Hello, good morning to you and yours. It is 8 am and this post has gone up and I need you to think back for a minute, from the time you woke up till now have you taken time to yourself. How did you prepare yourself for the world before stepping into it? Answers may be dropped in the comment section, remember there are no wrong answers because obviously, the self-care routine is yours.

I used to be one of those people who just got into the day and waited for whatever to happen however it happened. Whilst we do not have the power to change events or predict them we can set ourselves up for success. The energy we get into the day with controls whether we fight through the problems that might land on our laps or not. So take care of your mind, soul, and body before walking into life, and this is how you can do it.

QUIET TIME

30 minutes of silence in your own headspace, listening to your thoughts and what your body is telling you. You may even take this time to journal your thoughts and feelings if you wish. Add a cup of coffee to the routine so you wake up.

EXERCISE

I tried this for some time but then I learned very quickly that I preferred this to be something I did at the end of my day, jogging after work was my thing until I landed myself in South Africa. Exercise is however a great tool to opening up your mind and somehow it keeps you energized through the day. I noticed that after I stopped, my body would complain and I would feel tired. So find some sort of exercise to do, could be yoga which is designed to help your body relax.

PRAYER

It does not matter who or what you are praying to, talking to a higher power in the morning and surrendering your day into their hands and trusting that they will lead and guide you lifts a burden off your shoulder to play superman/woman as the day progresses. You just trust that it is going to be a great day and chances are it will be a great day.

AFFIRMATIONS

Yes, talking to yourself and reminding yourself that you are enough works. It only works if you believe the words you say, so if you affirm yourself and immediately a sense of doubt crawls through your head you have done nothing for yourself. I like to write down a new affirmation per day, add to the list and grow. I have watched myself try things that I once told myself weren’t for me because I believe in myself more.

READ A BOOK (OR LISTEN)

Pick up a bible, your favorite novel or a magazine. It could be in line with your profession or it could be far from it. It has to be something stimulating and allows you to relax and get your mindset geared for the day.

LISTEN TO MUSIC

This is also me, music sets the tone for my day, the only problem is I drown in music and end up spending way more time in that session than I should. It helps me fight any negative emotions I may have woken up with too. It allows me to feel what I need to feel, confront the situation and decide what I am doing about it. By the time I start my day, I am ok. Music is for the soul, it heals.

A morning routine helps to set the tone for your day, it helps you to handle your schedule or to-do list instead of drowning in it. You will find that your focus is better when you have a routine, in fact when you do start, record your productivity and see the change that you will have. CIAO!        

Download the PDF with topics to the challenge on the calendar page if you wish to join us!