What is wellness? It seems the definition is different for everyone. It centers on practicing good habits that make us feel better mentally and physically. For many, 2021 was the year of regaining our power and letting in only what promotes wellbeing, myself included. Since finding a practice that works for me, I’ve felt like shouting it from the rooftops, hoping someone will hear me and give it a shot. Blogging seems more efficient than shouting, so here I’m sharing the daily habits that have grounded and encouraged me through the past year.
Many are starting the new year searching for a daily routine without knowing where to begin. I know, trust me, I was overwhelmed and have gone through many beginnings on my journey to wellness. This one has proven to give me results both physically and mentally.
Guided meditation- Meditation is something I’ve aspired to for years but hadn’t gotten the hang of until recently. Admittedly a perfectionist, I was always hard on myself for all the thoughts distracting me during my practice. I tried playing music and sitting on a Moroccan-style poof to channel my zen, but that didn’t stick. Later, I tried meditating in pure silence, but I couldn’t focus with outside noise. I went through countless YouTube guided meditations but wasn’t inspired to keep consistent.
Finally, I downloaded an Insight Timer app, which guided me through meditations all year, including every day so far in 2022. The app allows me to search for specific tracks and lengths of guided mediations depending on what I’d like to focus on that day. The categories are vast, from anxiety, fear, and loving oneself to motivation. This is the first thing I do when I wake up. In a way, it’s trained me to avert the urge to check social media apps first thing in the morning as I go straight to the meditation app to begin my morning with intention. I love an app that holds me accountable and rewards me for my practice. Who knew gold stars still go a long way in adulthood?
I’m sure there are several apps and ways to meditate that work for others, but this works for me and has helped me maintain my practice because it’s just so simple.
Writing affirmations- After meditating, I write a page of affirmations in my notebook. I always start by dating a page and sectioning it in two parts, the first “what is balance to me today?” and the second being all I want to affirm in that moment. The balance part is something I added when I was feeling overwhelmed with my day-to-day flow and stuck on the idea that to be balanced, I had to do ‘x, y, and z’s each time the same way.
Coming to terms that my process is far from linear, I start the day by asking myself what balance looks like to me at that moment. It could be going outside, not procrastinating on work, or fitting in exercise. I then follow with my affirmations. Some are very specific, and some are gentle and say, ‘I love myself.’ I can say that since I started writing affirmations, most of what I’ve written has come to fruition!
Fitness- The last step in my morning wellness ritual is some form of exercise. I love doing a combination of cycling, circuits, and hiking. There are some days where I certainly don’t want to work out, especially during this cold winter season, where getting out of bed to change into workout clothes is a challenge. I can tell you one thing, though; I never regret it once I do! One hour a day of fitness, five days a week, keeps me full of energy and boosts my confidence. If I’m tired and do need to rest from anything vigorous, I’ll go out for a walk to get some steps in to bring an intentional movement to my day to keep the momentum going.
Skin and hair- Committing to a skin and hair routine has brought a grounding beginning and end to my days. It helps me go from mental and physical to my appearance and how I preserve and present myself. I always co-wash with OLAPLEX Nº.5 Bond Maintenance conditioner after working out and use a cocktail of OLAPLEX Nº.6 and Nº.7 for effortless styling. Even if I’m hanging at home, I still do my skin and hair. It helps everything feel more balanced and tells my mind that I still took time to look and feel my best even if I’m working all day.
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