i know ‘wellness’ and ‘self care’ are major buzz words right now. honestly i even eye roll when i see another podcast or social media post about it haha but the truth is…how you take care of yourself is EVERYTHING and effects how you show up for others & in your life everyday. if you’ve been following me for a while you know how much i love my routine and daily habits. over the past year or so i’ve developed a few habits that have honestly been such a game changer for me – both with my physical and mental health. with all the “self care” content that’s out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know where to start. everyone is different, but today i wanted to share the top 5 wellness habits that have truly changed my life (and why) in case you’re needing help on where to start!
1. sleep hygiene
everyone always talks about their morning routines but a healthy morning starts with what the previous night looked like! i have struggled with sleep for most of my adult life but in 2020 i made a goal to no longer sleep with my phone in the room…and it has made ALL the difference in the quality of my sleep. i have a whole ‘bedtime routine’ i follow each night and try to get at least 7-8 hours every single night. getting good, quality sleep has made such a huge difference in my overall mental and physical health (and stress levels).
a few things i do that have helped with my sleep routine:
- sleeping with my phone in another room. i plug my phone in in the bathroom around 9pm and don’t look at it the rest of the night!
- magnesium – i typically take some sort of magnesium supplement before bed. i love this one by brainMD and this one by JS Health!
- reading – i try and get in bed around 9:15pm and then i’ll ready for 10-20 minutes on my kindle. i personally like to read fiction before bed because it gets my brain to just calm down and not think about a million things at once
getting good, quality sleep each night has made my workouts feel stronger, allowed me to feel more focused during the day, keep my stress levels low, mood swings minimal, better digestion etc! the benefits of good sleep are truly endless.
2. journaling
i started keeping a journal when i was around 6 years old haha so this has been a consistent habit for me for most of my life. but, i got out of the habit once i got married and definitely once i had shiloh. i asked for this journal for christmas to help me get back into the habit of journaling everyday and LOVE it. sometimes looking at a blank page with lines can feel overwhelming so the journal gives you a few simple prompts. each morning i journal i check in with myself and answer the question ‘how am i, really?’. then, i list my ‘top 3’ for that day – this can be 3 things you’re thankful for, or 3 intentions for the day, or whatever you want. and then i take 5 minutes to just journal what’s on my heart or write out a prayer. sometimes i spend 15 minutes journaling and some days its 3. but this regular practice of journaling has allowed me to regularly check in with myself, see how i’m really doing, and to set my intention for the day. it’s really helped to calm + center + ground me before starting the day and be intentionally with the day ahead of me!
3. supplements
throughout our process of trying to get pregnant, i really nailed down my supplement routine (in an effort to get pregnant but also to reduce stress, support gut health, and deal with other symptoms i was having). a year or two ago i would take a prenatal and a probiotic and all it a day (which is definitely better than nothing), but i have a supplement routine i swear by now because i truly think it’s helped tremendously with my overall physical and mental health.
i won’t go into details here of every single supplement that i take but one that i DO think has made a huge difference in so many different areas is magnesium. i take this magnesium l-threonate supplement from cymbiotika everyday. magnesium can help support your digestion, sleep, stress levels, improve memory, calm central nervous system and more. it’s one of those supplements that i think EVERYONE needs in their routine and helps with so many different symptoms you might be having!
i’ll save my entire supplement routine for another day haha but overall really nailing down a supplement routine that works for my body and helps support my overall physical and mental health has made such a HUGE difference in my sleep, my stress levels, my energy levels, immunity, digestion and more.
4. morning routine
i know everyone’s life situation is different – you might have a newborn or have to be at work at 5am and i am very fortunate to get to HAVE a morning routine at all (and i know this will drastically change once we have a newborn). BUT i think no matter what your morning routine looks like – whether it’s an hour long routine or 10 minutes – taking time in the morning to be alone (and / or to be with God), set your intention for the day, and take a few deep breaths is EVERYTHING.
my personal morning routine involves time with God, prayer, meditation, journaling and a walk. i do all of these things before getting shiloh up for the day and it really helps me to show up as my best self for the rest of the day because i’ve had time to be with Jesus and ground myself in His love for me, and set my intention on how i want to show up for the day.
maybe you don’t have an hour in the mornings for an extensive routine. but i’d encourage you to try and set your alarm for at least 20 minutes before your kids wake up. sit in silence, pray, journal, do a meditation, or get some movement in. create space to just be by yourself and set an intention for the day before the chaos begins!
5. water
okay this one is SO BASIC but i’ve been BLOWN away by what a difference properly hydrating myself can make! i’ve been way more conscious of this since getting pregnant (because i was having some major constipation issues tbh). i’m not one of those people that just naturally drinks a ton of water everyday. i have to be super conscious of it or it doesn’t happen. it helps me to have ONE water bottle i stick with throughout the day. so i’ll fill up this 40oz water bottle (or my stanley 40oz) once in the morning, and make a goal to drink two of them by the end of the day.
this has made a HUGE difference with my digestion / constipation issues. it’s also made my skin look so much more glowy and hydrated and just made me feel better overall! i noticed (just like any habit) that the more i did this every single day, the more natural it became to me to drink water (because like i said, i actually really don’t like drinking water normally haha) but once you start to see and feel the benefits of it, drinking water does become easier.
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what are some wellness habits that you swear by or that you’ve seen tremendous benefits from? would love to hear about them in the comments below!
xo Lauren
