Daily habits for self-care

Why implement habits?

Everybody has habits they think are life-changing. Why have we all hopped onto the bandwagon of having these habits? Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” We know that by doing things over and over, these actions become habits on autopilot. We don’t think. We do. By setting ourselves up with the habits to take care of ourselves, we are automatically taking care of our wellbeing.

In terms of such habits, there are those who believe getting up at 5 am will change your life. While you may get more done, you may also find yourself more tired than before. And as much as you want to catch the meditation trend, in this current season of life, you find yourself resistant to reflection in that way.

Pick habits that are better suited to you and what fits your current lifestyle best. I hope you will take into consideration some habits that will aid in your self-care.

Below is a list of daily self-care habits that I think we all should strive for. Now, that doesn’t mean doing everything every day perfectly. However, I think we all can afford to adopt one or two of these habits to our schedule to have an overall better day.

Daily self-care habits

Drink water

Honestly, I cannot tell you which I do less – drink water or exercise. Real hydration is key. Often we think the cups of coffee (or in my case, tea) helps to keep us going and provides us with the necessary hydration. And to be honest, water feels boring. Drinking water can feel unnecessary, But stop and think about your daily activities. Every morning when you wake up, you brush your teeth and wash your face with water. You shower with water. You wash your dishes with water. Like it or not, water is a necessary part of life. If you want clear skin and more energy, you should start by drinking more water.

Exercise

The next neglected activity is, of course, exercise. There’s something about going to the gym that we all dread. The actual pain of moving your body and continuing to move it is what we all avoid. And yet, if anything has been recommended to us over and over, it’s this: Exercise.

Personally, I really like to exercise. It’s a great start to the day and you’ve already got the feeling of accomplishment after some cardio and strength training. One tip from me to you would be to find something you like. If you hate running, why do it so you can get some cardio in? Maybe go to a cycling class. Try some yoga. Test out some options and have fun doing so. If you want to live a good life, you should prioritize your health.

Sleep for 8 hours

There are so many reasons why we need to get to bed on time. I was shocked to learn that having a small amount of sleep was correlated with having a high blood alcohol content level. That said, I was a college student who literally got 5 hours of sleep at night. Now that it’s summertime, sleeping is something I value. We all love our comfy beds. We get under the covers and drift off to our dreams. If we actually got a full 8 hours of sleep, think about how clear-minded you would be. Go catch some zzz’s!

Read

This next habit is one many people can be on the fence about. It could be that English class was the worst class ever in high school or you spent your late nights hiding under your covers a Harry Potter novel. Whichever boat, you’re in, reading is a pretty good thing to do. If you need help falling asleep, read a book. If you feel overwhelmed, read a book. If you just want to learn a little bit more about something new, read a book. You never know what you might learn.

Journal

Journaling. Something that everyone should do. I already know what you’re thinking. I don’t have enough time. It’s a waste of energy. It takes away from me doing something productive. For everyone, journaling is a bit different. I choose to journal before bed to reflect on my day. Others journal in the morning, doing Morning Pages, to get out every single intrusive thought out of the way. It’s the perfect use of energy and time because you take all the stress and ideas and worries and put them onto paper – where you can make sense of them and perhaps turn them into something amazing. If anything, this will give you a good excuse to go to Target and buy pretty notebooks. For any writers out there, a pen to the page will get you started on your next novel.

These habits are simple and yet the impact they can have on your wellbeing is astounding. Do yourself a favor and take care of yourself.

Signing off,

Gigi

What are your daily habits? How have they changed your life?