by Lynn Klaase
Almost ten full months into a year that has challenged us to shift gears into unknown territory – new challenges and new opportunities. In my previous article, I shared with you my 2020 wellness first aid kit in the hope that it will resonate with you and support you through the remainder of the pandemic. In the spirit of Ubuntu, I would like to explore the theme of creating structure and routine a bit further.
Incorporating this practice into your life can assist you in regaining your power and help you end off 2020 with contentment. If you choose to become disciplined about re-evaluating your habits it will ultimately lead to a feeling of daily freedom and joy whilst accomplishing your tasks.
1. Purpose and Energy
By waking up each day at a specific time you create a pattern that will help you accomplish more. This will improve your mental and physical health and give you much more time during the day for both productive hours and rest.
An early morning that starts off with clarity and intention helps you have an improved brain state to perform at your full potential throughout the day. The earlier you start, the more time you have to learn about something new or create a new hobby before engaging with the world via social media or work. This often leads to limited ‘brain bandwidth’ and steals from activities that feeds your soul. Accomplishing tasks early in the day will give you a sense of peace and leave you feeling energized for the day ahead.
2. Sweat to think better
I have a simple approach to exercise – I plan.
I prefer exercising first thing in the morning as it helps my body to wake up and sweat. The benefits of ‘sweating’ are manifold but more importantly, it helps decrease cortisol, which is the hormone responsible for stress and fear. Additionally, sweating allows our brain to speed up the creation of new neural pathways that allows us to improve our thinking as it releases the brain-repairing neurotropic factor. Our cognitive functioning also improves as exercising activates a part of our brain called the Hippocampus, responsible for our learning and memory.
An early morning exercise session, even if only for 20 minutes, provides you with a great mental space to achieve all you have set out for the day ahead.
3. Manage your stress
Intentionally planning your day and aligning your calendar allows you to focus on the tasks at hand and provides a clear timeframe for you to accomplish your goals. Writing your daily activities down typically decreases stress which leads to overall improved mental health.
I can highly recommend adding in mental breaks, thinking space or rest periods throughout your day to help you function better and remove all the unwanted tasks that does not require your participation. As you put your daily routine into practice, allow for enhancements to your schedule overtime as you see fit.
Routine takes practice, so be kind to yourself to adapt to a new way of living as you create more space to seek joy in all you do.
