2020: The year the foundation on which many of us experience our lives has been shaken. We are dealing with new stresses, challenges, and realities. At times it has felt overwhelming or left us feeling stuck or down. There is already enough to worry about in life and now a global pandemic? No doubt it's here to remind us we never had control to begin with...not that knowing that makes it any easier. What a year, one for the history books indeed.
Through the chaos, how are you keeping your peace? How are you showing yourself love? Are you finding joy daily? Our daily practices and self love exercises have always been important, but in the era of Covid-19, it seems even more vital. By adding tools to our toolbox, we are better able to react to the world around us. When we are better able to find peace within we are setting ourselves up to better react to the chaos!
Here are 10 self love exercises to incorporate into your daily routine:
1. CREATE A MORNING ROUTINE
There is no better way to start the day than with a loving routine. The best part--you get to decide what that looks like! Maybe it's waking up, journaling, meditating, doing cleansing routines (oil pulling, tongue scraping, washing your face,etc), drinking water with lemon. Maybe it's waking up and allowing yourself time in bed, phone free the first hour of your day. Whatever you decide, just adding this small loving gesture to your morning is sure to start your day the right way.
2. JOURNALING
Set aside time to journal, it can be 5min or 30min, just as long as you do it! Journaling is a wonderful exercise to help us get more in touch with ourselves. Our subconscious often hides or masks ideas and feelings from us, and journaling can help us sort through those feelings and ideas. This practice helps us to clear our head from the day, process emotions, or work through situations. This is also an opportunity to check in with yourself and your mental health. Whether you do it first thing in the morning or just before bed, journal, journal, journal!
3. MEDITATION
Meditation is a great tool to have in your self care toolbox. It can be a great reset button, an opportunity to slow down, check in, and find some stillness. Through meditation we must be open to whatever experience comes, sometimes its peace, sometimes emotions, sometimes it makes us sleepy. Find the right meditation for you, maybe even combine your meditation with journaling.
4. MOVEMENT
Whether your go-to is yoga, weight lifting, running, or stretching, just get moving! We are spending more of our time at home, either being couch potatoes or at some sort of workstation sitting for hours working away. Your favorite gyms or studios are closed and working out at home is not always ideal, I get it. But movement is medicine! Get those kinks out. And remember, even just 5min a day can do wonders!
5. DIGITAL DETOX
With so much moving online, many of us are spending more and more of our time in front of screens. This can cause stiffness in the body and lead to headaches. Make sure to set time aside to digitally detox. Take a walk, play card or board games, paint. Just put the screens away!
6. TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY OF YOUR HEALTH
There is no better time than the present! Especially with flu season approaching fast and Covid-19 still out there, we must be even more on top of our health. Make sure to eat with the season, get your proper nutrients, and take supplements when needed. Food is medicine!
7. GET PROPER SLEEP
I know...crazy right? The proper amount of sleep, well rested sleep, can make all the difference in the world! Just as diet and exercise play a role in your health, so does proper sleep!
8. FIND A NEW HOBBY OR ENHANCE/GROW A SKILL YOU HAVE
We can choose to spend this time focused on the negativity around us, all that we are lacking, OR we can choose to find the silver lining, find some joy. This year has been less than ideal, but focus on finding a new hobby or enhancing and growing a skill you currently have. This is a time to be open to new ideas and the creativity that blossoms. Whether you find you are great at painting, can actually dance, or build a business you never dreamed you could, DO THE THING. Find your joy!
9. PRACTICE COMPASSION FOR YOURSELF
This year has been so full. We have often been left speechless between stories of the virus, jobs lost, racism, the list goes on. At times we may feel hopeless or purposeless. But just as we would any of our friends or family that come to us, we must learn to be compassionate with ourselves as we navigate this new normal.
10. PRACTICE LETTING GO
If there is one thing we have learned this year, it's letting go. Letting go of control, of what we thought our life would be this year, of certain outcomes, of trips, of events, of so much! Letting go may come easy to you or may be painful. Either way, take time to embrace and enjoy the process of letting go!
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