How to create your personalised self-care daily rituals
I spent years following diets and programs thinking if I did it exactly as I was told then I would feel/look/get the same results as the person who recommended it
In fact, that’s part of the reason I quit my high paying corporate job and became a health coach and personal trainer. For a long time I thought if I follow this person’s exercise plan and that person’s business plan then I would be as skinny and rich as them.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt about mental and physical wellness over my years in the biz it's that one size does not fit all.
We are all a jumble of genetics, hormones, lifecycles, experiences, emotions, privilege (or lack thereof) so it’s a fool’s game to say “you follow this plan and you’ll definitely get this result.”
That being said, I truly believe that there are some things you can do on a regular, if not, daily basis, that can improve your health & wellbeing. I’m not saying you will get the same results as me but I can guarantee that your life will feel like it runs more smoothly, you’ll feel more relaxed, your productivity will increase and overall you’ll just feel better than you do right now.
This is what I recommend:
Movement - gentle mobility exercises so your body moves more freely throughout the day
Meditation - give your brain space for contemplation, for intuition to flow and to rest
Self-Development - small steps towards important projects on a daily basis add up to A LOT of progress
Planning - get more focused so that you can achieve all that you want to achieve
Hydration - good for your body (skin & digestion) and brain function so you can think more clearly
You can see how these 5 areas really help you on all levels - mind, body, spirit and your external goals too.
And my recommendation is to do it in the morning. Why? Because then it’s done for the day and you don’t have to worry about fitting it in. Plus, you get all those incredible benefits all day long. But that being said… if you aren’t a morning person or you have a very early start for work or your mornings are hectic with family commitments, then these things can be done throughout the day or even as an evening routine.
At the moment, my morning rituals look like this (They change all the time depending on what feels good to me):
Movement - gentle yoga stretches (5 minutes)
Meditation - focus on my breathing (5 minutes)
Self-Development - Tarot cards and journaling (5 minutes)
Planning - Top 5 things to do today, combining business and personal (2 minutes)
Hydration - 500ml water with supplements and greens powder on waking
This takes me less than 20 minutes every day. Most days I do it as soon as I wake up. Other days I fit these things in when I can.
But what happens if you don’t like yoga or tarot isn’t your bag? That’s okay.
I have over 40 suggestions to make your morning rituals customisable and perfect for you.
(Don’t do all of these, choose one from each category. You can even choose different ones every day if you like?)
Movement
Dancing (sometimes I just sway gently to a quiet song)
50 kettlebell swings
Foam Roller
Walk
Meditation
Silence
Candle meditation
Walking meditation
Alternate nostril breathing
Affirmations
Mala beads
Mindful teeth brushing
Listen to fave song with eyes closed
Sing or chant
Self-Reiki
Self-Development
Tarot/oracle cards
Reading
Creative project
Decluttering
Choose essential oils for the day
Gratitude
Skincare routine
Food prep/meal plan
Video Log
Affirmations
Planning
Top 3-5 “must dos”
Brain dump
Cross off what you did yesterday
Brainstorm 5 new ideas
Review income received and/or spending for yesterday
Hydration
500ml water
Warm water with lemon
Herbal Tea
Smoothie
Greens powder
Now comes the fun part - choosing your own combination. You get to try out different things that sound appealing to you and find what works best for you.
I also recommend aiming to do your morning rituals at the same time every day (when you can) and creating a space in your home dedicated to your practices. Decide on how much time you have and then just get started!
If you need help, try my Magic Mornings program. This will help keep you accountable for 7 days and give you a taste of how great you can feel when you incorporate morning rituals into your life.