Small Habits. Daily Commitment

Routine makes me feel sane. 

As a kid, the daily ritual of going to school, gymnastics, lacrosse, or dance after, dinner with my family at the end of the night, reading with my brother, and journaling before I went to bed, brought me a sense of relief and comfort. 

As I’ve gotten older I’ve kept and exaggerated these same routines. Adding meditation, morning stretches, coffee, listening to a podcast and so on.

There have been times in my life where I’ve thrown myself too far deep into the ritualistic habit of routine where it becomes an obsession. Ie: thinking I had to do two workouts every day, beating myself up if I didn’t journal, or feeling like a failure if I didn’t have protein in my breakfast. 

However, I’m happy to say that I am at a place-and continuing to learn- how to weave in and out of these routines, adjust to new phases of my life where I need to add or omit certain behaviors, and knowing that sometimes the best routine is waking up, skipping the meditation,  having a cup of coffee with my family, snuggling close to my boyfriend, or laughing with my friends in bed after a sleepover. 

However 80-90% of the time, I do keep these rituals close to me, because they genuinely do make me feel good and set the rest of my day or week up for success. So I thought I would share a few simple habits you can start at the beginning or end of the day to help you feel more set up, prepared, and refreshed.

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1. SUN IN THE EYES. FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, waking up, and just opening your window or stepping out onto your porch and letting the fresh air slap you in the face is the best wake up call. Obviously it feels the best when the sun is shining but unfortunately in San Diego, contrary to popular belief-it’s foggy most mornings. Even still, the habit of just getting outside taking some deep breaths, observing the world in stillness, and maybe stretching your body in some ways has not only been the biggest game changer in my mornings but has allowed me to sleep better each night, wake up easier, and ground with mama Earth. 

1. Find one mindfulness habit. 

I’m a big believer in finding what works for you. Lots of podcasts or books will tell you you have to journal, meditate, do yoga, go on a walk, read a spiritual book, and wait 90 minutes before coffee every single morning. But the truth is-especially in college, we do not have the luxury of having the time to do that every morning. My suggestion is to find and start with at least one mindfulness practice that is away from your phone. Maybe it is meditating for 5-10 minutes, doing some morning stretches, reading 10 pages of your book, journaling for 15 minutes and so on. On busier mornings, if you carve out just 5-10 minutes to dedicate time to this ritual-it adds calm before the storm. Slowly, on weekends or over break maybe you add another habit, but add what feels good to you and make sure it is something you can stick to. 

1. Read before bed. 

Honestly sometimes during the school year-it is hard for me to stick to this one, but I do my best to at least read a few pages before bed. It’s difficult-especially when the new season of Housewives or Love Island comes out. But the main reason I advise this little habit is because I know staring at a screen right before I sleep affects my sleep so much. I fall and stay asleep so much better when I read 5-30 minutes before bed. Find a book you love and get lost in the story. 

1. Go on walks.

I truly believe walking is the secret to longevity and happiness, and one of the best forms of movement. I’m not going to tell you to do 10k+ steps a day (although once you start it’s hard to not see the amazing benefits of it…). But start with 30 minutes. Maybe stand up as you do work. Go for a 5 minute brain break walk. ANYTHING. We are meant to move!!!! We sit SO MUCH nowadays. Walking improves digestion, can be a way to connect and ground with self, and is a great way to discover a new city or connect with a friend. Simple. But effective. 

1. Try new activities. 

Maybe not necessarily a habit, but  a practice that I think we should all constantly remind ourselves of. It’s never too late to try something new. It’s also really good for our brains to be bad at something. I’ve honestly discovered the power of this so much in college by always wanting and willing to start up a new habit. Whether it's rock climbing, surfing, crocheting, tennis, etc once you start you realize how many things there are to do, and how many amazing people you can meet while doing it. I always have to remind myself that I don’t have to be an expert at everything,  and it’s ok if I end up not liking an activity. It also doesn’t have to be 100%, all the freakin time. DO it once a week, twice a month, take breaks then come back to it. You might just unlock a new passion- and surprise yourself with that skill. 

Simple activities

1. A new sport
2. Knitting or Crocheting
3. Drawing/Coloring
4. Cooking
5. Photography
6. Pottery
7. Hiking
8. Learning an instrument
9. Juggling
10. Gardening 
11. Writing
12. Playing mermaids in the water
13. Climbing trees
14. Going to museums
15. Interior design
16. …

Girl IDK the list goes on and on. The world is your oyster