Daily Habits

In my last blog I wrote about the importance of having daily habits and routines. And although discipline and consistency are absolutely key in creating the life that you want in life, the number one thing is to have habits and routines in place that can help you get there.

Having no judgment on your journey and having a base to always 'come back to' whenever you find yourself going through a bad patch is really important, and it doesn't matter if you've never stuck with habits and routines in the past - just start with identifying what that means to you.

What could you be doing, every day, even if just for 5 minutes, that could over time improve the quality of your life?

Is there something physical that you could be working on, setting yourself daily step challenges or push up/squat/burpee challenges?

Is it financial, so you need to have a mindful review of your earnings and your outgoings to get a clearer understanding of the steps you need to take to become more financially independent?

Is it perhaps mental or spiritual, so possibly spending a bit more time in meditation - in whatever form that needs to be to work for you?

Are there problems at home, arguments with a partner or children going through a hard time and taking out at other people in the house, so you need to sit down with them and try to open up avenues of communication that are beneficial to all involved?

I'll go through and discuss some of the ways I try to ensure that I can be the best person I can be, and whilst I aim to do these every day, I am far from perfect and there are many days that I don't. What I do have though, is the knowledge that no matter what happens, no matter how low I go, I can always come back, I can come back to this place of calm serenity, accepting life for what it is, a constant state of ebbing and flowing.

The image above actually sums up a great morning for me - reading/writing/journaling, and coffee!

First though, you have to get out of bed, and getting a good night's sleep is vital to ensuring you wake up as fresh as possible the next morning! We'll go through some recommended tips for getting in the best state to get best night's sleep, later on - but as with all the information on our site, this is all personal to us and we always encourage you to try things out for yourself, find what works for you, and what doesn't, to ensure that as much as possible, you are in control of what happens to you and the way you live your life!

Firstly, if you can't wake up naturally without an alarm (and I don't know many people who can!) then a good alarm clock, or app sound on your phone, can make all of the difference! This is what wakes me up in the mornings at the moment! https://youtu.be/bvUXnjFHI5k?si=keyFFwHqpQO1aKIf

Once awake, the natural urge for so many of us is to grab our phones, catch up on some notifications and get sucked into social media for a while. And whilst this can often feel as though it is needed, the more time that you have to yourself and your own mind and thoughts, free from the distractions that our technology provides us with, the more space you have to experience the present moment, free from the angers of the past and the anxieties of the future. A perfect wake up ritual for me is to slowly sit up. Have a big swig of water and sit still. Being mindful of my breath and breathing into my belly. Deeper and deeper breaths. I then start a routine of breathing and meditation called 'Hatsurei-ho' which is from the Japanese system of reiki.

Starting the day with meditation really does set the day up in the best way. There are often distractions, not just with regards to your phone, but also if you have children or pets, so even if you can avoid reaching for your phone and just sit, breathe and take a few moments to yourself, you will have given yourself the best possible start that you can.

Throughout the day, besides allocating time to sit and meditate, one of the easiest ways to stay as present as possible, is just that - be present. Stop what you are doing for a moment, feel how your feet connect to the ground. Feel the breath of air on your face if you are outside, and breath, acknowledging what you can smell, and what you can hear. If you are eating or drinking, really take the time to notice the taste of the food or drink in your mouth.

Connecting to the present moment throughout the day can really bring you back to the most important place you can be, where you are - right here, right now.

Meditation is a huge thing to try and get to grips with, and how it works for you will likely be different to a lot of people. Some people may not be able to just sit still and be aware of your breathing for very long, so they might need a visualisation meditation. Others may need a moving meditation. Have a look through our Meditation Index for ideas! One of the methods, which is something you should try and do regardless of whether you want to 'meditate' or not, is to journal. Journaling to me is like therapy, but much cheaper! Sometimes just the act of writing down what you feel is enough to vent and release stored up emotions. And if you don't like the idea of a personal diary lying around for all to see, there are plenty of online ones such as LiveJournal or Blogger that can be set to private.

Diet and exercise are worth a mention for daily habits and routines, as these 2 'simple' things are more responsible than anything else in ensuring you are living your best possible life. Daily movement in whatever way is suitable for you, and eating healthy foods as much as possible is vital for your vitality!

Take 5 minutes to think about how you could be improving your life by trying one of the points above and let me know how you get on!