Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Mood

Waking up fresh on Monday morning is going to be near impossible, if you’re not going to sleep feeling fresh. Let’s honor ourselves by committing to establishing and carrying out better habits in our nighttime routines.

For many, the worst part of their weekend begins as the sun sets on a well enjoyed Sunday. So much so, that the term ‘Sunday Scaries’ is now common jargon and of course, a common hashtag ‘#sundayscaries.’ Personally, I do not have endless time to deal with the added stress that the Sunday Scaries have given me. I have chosen to take charge of my Sundays and my false stresses and incorporated several de-stressors into my Sunday night routine.

First, pause and breathe. When that first wave of impending doom, aka Monday thoughts, come through your head, pause and breathe. Breathe in through your nose & out through your nose, this style of breath is known for being a heat-building breathe. Building that inner heat will cultivate deep energy and release stress. Breathing through your nose also acts as a more effective filter for toxins, allergens, and mold compared to breathing through your mouth. Taking six second inhales through your nose, and six second exhales out your nose will refocus your mind from distraction, clean and deliver fresh blood your vital organs, and soothe your muscles. Repeating this breath ten times will thoroughly refresh your body and mind. For further instruction on breathing techniques I offer this video and this blog for more information.

Second, make a list. If there are still tasks looming overhead for Monday, write them out and be creative. Listing out tasks is helpful for visual organization practice, but also for mental organization practice. Seeing all items listed out is an easy way to center focus on what is really important and what should be taking up mental space. For me, adding color to my lists has two purposes – one, I am able to group related tasks by color and two, I am able to release some creative energy. Although it may seem small, using cool colors – greens, blues, purples – have real calming effects to the mind and avoiding warm, intense colors – reds, oranges – will actually help to de-stress your mind. Make sure to add checkboxes to your list because research shows that physically checking something off release mood boosting chemicals into your mind that not only make you feel good, but motivate you to continue on your mission of completing tasks.  

Third, get cozy. If you are still wearing the clothes you wore all day ITS TIME TO CHANGE! Put on your coziest clothes, bundle up, feel comfortable & clean. The saying, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” still very much applies in Sunday Scaries circumstances. Putting on the right clothes will help to shift your mindset.

Finally, set the mood. The sun has gone down, but your house is still 200% lit. Turn off lights or dim lights, if possible. Light two or three candles or use a mood lamp to add new energy to your space. If essential oil diffusers are something that suit your fancy this is a perfect time to incorporate them if not, no worries. Turing down lights and changing your main light source will help to quite your mind. During this time, I encourage you to set your alarm clock and then leave your phone, computer, and other devices to rest. A calm mind cannot occur with blue light shining through. You have nearly made it. Your thoughts should be quieting, and your eyes should be getting heavy. We have almost beat the Sunday Scaries.

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment and share the piece. At Health3020 we work as an inner community to strengthen the outer, greater community. Check out our other authors posts and learn more about our holists approach to the Health & Wellness Industry existing in 2019.

Peace & Thank you.

Swapping Cycles for a Good Routine

When I woke up, not too long ago, I went into the kitchen, put water on to boil, and took a shower. The start to this day, and many others like it, constitutes my morning routine – half conscious, and pleasantly foggy. No matter what time I wake up, late, early or to my alarm,  this is what I do. It takes no effort and happens without thought, almost like a reaction to waking up. 

The word routine has a monotonous banality to it, and repetition, in all of its own tediousness, is an unavoidable fact of any routine. But this doesn’t mean that “routine” has to be tedious, and a good one won’t be. In spite of my routine mornings, every morning is different because I take time, like I am now, to enjoy my tea, listen to the birds and process my day before moving out into it. The differences in my day to day life are incorporated into my morning, through routine reflection and enjoyment. 

All of this may seem like it has nothing to do with fitness, but in fact, it underlines an essential aspect of fitness and health – establishing a good routine. In order to maintain health and fitness, having core practices be second nature, dependable, and self-reflective is absolutely essential. As my morning routine has become a reaction to waking, fitness and health should be a reaction to living. 

Some people do better with highly structured routines, mapping a week of lifting out by muscle group for example. But this morning I challenge the reader to take a second look at what their routine is, and stop pushing yourself to take identical action over and over and over… and over again. A good routine takes into account what your needs are that day, whether you have an injury that begs consideration, or you’re simply too tired for an extended cardio session. Identify things in your routine that aren’t working for you, or that you don’t like doing, and find an alternative. Be open to individualizing your routine every time you start it. 

Stop tuning yourself out – your mind, your music, your life – and engage with yourself in your health and fitness practices. Explore how you can achieve your goals without tedious repetition that makes you “zone out,” and stop shutting yourself down while you make monotonous repetitive movements. Incorporate awareness and reflection into your routine, and adjust your routine to your body, your mind and your life. If this practice, through frequent repetition, becomes your reaction to living, you will reap the full benefit of an easy and personally challenging health and fitness routine. But more importantly, you will finally enjoy the full potential of a healthy life. 

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