Prayer / Meditate
I hate feeling rushed in the morning! I generally feel I have a much more productive day if I am able to have a slower start to my morning.
Goal: Create a morning routine that includes 5 - 15 minutes of mindfulness to get myself ready for the day and set intentions.
How: Just sitting quietly sipping my coffee and not reaching for my phone to mindlessly scroll as soon as I get up will be a good start. Spending a few minutes to do my morning 5 Minute Journal entry is also a good start.
I have also found a lovely FREE App called Mindfulness: Guided Meditation for Stress & Anxiety. It's simple and easy to use. They have guided meditations that range from 3 minutes to 38 minutes. They also have lovely music for sleep and relaxation which I often fall asleep to in the evenings when I'm feeling restless.
There are quite a few apps available so I would recommend you try a few and find the one you like best.
** If you do please comment the name below so that we can share recommendations **
Wake up Earlier
I have been a night owl my whole life, however on the odd occasion I have a reason to get up super early I always appreciate it.
There is a stillness and calmness to the early morning that is somehow magical.
I generally have never had a problem falling asleep anywhere and everywhere - LOL - but I do find my mind is often very active in the evenings when I go to bed. Especially if I'm feeling anxious or creatively inspired.
Goal: Start waking up a bit earlier so that I can implement my morning meditation / prayer and have time to do all I need / want to do in the day so that I can hopefully get to bed with a clear mind and have a restful nights sleep.
Journal
I have always loved the idea of journaling. If I were to count the number of beautiful notebooks / journals I have bought over the years with the intention of journaling.. man oh man.. I just can't seem to follow though with it for some reason!
Goal: Spend just a few minutes a day writing down some thoughts. Even if it's not every day. That's OK too. My aim is to have my journal close by so that I can reach for it when I have thoughts I want to write down or dump as some people call it.
How: Find a pretty journal - prompted or plain and some pretty pens and have fun with it. It doesn't have to be complicated.
Drink more water
We know how important it is to drink enough water and how beneficial it is to stay hydrated.. So why is it so flippen difficult!?
Goal: Consistently drink 2 litres of water a day
How: Use a 500ml refillable water bottle that I love and making a tick list somewhere so that I make sure to drink 4 of them daily.
Some fitness apps like Fitbit also have a section where you can track this to make it easier.
I find that if I add a couple of drops of my DōTERRA Lemon essential oil it's much easier to drink!
Daily Yoga
I feel that I sleep much better if I have spent some time on my mat. Even if it's just a few minutes of stretching. I also feel that I have less tension in my shoulders and my posture improves when I do this regularly.
Goal: Aim to do a daily practice. Either follow an online flow / routine, join a class at gym or spend some time stretching while watching Netflix in the evenings.
How: I signed up for the Asana Rebel app. It does cost about R550 a year, but I have the flexibility do the practices at home or at gym any time I want. I felt amazing results when I did it consistently, so I can recommend considering this should you wish to start a yoga practice. Please just be careful to not hurt yourself if you've never done yoga before. Listen to your body and modify, rest or move on if you are not sure of a move or feel any pain.
There are of course also free options on YouTube. If you need some suggestions let me know and I'll share some I've found.