Today, I want to introduce into our challenge the topic of wellness and self-care as a daily practice. No doubt, the concept of wellness is not new to you; it is definitely one of those trendy words that sound good to the ear, but can be a bit ambiguous when you stop to consider it, pointedly. My understanding of wellness, or at least my idea of it, is that wellness encompasses overall health and wellbeing: mind/body/spirit. This means that fitness and nutrition is only a piece of wellness (albeit a large piece - but I have known physically healthy and fit people who were unwell of mind and spirit), and there are other aspects of my ‘self’ and life that require my attention.
For me, a daily morning routine is absolutely necessary for setting the trajectory of my thoughts and actions. However, a routine that is too structured or feels too rigid is not effective, and I usually end up abandoning it. So, I sat down and made a list of things that feed mental clarity and motivation, for me. I didn’t categorize them as “rules” or “to-do” tasks, but I associated them with the positive benefits they offered to me. It has taken me a good bit of time to figure out what works for me, lots of trial and error… And, I know that we all live varying lifestyles: parenthood, work schedules, etc., but remember that a wellness/self-care routine is about setting your day on a peaceful and productive path; ultimately, it is about you and what will aid your lifestyle, not further complicate it. Also, I have missed days of my wellness routine, sometimes several in a row, and I always feel the worse for it.
Here is what a typical morning looks like for me:
-Out of bed between 6:45-7am, walk the pup: 25-30min (he’s got a few pounds to lose LOL)
-Make my bed + tidy up + spray DIY essential oils mist everywhere...EVERY. WHERE.
-Quiet time of prayer, meditation, read a few scripture passages, 8am-ish: 30min
-Physical training with FB :D 8:40ish, 30-45min
-Post to FB forum/check-in with FB peeps
-Tackle the day!
My goal throughout the morning is to just keep moving down the list, but at a peaceful pace; I’m not rushing from one thing to the next. The time stamps I’ve offered here are not hard and fast rules. Depending on what my schedule is for the day (which is more lax as I’m not working right now), I adjust my morning time frame accordingly, BUT I do like being up early. I love the quiet and the groggy sleepiness of my neighborhood at that time. Not wanting to be rushed is a major reason I like to be up early (particularly when working or when at university) is that I don’t like being rushed. I want to be able to meander a bit, move fluidly from one wellness step to the next, *mindfully*. Although, I have had my share of frantic mornings! Also, a tidy bed and living space makes SUCH a huge difference in my mental clarity and motivation for the day.
NOTE: I do believe in God and maintain a lifestyle of faith, but obviously, you are to determine what wellness is for YOU - this is not a conversion attempt LOL.
I’ve pasted a link below to a video I found helpful. I don’t follow this YouTuber, I literally just found her video. But, out of all the videos I viewed, this one seemed simpler and less idealistic than others. Remember that mine and hers are mere templates to get you thinking about what fuels your mind and spirit.
I’d LOVE to hear what wellness steps you might like to incorporate into your mornings, what wellness routine you might already have established, or what wellness means to you, specifically.
DAY 10 Sugar Detox: Wellness + Self-care
Today, I want to introduce into our challenge the topic of wellness and self-care as a daily practice. No doubt, the concept of wellness is not new to you; it is definitely one of those trendy words that sound good to the ear, but can be a bit ambiguous when you stop to consider it, pointedly. My understanding of wellness, or at least my idea of it, is that wellness encompasses overall health and wellbeing: mind/body/spirit. This means that fitness and nutrition is only a piece of wellness (albeit a large piece - but I have known physically healthy and fit people who were unwell of mind and spirit), and there are other aspects of my ‘self’ and life that require my attention.
For me, a daily morning routine is absolutely necessary for setting the trajectory of my thoughts and actions. However, a routine that is too structured or feels too rigid is not effective, and I usually end up abandoning it. So, I sat down and made a list of things that feed mental clarity and motivation, for me. I didn’t categorize them as “rules” or “to-do” tasks, but I associated them with the positive benefits they offered to me. It has taken me a good bit of time to figure out what works for me, lots of trial and error… And, I know that we all live varying lifestyles: parenthood, work schedules, etc., but remember that a wellness/self-care routine is about setting your day on a peaceful and productive path; ultimately, it is about you and what will aid your lifestyle, not further complicate it. Also, I have missed days of my wellness routine, sometimes several in a row, and I always feel the worse for it.
Here is what a typical morning looks like for me:
-Out of bed between 6:45-7am, walk the pup: 25-30min (he’s got a few pounds to lose LOL)
-Make my bed + tidy up + spray DIY essential oils mist everywhere...EVERY. WHERE.
-Quiet time of prayer, meditation, read a few scripture passages, 8am-ish: 30min
-Physical training with FB :D 8:40ish, 30-45min
-Post to FB forum/check-in with FB peeps
-Tackle the day!
My goal throughout the morning is to just keep moving down the list, but at a peaceful pace; I’m not rushing from one thing to the next. The time stamps I’ve offered here are not hard and fast rules. Depending on what my schedule is for the day (which is more lax as I’m not working right now), I adjust my morning time frame accordingly, BUT I do like being up early. I love the quiet and the groggy sleepiness of my neighborhood at that time. Not wanting to be rushed is a major reason I like to be up early (particularly when working or when at university) is that I don’t like being rushed. I want to be able to meander a bit, move fluidly from one wellness step to the next, *mindfully*. Although, I have had my share of frantic mornings! Also, a tidy bed and living space makes SUCH a huge difference in my mental clarity and motivation for the day.
NOTE: I do believe in God and maintain a lifestyle of faith, but obviously, you are to determine what wellness is for YOU - this is not a conversion attempt LOL.
I’ve pasted a link below to a video I found helpful. I don’t follow this YouTuber, I literally just found her video. But, out of all the videos I viewed, this one seemed simpler and less idealistic than others. Remember that mine and hers are mere templates to get you thinking about what fuels your mind and spirit.
I’d LOVE to hear what wellness steps you might like to incorporate into your mornings, what wellness routine you might already have established, or what wellness means to you, specifically.
Enjoy!