We know how important it is to take care of our bodies and our health. We go to the doctor annually, we go when we are sick, and we make sure to schedule that dentist appointment every 6 months, but what are things we can do daily to take care of ourselves?
I selected the top 5 daily self-care practices that can be done at home before you even hit the shower.
#1 HYDRATE!! It is essential to drink at least 8 ounces of water upon waking. This gets the system going, so you can poop in the morning. If you are having difficulty going to the bathroom in the morning, drink more water. I like to drink my water warm with chia seeds for added hydration, protein, fiber, and omega-3s. There are tons of benefits to adding chia seeds to your life!
#2 MEDITATE/PRAY Whatever your belief system, it is important to get grounded in the AM. It's a nice relaxing way to get your head straight and ready to greet the day. Set aside 5 to 10 minutes to meditate or pray, you may even use a mantra during meditation. You can even do this before getting out of bed. Have your water by your nightstand and have your headphones ready, if you use a meditation app. I personally love the Insight Timer. It has tons of different meditations, sounds, and talks. Or you can just use the timer. You have lots of choices.
#3 SET AN INTENTION OR AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY Setting intentions are like setting mini-goals to get you to your bigger goals, they are the milestones we make for ourselves on a spiritual journey. When I was a special education teacher, I would have my students write down a sankalpa or intention, each week on something they were working on like, "I will be nice to my desk partner." Setting intentions help when you are trying to change behavior. Let's say you get frustrated in traffic, so your intention can be something like, "My intention is to drive joyfully to work." Over time you may find yourself not getting irritated when you're sitting in horrendous traffic. Trust me, it works! Now, I just blast the music and have a dance party in the car. Perhaps you have an affirmation you practice on a daily basis such as, "I am safe." I love daily affirmations, so I subscribe to Gabby Bernstein's Spirit Junkies app and I use her Miracles Now Affirmation cards.
#4 EXERCISE I love, love, love exercising in the morning. I now have the luxury of working out in the morning everyday. I used to find almost every excuse to not exercise after work. I was too tired, I had an IEP, my bosses suck, whatever. I realized that making excuses to not exercise was robbing me of my own health. Taking care of your body IS self-care. Our bodies are not meant to sit for hours at a time behind a desk or in the car.
Even if you only have a short amount of time in the morning, do it. Set the alarm for 15 minutes earlier and you can get a blood-pumping high-intensity interval training session done. I have two apps I use for workouts. I use the "7 Minute Workout" and the Tone It Up app. Fast, fun workouts that can be done on limited time.
#5 EAT BREAKFAST Another very important self-care routine; eating breakfast. Get something in your belly before you start your day. Your body needs fuel to function. Your car wouldn't go very far without any gas, your body is no different. I like to eat something with protein, so I usually have a gluten-free waffle with peanut butter and some kind of berry jam or rolled oats with nuts, granola, and almond milk. Make sure that you're not just drinking coffee for breakfast. Coffee does not equal food. Remember your body hasn't had any food for at least 8 hours or more. Do yourself a favor and grab something for your tummy. It's self-care!!
Hope you find these daily self-care routines easy to incorporate into your morning.
Until next time Beauties,
KC
