Yesterday morning on my IG stories I spoke about how I read my Bible and take the time to workout each morning to be the best version of myself possible: the best mum, the best wife and the best friend that I can be. Another thing I mentioned is I love really romanticising my life - from my morning coffee to my night time routine, I like to do little things like having a nice coffee glass in the morning. It helps me to be grateful for everything - even the little things. With that, let's get into my first point:
+ Start romanticising your daily practices, habits and routines.
I love waking up, putting on my fluffy slippers and robe and then heading to the bathroom to wash my face, ice roll my face and put on serum. After that, I head to the kitchen and make a coffee in my favourite glass before sitting down to read, pray and journal. The whole process takes 5 minutes, but it sets my morning up to feel special and elevated. Obviously if Luca wakes before I do, it's straight into his routine and I move onto my routine after.
+ Find a morning routine that actually works for you.
Speaking of morning routines, find one that works for you! Don't put pressure on yourself to have a "perfect" morning routine, but do allow yourself time in the morning to do some things that fill your cup so you can pour into others throughout the day. I really love having a slow and intentional start to my morning and find waking up early allows me to do that.
+ Gratitude and being mindful.
I start my morning with thankfulness, prayer, reading the Bible and doing some journalling. It's so important to recognise the blessings that we have. The fact that you can read this sentence is a huge blessing. You hear it all the time "write 3 things you are grateful for" but this is because it truly does set yourself up to be grateful! Without getting too science-y/psychology on you, we can rewire our brain's neural pathways based on what we think/practice often. So practising gratitude actually does change the way we view the world, as cliche as it is.
+ Do a social media check.
Look at who you follow and who follows you. Don't be afraid to unfollow, restrict or - do I be bold enough to say - block people. Years ago I decided to unfollow every profile that made me feel unhappy. Now, I choose to follow people who inspire me or educate me. As well as who you follow, you have the right to block people who bully you. I know some people think it's immature, but think about it: your profile is your space. If someone came into your home, put mud everywhere and trashed your house, would you still want them in your home? No. This is your space, but some people think it's okay to come in and talk negatively or bully you. Social media is a crazy world, and people think it's okay to say horrible things that would be super weird if someone came up and said that to you in real life lols. Anyway, you get me. Protect your space.
+ Be generous.
It can be as simple as buying someone their morning coffee. Don't have the financial means to do that? Be generous with your time. We can all be more generous with others. It's such an honour to be able to give to people and you never know how much someone could be needing some help.
+ Take one day a week of social media.
I love this practise so much, I am thinking of doing two days a week off social media. I speak about it frequently because I believe everyone needs to experience at least one day a week away from all social media. Trust me, once you do it, you will know why I talk about it so often.
+ No screens in the morning until you have done your non-negotiable practices.
Another big one. I won't check social media or emails (or anything work related) until I have done my non negotiable things: prayer/Bible/journal, slowly enjoying my morning coffee, playing with Luca and movement - whether that's going to the gym or going on a walk.
+ Daily movement.
Speaking of movement, this is something I do every single day. Yes, I go to the gym 4-5 x per week and lift weights. However, on my rest days, I still walk with Luca in the pram. Sometimes for 10 minutes, sometimes an hour. I love putting a podcast on, calling friends and family and soaking up nature and fresh air. Movement makes me so happy!
+ Write a list of all the '5 min tasks' you've been putting off and start ticking them off.
We all have those things that would literally take 5 minutes to do but we put them off for days and weeks. Brain dump every task you need to (call that person, pay that bill, send that email, clean that drawer, organise that space) and then set a half hour timer on your phone and see how much you get done. When was the last time you cleaned out your wardrobe?
What are some habits and practices you want to start? Put pen to paper and really write out what simple practices you can start implementing to really be appreciate all things in life: from the small things to the big things.