minutes later. This is worth the ask.
It may mean alternating mornings so each of you gets time to exercise. Also worth the ask.
It may mean spending a couple hundred bucks to put real weights in your basement because getting to the gym simply isn’t realistic right now. This is also worth it.
Your work schedule may have more flexibility than you think
Work deserves the same scrutiny.
Do you need to be available at 7:30 every morning for Fred the CEO to start sending you his morning musings? Or could it all wait until 9?
I think we know the answer....
One of the biggest mindset shifts you can make when trying to prioritize your health is to stop treating your health as the thing that gets whatever time is left over.
Because guess what? There is NEVER time left over. There will always be another email. Another load of laundry. Another meeting. Another soccer practice. Another thing you could volunteer for. Another episode. Another notification. Another person who would happily take 30 minutes of your day if you offered it to them.
If exercise, sleep, nutrition and movement are always sitting at the bottom of the list, waiting for everything else to be finished first, they’re going to be waiting for a very long time.
Decide what is actually non-negotiable
This doesn’t mean that every health habit needs to become completely non-negotiable tomorrow.
Start with one.
Maybe you decide you are going to strength train every Tuesday morning. Period.
Then you build around that. Maybe you decide you are going to be in bed by 10:30 Sunday through Thursday.
Then you build around that. Maybe you decide you are going to walk for 20 minutes at lunch every workday.
Then you build around that. Once a healthy habit becomes part of the non-negotiable side of the ledger, you no longer have to wake up every morning and negotiate with yourself about whether you’re going to do it.
It’s simply what you do.
And over time, you can add another. Then another.
This is how prioritizing your health becomes less about motivation and more about the structure of your life.
Look at where your resources are actually going
At the end of the day, this isn't only about time.
It’s about time allocation. Priority allocation. Financial allocation.
Maybe putting your health first means spending money on a gym membership. Maybe it means buying weights for your basement. Maybe it means paying for a Pilates class because you actually LIKE Pilates and therefore will consistently show up. Maybe it means spending less money on something else so you can put resources toward the things that make being healthy easier.
None of this requires a perfect schedule. And it definitely doesn’t require becoming a completely different person overnight. It requires deciding what matters to you and then gradually making your calendar reflect that decision.
Your schedule is going to be filled either way.
The questions are: Where are you putting your time, energy and resources? And does your calendar reflect the life and health you say you want?
The point isn't to have the perfect schedule. It's to build a schedule that reflects your priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prioritize my health when I have no time?
Start by choosing one or two specific health behaviors rather than trying to overhaul your entire life. Look at your existing schedule and decide exactly when those behaviors will happen, then treat that time the same way you would another important appointment.
How can I make exercise non-negotiable?
Schedule exercise at a specific time instead of waiting until you feel motivated or have free time. Starting with one consistent workout each week can help exercise gradually become a normal part of your schedule rather than something you have to continually decide to do.
What are realistic health goals to set?
Focus on behaviors you can control, such as walking 8,000 steps per day, strength training twice a week, sleeping eight hours per night or preparing healthy meals. These lifestyle goals are more actionable than focusing exclusively on an outcome like losing a certain number of pounds.
How do busy parents find time to exercise?
Look for opportunities to divide responsibilities, alternate workout days with a partner, exercise at home or shorten workouts rather than eliminating them completely. The goal isn't necessarily finding an extra hour every day, it may simply be protecting 20 or 30 minutes a few times each week.
Why is scheduling exercise important?
Putting exercise on your calendar gives it a defined place in your day instead of leaving it for whatever time remains. When health habits are scheduled first, other tasks can be arranged around them rather than consistently pushing them aside.
Should health and fitness always come first?
Life has seasons when work, children, family emergencies and other responsibilities legitimately require more attention. Prioritizing your health doesn't mean ignoring those responsibilities, it means making sure your own long-term health has a meaningful place among them instead of automatically coming last.
We plan ahead to optimize outcomes—weddings, vacations, and job interviews. Why wouldn’t we plan to optimize our health before pregnancy? Don’t wait until you’re nauseous and exhausted to realize you need a strategy to eat better, sleep more, and stress less. Pregnancy can be an immense drain on the body, especially one that begins the journey stressed, undernourished, underslept, and exposed to a high level of environmental toxins.
Fertility Foundations is about controlling what we can control. Together, we’ll reduce lifestyle factors that may hold you back from feeling your best and do the work in advance so your body is prepared, resilient, and supported when pregnancy occurs.
This program is ideal for anyone on a fertility journey and is most effective if we have at least 3–6 months before you’d like conception to occur—but it’s also a powerful starting point if you’re earlier in the planning phase. Every change we make together supports your health, the health of your partner, and the health of your future child (and any children already in your home).
I’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll identify the supports you need, tailor our calls to your priorities and unique situation, and adjust as life or plans shift. Entering pregnancy with a nourished, rested, and less inflamed body can make a meaningful difference in how you feel during pregnancy itself.
This program is not testing-dependent, though functional medicine testing can be added at standard rates if we decide it would be helpful. Testing is not included in the baseline program cost.
Program Details
Length
3.5 months
Meetings & Ongoing Support
Initial Setup Call:
One 60-minute onboarding sessionOngoing Calls:
Two calls per month for the first three months (45–60 minutes each)
One final call in month four (45–60 minutes)
Total Calls: 8
Email Support:
Weekly email support, as needed, for questions and ongoing guidance
Areas of Focus
We’ll focus on preparing your body—and your home—for pregnancy by improving nutrition and lifestyle factors that support fertility and a healthy conception or implantation. Topics may include:
Nutrition, optimized for fertility
Exercise
Stress management
Sleep
Environmental toxins
Supplements
Cycle regulation, if needed
Investment
$1,7000
Some of us may have a new friend in our lives. She’s… unpredictable. A bit chaotic. It doesn’t seem like she’s leaving anytime soon, and we need to figure out how to deal with her.
Meet Peri.
All jokes aside, perimenopause is often described as a time of hormonal chaos—and for many women, that’s exactly what it feels like. In today’s world of full-time jobs, aging parents, kids, school schedules, activities, and running a household, feeling “off” can sneak up on you. Perimenopause can begin 10 or more years before menopause, which is wildly inconvenient, considering these are often the years when women have the least amount of time to stop and figure out what the h*ll is going on.
Let me help.
Spend a little time with me each month, and together we’ll make sense of what’s happening in your body, reduce the overwhelm, and create a plan that actually fits your life.
If you’re in your 30s and suspect you’re just entering perimenopause, we’ll troubleshoot current symptoms, make sure the foundational lifestyle pieces are in place, and prepare you for what’s coming. If you’re in your 40s or 50s and right in the thick of it, we’ll evaluate what’s going on now, troubleshoot symptoms, refer out when appropriate, and focus on the strategies you need right now to feel better.
Areas of Focus
Our work together may include:
Understanding your current symptoms
Understanding the hormonal shifts occurring
Knowing what’s happening now and how things may change over time
Optimizing nutrition
Appropriate and effective exercise for this stage of life
Sleep hygiene
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) education and discussion
Stress management strategies
How to minimize toxins
How to optimize supplements
This program is not testing-dependent. Functional Medicine testing can be added at standard rates if we decide it would be helpful. Testing is not included in the baseline program cost.
Program Details
Duration
3 months
Meetings & Support
Introductory Call:
One 60-minute onboarding sessionOngoing Calls:
Two calls per month for three months (45–60 minutes each)
Total Calls: 7
Email Support:
Weekly email support, as needed, for questions and ongoing guidance
Investment
$1,525
Would you rather do this with a friend? Check out the Add a Friend program instead!
This is the same Very Peri program—just designed for two people instead of one.
Do you have a friend who’s at the same stage of life? Move through the Very Peri coaching experience together and share the journey. You’ll receive the same education, guidance, and support as the one-person program, with the added benefit of a built-in accountability partner who truly gets it.
The topics, framework, and core content are exactly the same as the individual Very Peri program. The difference is that this option is structured to support two participants at once, with individual onboarding and expanded communication support for both people.
You’ll move through the same discussions, education, and practical guidance—together—while still receiving individualized support within the shared sessions.
How the Two-Person Program Works
Both participants attend all coaching calls together
You must be available at the same time (you may join from separate locations)
Coaching is tailored to each individual within the shared sessions
You’ll gain insight into your own perimenopause experience and learn through your friend’s perspective
What We’ll Cover
(Same as the One-Person Very Peri Program)
Understanding current symptoms
Understanding the hormonal process occurring
What’s happening now—and how things may change going forward
Optimizing nutrition
Appropriate and effective exercise for this stage of life
Sleep hygiene
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) education and discussion
Stress management strategies
How to minimize toxins
How to optimize supplements
This program is not testing-dependent. Functional Medicine testing can be added at standard rates if we decide it would be helpful. Testing is not included in the base program cost.
Program Details
Duration
3 months
Meetings & Support
Introductory Calls:
Two 60-minute onboarding sessions (one per participant)Ongoing Calls:
Two shared calls per month for three months (45–60 minutes each)
Total Calls: 8
Email Support:
Up to two emails per week, as needed, for questions and ongoing support
(Emails may be submitted jointly or individually)
Investment
$2,000 total
($1,000 per person)