Self care Saturday | creating routines into rituals

While I’ve always believed routines and rituals are essential practices to take part in, now more than ever, having a daily routine during a time where it’s so easy to do nothing, is so vital to stay on track and break up the days. Here are some rituals and routines I take part in almost every day, if not every day, and have found extremely helpful now that most of my days lack structure.

1.     Get up at the same time every day (and preferably make that time on the early side)—

Every morning I try to wake up at 6:30am, even during this quarantine. Now, I know that’s a crazy time to get up for some, but I believe starting your morning at least by 8am is a productive way to start to the day. While sleeping in is sometimes needed, I know, personally, I am much happier when I get up early, get over that ‘I want to go back to sleep’ hump, and get a head start on things I want to do.

2.     Move your body—

For me, this usually means yoga and a walk outside, but for you this can be a run, a HIIT workout, dancing around your apartment/house, or even stretching. Anything that lets the body know it is time to wake up.

3.     Have something that gets you out of bed (i.e. coffee, tea, etc.)—

Coffee is what really pulls me out of bed. I love the daily ritual of opening a bag of fresh beans, grinding those beans, boiling water, and watching it transform into a hot (or iced lately!) cup of energy. If coffee isn’t your thing, try tea or juice, or maybe your favorite breakfast to get you going. What it is doesn’t necessarily matter, it’s how that thing motivates you to start the day.

4.     Plan your day the night before / plan a rough draft of your week on Sunday—

 I’ve been doing this for the past year or so and have found it works wonders for my productivity. Having the ability to go into my Google Calendar to see what workouts and projects I have planned for the week helps take away the stress of deciding day-of. I try to implement what I like to call a “weekly admin” to my schedule every Sunday. This is essentially a half hour to an hour where I sit down and plan out my days. I also try and do this at the start of each month in order to get my big picture goals in order.

If this seems too intense for you, start by planning the night before what you want to work on either in your calendar, Google Keep, or a physical planner (which is something I also do). It takes some work at first, but, trust me, it’s a lifesaver on the days you wake up unmotivated or unsure what to start.

5.     Scheduling work hours and down time—

I also try blocking out a set amount of time to work and a “hard stop” time to begin my evening, cook with my partner, and just relax, which is also really important. If you’re consistently working, you’ll burn out. Having a balance between work and play is the key part to routines.

6.     Make a list of projects you want to work on— 

I feel like this is a fairly obvious one, but writing down your goals or projects you’d like to work on during this downtime (or anytime) will make it a lot easier to remember and reference when you aren’t feeling as motivated or charged with creative energy. This can be wanting to blog more frequently and make more writing content (hi, hello), cleaning out your drawers and closet, or baking/cooking something you’ve been putting off. Projects look different for everyone, but, not only will it help you mark off to dos you’ve been meaning to do, it’s a way to create normalcy in a very abnormal time.

7.     Get yourself a skincare routine—

Your skin and the older version of yourself will thank you. I’ve recently been trying out exclusively Glossier skincare products. Still too soon to tell if it’s worth it or if other products would do me better, but will keep you updated. If you have an recommendations, let me know!

8.     Get ready for the day like you’re getting ready to go out—

You hear this ALL the time, especially if you work from home, but it’s so true. If you take a shower and put on real people clothes, you will feel more like a real person.

9.     Let the people around you know you’re implementing these routines—

I think this is important regardless if you are in lockdown or not, but very important if you are. Letting others your cohabiting with know that you are implementing these rituals and routines will help you stay on track and help them understand why it’s important you do so.

10.  Don’t be down on yourself if you fall off, just get up and continue on!—

Being stuck inside, it’s extremely easy to lose your momentum and, all of a sudden, wind up on the couch watching tv, scrolling through Tik Tok or Instagram, or taking a nap. Beating yourself for it will only make you feel shitty and unproductive. Instead, let yourself off the hook—get up, brush it off, and continue on with your day. It’s not the end of the world if your brain and/or body needed some downtime.