Most of us if not all, have been affected somehow by the unprecedented pandemic.
From job losses, limited restrictions on where you can go, and now doing our best to avoid a second wave, we can often feel overwhelmed and helpless.
I'd love to share with you 10 daily habits you can do to feel your best everyday.
1.GO TO BED 15MINS EARLY
We all know a good night's sleep is essential.
However, it's easy to fall into the trap of binge watching your favourite show or consuming heaps amounts of content on instagram that you lose track of time.
Going to bed early gives your body time to rest and repair. It also strengthens your immune system and makes you feel energised when you wake up.
I'm not a morning person, but lately I've been committing to waking at 6am.
It was a struggle but as each day past, waking up early became bearable. This also meant I had to make adjustments to my night time routine.
If you struggle to go to bed early, make the conscious effort to set an alarm 15mins earlier than your normal sleeping time. This will make it easier to increase it to another 15 after a week, then a month after.
You'll then realise you're able to sleep a good 7-8hrs of sleep and give your body the rest it needs.
2. WRITE DOWN A TO DO LIST
I was not one to be fond of to do lists in my early twenties, mainly because it felt like a chore having to think about what my day would look like.
Now finding that to-do lists actually create and bring structure to your day. It allows you to see what should be prioritised first before anything else.
Pick up an old dusty notebook and just writing down some of things you'd like to do in your day.
Make it simple and clear, don't over think it.
3. CREATE A SELF-CARE ROUTINE
Having a self-care routine is not just for girls but applies to both genders.
We all need time to take a break from the pressures of life and sometimes pushing to build our ambitions, and just relax.
A self-care routine doesn't have to be a spa day (although if you can, that's amazing).
It could be as simple as sitting in your local park with a friend, having a mini dance party in your living room, taking a long bath (for all my bath bomb friends) or deleting social media for a few days to refocus.
4. WRITE DOWN WEEKLY GOALS
Setting personal goals increase the chance of you actually doing them.
It breaks down your aspirational goal into small chunks. for instance, if your goal is to run a half marathon in 6 months, your weekly goal would include doing small runs 3 times a week.
You can also use the CARE method by O'Brien;
Connect your goal to your main
Have someone or something to keep you accountable
Make it Realistic
Have the Energy and time to pursue those goals
5. READ A BOOK
We all know we should read more. Reading books have significant benefits on our cognitive function.
When lockdown hit, I was a bit anxious on how I'd fill up my time knowing I couldn't visit friends or extended family.
As the days went on, I would pick up books from a dusty drawer that caught my eye.
Most of them from global christian authors and productivity gurus. I also downloaded Kindle and Audible to make it easier for me to read or listen to a book.
A post published by the BBC revealed that reading can increase emotional intelligence and also aid in overall health and wellbeing.
You can start by picking up a book from your choice. of genre and read 10 mins a day.
You'll grow and improve your grammar and reading speed ( which is always useful when you're reading with a friend.)
6. EXPRESS GRATITUDE
I’ve mentioned this before in my post (shift your focus).
Expressing gratitude helps with your mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. It can increase mental strength and allows you to see life from a different perspective.
Simple ways to expressing gratitude can include writing down 7 things you are thankful for in the morning. It might be difficult to start so try 3 things and build it after each day.
Related article; https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude
7. TRY A NEW EXERCISE REGIME
Although most gyms are now open, it’s important to keep active and avoiding your body from falling into plateau.
If you’re anything like me, you get bored easily doing the same workout every single day.
It’s important to vary your workouts as it keeps you physically challenged, and you end up enjoying your workouts even more.
Varying exercises also give overused muscles a chance to rest and recover, while you focus on one section of the body.
You can easily spice up your exercise regime during the week by incorporating body stretches i.e yoga, HIIT (High intensive interval training), cardio and weight training to improve.
8. ADD FRUITS & VEGETABLES TO YOUR MEAL
Yes, we all know that eating more vegetables keeps the doctor away.
However, it’s difficult to implement these in your daily diet and you can find yourself consuming more carbs, meat and compensate juice as your daily veggie intake.
Fruits & Vegetables are great because they are nutrient dense and also pack in a lot of nutrients and vitamins.
Studies show that coloured fruits and vegetables are particularly beneficial for fighting against cancer cells, improving memory function and also protecting our eyes.
This article also has wonderful recommendations of how you can add more fruit and veg in your diet, so do check it out.
9. SIT AT THE TABLE
It can be so easy to pick up your plate from the dinner table and go to your room or sit in front of your TV.
I have learnt so much by just sitting at the table with family or friends.
Young and old you get to hear people’s ambitions and visions for the next 5 years.
You learn the importance to laugh together, which overall improves our mental wellness and strengthen family bonds.
Learning to eat with others at the table has been found to help reduce depression, boost your mood and allow you to be more trusting of others.
10. SET TIME LIMITS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
This is something I’ve been experimenting with the past few weeks.
I was stunned to see that in a day, I had viewed YouTube for 2hrs and Instagram for more than an 1hr. That’s almost 4hrs of scrolling and watching other people’s lives!
Anyway…
I know for most of us, this could either be a get away from boredom or just not realising what we want to do next.
Your routine after work could easily involve opening up social media on default because you have not set a goal in mind of what you’d like to achieve.
Setting time limits will make you aware of how you’re using your time. It also allows you to focus on something else that could eventually bring peace and reduce anxiety.
If you have any daily habits that you’ve been doing in quarantine, I’d love to hear them.
Love, Annette
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