In today’s highly fast-paced age, it’s hard to keep a track of ourselves. And by ourselves, I mean our overall well being. Few of us have really struck that work-life balance, where we spend enough time on ourselves and enough on our careers and professions. Having just started out, I, too, struggle with prioritising my personal life over my work life. But few months into this ill-balanced lifestyle of mine, I started seeing the consequences and they were not pretty. I felt unusually cranky, I was lagging at my daily tasks, started experiencing odd amounts of hair fall and sound sleep was nowhere to be seen. I knew I was ignoring what my body was trying to tell me—to take time out, every day, for myself. Do things that really felt good—physically and mentally.
Since then, I adopted 6 easy habits just to take time out of the day and reassure myself that my well being is my highest priority. Read on if you think this applies to you!
1. Get some sun
There’s honestly nothing better than catching that 7 AM sun to get you ready for the day. The early morning sun rays somehow leave a very positive effect on my mind. This habit has also made the quality of my sleep much better, thanks to the melatonin from the sun!
2. Exercise
Throughout the lockdown, I gave up working out. I felt lazy and demotivated. But when I started seeing how it was affecting my overall mood and health, I knew I couldn’t make any more excuses. You may feel burdened with your overflowing to-do list and finding no time or the mental bandwidth to squeeze in a workout. Take it from me, you’ll probably find the first 7 days hard to adjust, but soon you’ll be able to manage exercising and to complete your task list faster than you could before. And in the process, you’ll end up feeling better about yourself and motivated as well.
3. Take at least 30-60 minutes of me-time
Sit with yourself and spend time just doing things you love. Or even better is to just sit somewhere where there’s peace and quiet allowing you to get in touch with your thoughts and emotions. We have a billion thoughts that cross our mind on a daily basis, some important, some not-so. So many things we feel that we don’t pay attention to. But it’s imperative that we do. This will help keep your mind clear and uncluttered and that’ll in-turn ensure that you’re always at ease and peace. Plus, it’s important that you appreciate your own company. It’s a positive step in being supremely comfortable with yourself and by yourself.
4. Don’t forget your skincare routine
My morning skincare routine consists of sunblock and moisturiser. Easy-peasy. My nighttime skincare routine is cleanser, toner and moisturiser. And those 10 minutes of my day are pure bliss and satisfying. Try it, you’ll never want to stop it!
5. Laugh at least for 15 minutes
I’m someone who doesn’t need a reason to laugh, I can crack up easily. But if you’re not, start practising laughing at least for 10-15 minutes in the day. First of all, you shouldn’t need a list of benefits to laugh. But I’m going to list them out for you anyway. They improve blood flow, brain activity, cardio functioning and release endorphins—the happy hormones and natural painkillers. Go through memes, talk to a funny friend, if you don’t have one, HMU, watch funny videos, but laugh. It’s helped me deal with stress in a much calmer way.
6. End your day with 3 things you’re thankful for
Gratitude is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Just being thankful for even something as small as a compliment from a friend or even for a great nap. It will eventually lead you to a point where you will look for one thing to be thankful for even under distressing situations and be able to navigate a rocky ship better. Like I mentioned earlier, in the lockdown I became moody and cranky and I started noticing all the negatives as opposed to the positives. But when I actively altered how I perceive myself and my everyday life, living actually became easier. I felt lighter and happier. It’s a ritual I look forward to the most because it makes me feel good to reminisce the good things that happened to me!
If you’re not paying attention to yourself, take this blog as a sign from the universe. But if you do and practise more such habits, don’t forget to drop some recommendations, below!
And follow @missmalinilifestyle on Instagram for more such tips!