Healthy Habits
Make a quick mental jog through a day in the life of you. Take note of all the small tasks you do each and every day, no matter that’s on the agenda that day. Imagine how each task you do is triggered by a habit that you consciously or subconsciously allow to operate in your life.
Now this may be a little carry, because coming to terms with ourselves just isn’t always easy. It isn’t easy seeing where we may bebe not doing so great. Although it’s super encouraging noticing the things you are doing well, right? As you’re reading this blog, I want you to bet a little hard on yourself, but also give yourself credit for the things you’re doing really well. Okay?
Ready … set … go!
What are the things that help you wake up, get out of bed, get dressed and ready for the day, get you out the door and into the car? What habits manage your thoughts in such a way that you automatically check to make sure you have your car keys and cell phone before locking the car door? How about the habit of what you do with your shoes when you get home? Do they get dumped by the front door or put away in a closet? How about dirty clothes. Do they get tossed into a hamper or thrown into a pile on the floor? Do you have a healthy habit of going to the gym and getting physical exercise every day, or have you created a habit of avoiding all such extracurricular activity 😂? Have you created a habit that causes you to read and research and expand your mental acuity on a regular basis, or are your habits set to binge watch Snapchat and YouTube videos to fill the extra time in a day? Do you have a designated place for everything in your home, or are you constantly going on a treasure hunt for the same items you use day after day because they somehow find a new home at the end of the night? Do you naturally wash your dishes and put them away, or stack them up in the sink till they are about to topple over like the Leaning Tower of Pizza?
Wow! That’s a lot of habits to naturally gravitate towards within the span of 24 hours.
What do you think … how do you rate yourself so far? Are there any habits you’d like to change? If so, keep reading.
I’d like to share a few categories of habits that can be helpful to implement into your daily life. Not every one of them will apply to you. So just choose the ones you are drawn to and the ones you know need to replace old habits that no longer serve you. Just like the quote above by Sean Covey, “We become what we repeatedly do.” You are valuable enough to take the time right now and make a mental choice to become who you desire to be. It all starts with your daily habits.
The only way to change an old habit is to replace it with a different one. It will require repeatedly choosing to do the new habit rather than the old one. It may take several days. Even acclaimed brain scientist, Caroline Leaf, says that changing a thought process takes 21 days for the brain to reprogram itself. So give yourself grace (but not too much grace 😉), because ultimately YOU are the one who will benefit by creating new habits. I guarantee those around you will benefit as well. When they see you happy and more fulfilled and productive and enjoying the flow of your day it will effect everyone involved.
MORNING ROUTINE
⏰ Wake up on time - no hitting snooze
😄 Smile - think happy thoughts to get the day started
💦 Inhale your favorite essential or apply to the bottoms of your feet - 3 drops of Valor on each of my feet is my favorite blend to help get the day started
🙏🏼 Say a prayer - think of several things you are thankful for
📖 Read a chapter of the Bible or an inspirational book - fill your mind with life-enhancing knowledge
🥤Drink a big glass of water - I like adding 1-2 ounces of NingXia Red to my first glass of water
🍵☕️ Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee (after you’ve had your first glass of water)
🏃🏻♀️🏃🏼♂️ Take a walk or run, do body weight exercises at the house, stretch, or get in a good gym workout
🍳 Eat a nutritious breakfast - a high protein breakfast supports good brain function
💃🏻🕺🏻 Dress for success - what you wear and how you look will effect how you feel throughout the day
💫 Clean up any messes you make while getting ready - bathroom, shower, closet, bedroom, kitchen, etc
📆 Be prepared - know what’s on your schedule for the day or create a plan and then go for it
MIDDAY / AFTERNOON ROUTINE
☑️ Be productive before lunchtime - accomplish several needed tasks before you take a lunch break
🥕🥩🥦 Eat a nutritious lunch - food is fuel
😴 Take a short break, let your lunch digest, clear your mind and get ready for the rest of the day
📋 What’s on the To Do List next? - GET IT DONE
👱🏻♀️👨🏻🦱 Send a thoughtful text to your significant other to let them know you’re thinking about them.
💭 Send a text to a friend and just check in with them - chances are they will enjoy receiving it as much as you would like receiving a thoughtful, encouraging note.
🍎 Refuel with a nutritious snack - Your body needs some extra fuel to get to the end of a full afternoon. *This is when I love drinking a 2-ounce pack of NingXia Red and/or a NingXia NITRO to help my energy levels stay even throughout the day.
💦 Pull out your essential oils for an afternoon pick-me-up - The En-R-Gee essential oil blend is also helpful when in haled or applied to the wrists and over the Adrenals area on your mid to lower back along the spine. I also love the Joy blend, Inspiration blend, Brain Power Blend, Peppermint and Frankincense.
💬 Take a few minutes to decompress before going home, moving on to the next thing, leaving work, shutting things down for the day.
🎉 Celebrate your wins for the day - take a mental or physical note of what went well and what can be improved upon or done differently in order to make your life flow smoothly
⌛️ Have a definitive stopping point between your Day Routine and Night Routine
🧹Clean up any messes you made during the day, put things back in order at the office or at home or in your vehicle, etc.
NIGHTIME ROUTINE
👨👩👧👦 Quality time with family and friends - make time for meaningful relationships
🥗 Eat a light dinner at least 2 hours before bed
🌅 🏖🌌 Watch the sunset, stargaze, enjoy nature
🎶 Listen to uplifting music - music is like food to the soul
🎹🎸 Play music, sing, try writing a song, unwind while challenging your creative side
💕 Enjoy time with your spouse or significant other - think of special ways to show them they are loved and cherished
💻📱🖥 Turn off electronics 30 minutes before bed, put your phone on dark mode, night shift, do not disturb - blue light and late night screen time keeps the brain activate
🕯 Turn off bright lights and turn on lamps and candles for softer lighting
🎲 Play a hands-on game (rather than on a phone or computer) with family or friends - this can create a meaningful time of connecting
🧹 Cleanup (eyes this one again) - we are all good at making messes, dirtying up dishes, leaving clothes laying around. But you sure don’t want to wake up to the mess tomorrow morning. SO just make it a habit of cleaning up.
🛁 Take a bubble bath - treat yourself to a relaxing soak. *try adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil to a cup of epsom salt and adding to a full tub.
🙏🏼 Say a prayer - think of several things you are thankful for, lift up friends and family, your business, our country and leadership and anything else that comes to mind.
📖 Read a chapter of the Bible or an inspirational book - fill your mind with life-enhancing knowledge
🖌 Journal about the day or recent events - this can be helpful to process your thoughts and help you remember important details down the road
😴 Lights out - night night!
HOBBIES
Many hobbies can be healthy and support overall wellness. By creating a healthy balance of work and play you’re bound to be well-rounded and an enjoyable person to be around. Hobbies can include doing something you’ve never done just in order to try it out. Hobbies are things that you do part time that aren’t part of your work or family life. Hobbies will stretch you mentally, physically and emotionally if you allow them to.
If you’re not the kind of person to try new things then maybe you can find a friend who will do it with you or find someone who has more experience than you and can teach you. Here are some ideas.
Sports - try playing a new sport just for the fun of it
Water activities - go hang out by a lake or river, kayak, go boating with friends, hike to a waterfall
Horse back riding - horses are very intuitive and can be a very loving friend
Winter Fun - sledding, skiing, snow boarding, snow shoeing, ice skating and so much more
Painting, drawing, sculpting, woodworking - join a group art class or get your own set of supplies to tinker with
Music - learn an instrument or keep up your skills on on you know, write a song just for the fun of it
Read a book, write a poem, journal
Cook delicious food and learn new recipes - maybe even host a dinner party with friends after you’ve perfected a new recipe
“Glamping” or “Camping” - It’s up to you! There’s just nothing quite like a night in nature out under the stars.
Okay, now it’s time to make the shift from those old habits that have not served you, to new habits that will propel your life forward towards the goals and dreams you have.
Remember from my previous blog titled #WorthIt that fact that you are worth investing into your life, into your future, into your health. Don’t go another day without taking the time and effort to invest into yourself.
I challenge you to take a few minutes (yes, take a pause right now) and think of habits that serve you well that you are currently doing, and habits that you would like to change. Then write down how you plan to change those habits.
YES, I’M SERIOUS … WRITE IT DOWN!
NOW!!!
If it’s just in your brain you’ll forget about it tomorrow or you’ll fall right back into the old habits because you’re used to them and they feel good even though they may not actually BE good for you!
Write down the old habits that no longer serve you. Then write down the new habits you will replace the old ones with.
If you’d like to share your habit updates with me I’m all ears. You can email me at LifeWithRose@protonmail.com or call me at 877-357-5777. If you need someone holding your feet to the fire and checking in to see how your progress is coming, I’m happy to be that gal. If you’re looking for a life coach or health coach, I’m also that gal. It’s what I love to do! It gives me so much joy to see others step into their highest potential.
And guess what, I’m even happy to share my habit updates. I’m not perfect, and it sure is nice to have accountability from friends and those who truly care. Let’s be each other’s best advocate and cheer leader. I’ll cheer you on and you cheer me on.
Okay, well that’s all I can think of for now. Below are a few good resources that I’ve come across pertaining to habits and being effective in life.
Till next time!
Elizabeth Rose
Supportive Works
7 Habits for Highly Effective People book by Stephen R. Covey