The importance of Daily Rituals in Clearing Your Mind and Promoting Wellness
I have a lot going on… all the time. In 2016, after being an entrepreneur for 6 year I was struggling with immense burn out and loss of creativity. I felt uninterested in my work and just wanted everything to stop, but here is the thing, I honestly had not been taking care of my self for all those years, I was team NO SLEEP and it had caught up with me. I could not think clearly.
I was unable to finish my thoughts, I did not trust my own decisions because I knew they were not well thought out, I was completely slacking and it was affecting not all my well being but also my ability to grow my business. I knew I had to stop and so I did.
I made a decision to rethink my priorities and my first stop was figuring out how to get into each day with a clear mind for optimal productivity and how to go to bed with a clear mind for maximum rest. I created a morning and evening routine. I understood that if I want to live well, I had to create a set of rules that would help me honour my commitment to this new way of being.
Here is what I do every morning to clear my mind.
My morning routine
1. I do not wake up and check social media. This was a horrible habit that had me sucked into the vortex of scrolling for hours and hours. Limiting access to my social media makes me more intentional about what I share and the amount of time I spend on social media. So, the first thing I do when I wake is set a 30min timer for and start reading.
2. I brush my teeth
3. I come back to bed and open my meditation app, Calm and meditate for 20 minutes.
4. I walk over to the kitchen to make my ACV morning elixir.
5. I sit down at my dining table set my timer for 10 minutes and do a brain dump, I use an app called DAY ONE for journaling and brain dumps, I write everything that is on my mind.
6. I take a shower.
7. Make my coffee and make my way to my desk.
This is particularly my work from home routine and it has helped me set the tone for a productive day over the past year.
My evening routine
1. I normally leave my desk around 8pm – 9pm depending on the workload. Disclaimer, I take a lot more breaks in my work from home schedule and by this time I have already had supper because I do not eat after 8pm. When the workload is not hectic, I start making supper at 6pm and my day ends then.
2. I wash my face, my absolute favourite thing to do. It is so calming and everything smells and feels good. I literally look forward to washing my face.
3. I do my 10-minute evening yoga routine to stretch, especially after a long day at my desk.
4. I get into bed and read for 30 minutes
5. I open my meditation app CALM and listen to a sleep meditation. I sleep very well so I normally pass out in 15 – 20 minutes.
I cannot emphasise the importance of these small adjustments in my life. Insomnia was trending for many years, many years and now, it’s a complete rumour.