Get The Routine of Your Dreams!
Ah yes, 2020, the year we all got laser focused and organized. Oh, was that not your experience? Mine either. From talking with friends, family and clients, I get the feeling that we’re all a little discombobulated as our regular routines have been disrupted.
Really though, how good was your routine before this year? Whether you had some room for improvement or was a well oiled machine, here are some tips that can help you realign your routine going into next year and beyond.
Start The Night Before
Make Time To Meditate
Move Your Body
Feed Your Body
Affirm Your Accomplishments
Start The Night Before
It may seem impossible to set a schedule for the next day when you can’t know exactly what's going to happen, but there’s a lot more in your control than you might expect. Writing everything out can help get these busy thoughts out of your head and makes planning less overwhelming. Getting everything out of your brain and onto paper can also help you sleep as you will worry less about that random to-do you forgot about waking you up in the middle of the night.
First, write down what you know for sure, like meetings or appointments.
Then, write out your day with the top 3 things you have to get done.
Follow that up with a list of things you’d like to get done.
This will help you see the priorities in your day. There are probably things on that list you didn’t realize were stressing you out, or there may be things you realize aren’t as important and can be moved down the list.
In the morning, revisit your list. With the clarity of sleep and a clear mind, you may even surprise yourself by being less busy than you thought.
Oh and as you’re going over your list and scheduling your day, make sure you’re setting aside time to reset as you move from your different tasks, even if it’s just for a 5 minute meditation.
Speaking of…
Make Time to Meditate
This may not seem a necessity but especially now working from home or being constantly bombarded with news headlines, our brains are cluttered. Meditating can help us recenter and reset. It’s an emotional time to say the least, when we get that reset we can more clearly see what our thoughts are, how they affect how we feel and how we can better live with them.
Even a few minutes of clarity can cause our actions to be more positive and increase our compassion towards others. It doesn’t have to be a big production either, there are plenty of apps now that can help you through meditation or just provide peaceful background noise if that’s what you need. My favorite resource is Insight Timer. It has TONS of free things to listen to and you can literally search by amount of time you have. 2 minutes? No problem! It's about the quality of the meditation, not the quantity. I’ve been using the app Insight Timer but there are many others like Calm and Headspace that also do the trick.
Move Your Body
As a Massage Therapist, I wouldn’t be doing my job if this wasn’t on the list. Work-life has crept a little closer to home these days, so while you may be working from your office desk, your dining room table or...your couch (the horror), constant sitting is not the best for your posture or mental health.
Taking just a few minutes to get up, move and stretch can combat long lasting effects of these behaviors. Need some guidance? How about a video?
Feed Your Body
Skipping breakfast may not be the timesaver you think. More often than not, skipping breakfast can trigger unhealthy snacking or overeating later on.
When I wake up, I have a shot of greens with a probiotic and collagen boost. That's a non negotiable. Since my day is usually packed, breakfast usually consists of a protein shake so I know I'm getting my vitamins and nutrients.
Taking time to prep healthy snacks for the day is also vital so I don't grab a tub of hummus with pita chips and call that lunch. Eating late in the evening can disrupt your circadian rhythm while you sleep, so try to have a hearty lunch and go lighter on dinner. A well balanced lunch might include a good amount of protein, fiber and healthy fats to help you feel full and energized.
And never forget your greens!
All the greens!
On the weekend, try prepping a bunch of hearty ingredients, like peppers, celery, and carrots that you can chop up and portion out fixings like nuts and seeds so they’re ready to swap in and out salads so you can just grab and go during the week.
Affirm Your Accomplishments
It’s easy to get down about how things have gone this year and how the pandemic has managed to set us back. We all definitely have our share of stories. While you may feel like you have an even longer way to go to accomplish your goals, don’t forget about everything you’ve accomplished so far. Think about what you’ve managed to accomplish just today, this week, this month, this year, or last year!!
Did you manage to not go back to bed this morning?
Did you make it to the grocery store like you planned this week?
Did you learn a new skill, take up a new hobby this month?
Did you level up your business last year?
Did you make a scary decision this year?
Congratulations! You’ve done so much more than you realized.
Take time to celebrate yourself and make reflecting on your achievements part of your routine. The definition of affirmation is emotional support or encouragement. When you take time to AFFIRM your actions, you are offering yourself encouragement and support and we could surely all use a bit of that, So whatever you do, don’t skip this one!
When you take a breath and look back it can be easier to keep the momentum to move forward and stick to a routine that can help you get to where you want to go in the New Year.
We can do it!
Need a boost as you get into your routine?
A massage can help you clear your head and focus on your priorities.
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