Tag: writing

Rise + Shine – A Peek Inside My Morning Routine

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Do you feel like there’s never enough time in the day to do the stuff that truly fills you up and sets your heart on fire?  Do you feel pulled in every direction, by all kinds of people, all day long?  Do you feel like you never get a moment to yourself?

These are some of the struggles many people (especially women) feel on a daily basis.  Not only are we constantly needed (by our kids, our spouses, our family members, our friends, our colleagues, etc) but we live in a society where we are constantly bombarded by external stimuli.  Unless we make time to fill our own cup, we can be easily left feeling depleted, drained, and exhausted.

Enter: the morning routine.

A morning routine is the practice of setting aside intentional time for yourself before the rest of the world needs you.  It’s about getting up early to the do the things that make you the happiest but that you never seem to have the time or energy for.   It’s about filling your own cup and setting your heart on fire, so that you can shine more brightly for others.

The morning routine is something we are starting to hear more about as we begin to realize that intentional time to fulfill our own needs is not only enjoyable, it’s critical for our mental health and overall wellbeing.

I have been hearing about – and working on implementing my own – morning routine for at least a year now.  Although I am always tweaking it to meet my own needs and to best serve the season of life I am currently in, here’s an idea of what it can look like.

(Disclaimer: The key to a successful morning routine is to do the things that fill YOU up and what sets YOUR heart on fire.  YOUR morning routine may look different than mine, but I’ll share mine just to give you some ideas and because I believe that some of my own personal practices should be part of every woman’s morning routine.)

No phone in the bedroom

My morning routine actuallly starts the night before and that’s with a good night’s sleep. For awhile now, I’ve made the commitment to leave my cell phone out of the bedroom.  Not only does the blue light from the screen negatively affect our sleep, but I know that I will stay up way later if I am scrolling mindlessly on my phone.  Instead, I use my Alexa Amazon for my alarm. If you don’t have an Echo you could get an old-fashioned alarm clock or I’ve heard about these really great alarm clocks that are available on Amazon that emulate a sunset so that you can wake up to the room gradually getting lighter rather than a blaring alarm!

Say no to snooze

The second part of my morning routine goes hand in hand with the alarm clock and that is that I do not snooze (or at least I try really hard not to!) There is a lot of research out there about how detrimental snoozing is and how it negatively affects your day!  The Five Second Rule by Mel Robbins and The Ripple Effect by Greg Wells both have awesome information about why you should not snooze.  Make it part of your morning routine – your alarm goes off and you get up and get your day started!  Really, your morning routine should be so fulfilling  that you can’t wait to get up and get started!

Start your Power Hour

I always try to wake up so that I have at least an hour for my favourite activities before I need to start getting ready for my day.  Lately, 5:30 has been working well for me. When my alarm goes off at 5:30, I get out of bed and know I have the next hour (or more) to do the activities that make me the happiest.  Between 6:30-7:00, I start getting ready for work (hair, makeup, breakfast, dressed, brush teeth, etc) so that I can be out the door just after 8:00.

Meditate/ Quiet Time/ Pray

When that alarm goes off and I am out of bed the first things I do are pee, wash my face, and drink some water.  Then I head to my home office where I light a scented candle, turn on some relaxing music, and sit in silence for anywhere from one to five minutes (or more if I am really feeling it).  During this time, I am basically practicing meditation.  Other than  the music (which you can eliminate if you prefer total silence) the house is silent because everyone else is still sleeping. I focus on my breath (without forcing anything unnatural) and use this time to listen to the voice inside my heart – aka my intuition.  I listen to my inner voice (my thoughts) and acknowledge them without judgement. Then I let them go.  Recently, I’ve also started exploring my spirituality so I sometimes use this time to talk to God -whether it’s sharing what’s on my heart or thanking him for all my  blessings.  Although this is a fairly new practice for me, it’s incredible how amazing it feels to just sit and be with myself and my thoughts + feelings.  After all, it’s really the only time in my day when I am not reacting to or responding to external factors!

Journaling + Writing time 

Next in my routine, comes my favourite part – coffee + journalling!  I am a writer at heart so writing has never been an issue for me.   Sipping on a warm mug of coffee while writing?  Even better! Normally, I write what I call my ”morning pages”. Basically, I just sit at my iPad and write about whatever comes to my mind.  This is a free-flow type of writing that I find helps me to sort through my thoughts. Sometimes I will reflect on thoughts that came to me during meditation, other times I will write about how I am feeling about the upcoming day.  Other times, I have written out prayers, a list of goals that I am working towards, or read a religious devotional and write a quick reflection on it. I also enjoy writing out a list of positive affirmations so that I go into my day feeling confident + positive.

Another thing that I have just started doing is  writing my gratitude list at this time. I used to do it at the end of each day (as part of my nighttime routine – stay tuned for a future post!) until someone suggested writing about the day’s ‘wins” at night. That idea really resonated with me so now I write my gratitude list in the morning.

Personal Development

The next part of my morning routine has been an absolute game changer for me and that is reading (or listening to) personal development. Personal development is basically a more modern term for “self-help”.  I feel like my own personal development has been a journey on its own (again, stay tuned for future blog post) so I could go on and on, but basically what I do in the morning is either read a personal development book (my most favourite so far is You are a Badass by Jenn Sincero) or listen to a podcast and take notes.  The nuggets of information I get are absolutely amazing and have brought me miles on my personal wellness journey.  Like I said, I will write a post soon where I share my own personal development journey and share lots of great resources for you to check out!

Another thing I like to do during my personal development time, is work on skills or projects that I call my “heart work”.  My heart work is like work but it totally sets my heart on fire.  It lights me up and makes me so excited.  It is my passion. Lately for me,  this is planning + creating content for my health + wellness Facebook group Made for More (if you are not part of the group, and want in, message me!)  I’m also going to be using this time to plan my very first workshop I’ll be leading coming up in April!  I’m parterning with Rebel Soul Tribe and going to be talking about the power of a positive mindset when it comes to healthy eating!  I am totally terrified but also really excited – I’ll share more details as I know them!

Movement

I’ve included movement here because most people who have an intentional morning routine include some sort of exericse or movement and swear by the benefits of exercise in the morning. For me, personally, I have a pretty well established evening workout routine.  I prefer working out in the evening because  it helps me blow off any stress I’ve experienced that day, and I prefer to shower at night so it makes sense to work out before I shower.  What’s most important about movement and exercise though is that you find a routine that works for you!  Who knows, maybe some day I will try incorporating it in my morning routine. For now though, this works for me and that’s what’s most important!

So there you have it!  Like I mentioned above, this is my morning routine and yours won’t necessarily look the same. I would encourage you to try getting up even 15 minutes earlier and seeing what you can incorporate in the morning to fill yourself up before you have to face the demands of the day!

If you do try to incorporate a more intentional morning routine, I’d love to hear about it!  Or if you already have an established morning routine, please tell me all about it!  As I said, it’s one of my most favourite times of day because there’s really nothing better than filling my own cup so that I can pour into others!

xoxo

K.

Mind, Body, and Spirit

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mind body spirit

I have been thinking about this quote for awhile and when I saved it I knew that one day I’d write a blog post about it.  Today, while out for a short (yet very frigid!) walk, I started to think more about it and what it means to truly take care of myself – mind, body, and spirit.

Like many others, I’ve been on every diet and workout regime imaginable at some point or other throughout my adult life.  I’ve counted calories, lifted weights, went running, did aerobics, kept food journals, joined Weight Watchers, used a Fitbit,  and obsessed over every food I ate (or didn’t eat) and every workout I did (or missed).  Needless to say, taking care of my body has always been at the forefront of my mind.  That’s not to say that I’m always taking the best care of it, but it’s definitely something I understand the importance of.

Until recently, though, I never really thought about intentionally taking care of my mind. I’m a pretty sensitive, emotional person who over-thinks a lot of things and internalizes a lot of situations. Not taking things too personally is something I am currently working on, although it’s not always easy.  I have a pretty high-stress job working with children which is more mentally exhausting than it is physically.  I am a stepmom to two children (ages 12 and 16) and a wife so I have all the responsibilities that comes along with those two roles.  I’m a people-pleaser.  I don’t like to say no and I always worry about upsetting others with my actions.  Long story short, sometimes I’m pretty hard on my own mental state.

All of this came to a head this past fall when I started to really notice a change in my moods.  For the second year in a row when October hit, I began to struggle with what I believe could be seasonal depression (although I have never been diagnosed by a doctor).  As the days get shorter and darker, so does my mood it seems.  I notice a major lack in energy, more feelings of anxiety and feeling overwhelmed, and less ability to deal with the every day pressures of life.  When these feelings strike, I just simply don’t feel like myself.  I’m moody, irritable, cry almost daily, and just can’t get my mojo back.

It was on one of those bleak nights a couple of months ago, that I first found this quote online. Fall in love with taking care of yourself – mind, body, spirit. I realized then that despite all the work I had done over the years to try to keep my body healthy, I had never made intentional efforts to take care of my mind (or mental health). So I began to give it some thought….  but what could I do to take better care of my mind?   Here’s what I’ve come up with so far….

Write

Even though I spent hours as a child writing stories, filled endless journals as a teenager, and studied journalism in my undergrad, life had gotten in the way and I’d totally forgotten how meaningful writing is to me.  I’ve always felt that I could better express myself in writing. For instance, often when I’m angry, I’ll sit down at my computer and just hammer out all of my feelings.  As my fingers fly over the keys, my emotions pour out of me.  And once it’s all out, I instantly feel better.  But writing doesn’t just help me when I’m upset.  It also helps me express other pieces of myself, which is the main reason I started this blog.  Most importantly, it helps me to empty my mind of all the things that consume it day to day. No matter what I’m feeling, writing is fulfilling and helps immensely in clearing the space in my head.

Go for walks

Although walking has proven physical benefits, it’s another great activity for clearing my mind.  I’ve started the habit recently of taking a short, brisk walk after work which allows me time to reflect on my day and unwind (I get so wrapped up in my days at school that I often think of nothing else while I am there, so it’s nice to let all that go).  On top of that, the fresh air (despite how cold it is lately!) feels amazing and gives me the boost of energy I need to get through the evening routines at home.  The best part of my walks is letting my mind wander.  In fact, as I ponder different ideas, I’ll often start writing my next blog post in my head (like this one!)

On a freezing cold yet refreshing walk this week.

On a freezing cold yet refreshing walk this week.

Do yoga

I am definitely a beginner when it comes to yoga.   I’ve done a few basic classes and absolutely loved them and definitely plan to do more (starting tomorrow night!)  To me, yoga brings peacefulness, calm, and mental clarity.  It relaxes my mind and my breath while making my body strong.  I also happen to think that yoga poses are beautiful and know that it’s definitely something I want to incorporate more of into my current lifestyle!

Try meditation

If I’ve had only a little yoga practice, I’ve had even less with meditation. This being said, from the reading I’ve done about it, I’m eager to try my own meditation practice.  I’m still at the “learning” stage of this goal, but I’m sure that learning to be more mindful will only have positive outcomes.  For now, I plan to do some research and reading and to develop a better understanding of what exactly meditation is and the benefits it brings.

Take Vitamins

Currently I am taking B12 and Vitamin D (since we get so little sunlight these days!)

Be Gentle with Myself / Good Enough is Good Enough.

Of course, both of personal mantras lend themselves to a healthier state of mind (after all, that’s the whole reason I developed them in the first place).  I use these words often (sometimes aloud, sometimes quietly to myself) and find them both comforting and reassuring.  In the past, I’ve put too much pressure on myself which has only lead to exhaustion, anxiety, and stress.  I am slowly learning to let go of my perfectionism, to accept that little things are good enough, and to be more gentle with myself.

 

All this being said, I do realize that taking care of your body, mind, and spirit are not always separate entities.  There are certainly cases where these three areas overlap.  Going for walks and doing yoga, for example, obviously have both mental and physical benefits.  And it’s not hard to argue that taking care of your mental health naturally affects your spirit. That being said though, I do want to be more intentional about taking care of my mind and my spirit as much as I do my body.  Like many things, it’s a learning process but I’m always open to ideas and suggestions 🙂

What do you do to take care of your body, mind, or spirit?

xo,

K.

 

Why I Write

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pretty flowersTonight I am not sure what I want to write about or even how to start.  I have a thousand words in my mind, but at the same time I am lost for words. Tonight I am rambling. Thinking. Writing.

Some of you may be wondering what’s the point of writing a post if there’s nothing really to write about ?  And believe me, I asked myself the same question. I considered a myriad of topics and urged each one of them to take the shape of words in my mind.  I considered writing my response to the school dress code issue that was all over the news tonight – I considered writing about my dreams of one day owning a cottage (inspired by my current favourite Pinterest board, aptly named “Cottage Love”) – I considered telling you about an interesting poll a colleague of mine did today that showed half of her primary students show up to school hungry and tired – and while I will still likely write future posts on any or all of these topics, instead I choose to ramble.

So why?

Because I need to. As ironic as it may seem for a writer to be lost for words, I am not exactly sure how to explain the feeling that overcomes me – the urgent need and desire to write.  To be creative.  To express myself.  My laptop beckons me from it’s place in our living room and taunts me.  Write, write, write it calls.  And I want to. But what can I write about?  Who am I writing to?  For which purpose am I writing?  To simply do something I enjoy? Or to attract a variety of readers and entice more people to follow my blog? And what if it’s not good enough?  Not poetic enough?  What if my word choice is not strong enough?

So many times I have written and erased, written and erased.  I read over my own work – sometimes as I go, sometimes at the end.  Erase. Tweak. Edit. Revise.  That could be said better.  This is not what I meant.  This is a stronger word.  Copy and paste.  Cut. Delete.  Chop, chop, chop and arrange. Are all writers this judgemental of their own work?calm

When I was a child, I loved to write stories.  Make-believe, fictional stories that I spent hours writing.  While the words poured out of me and my pencil furiously scribbled them on paper, I delighted in my story.  I was proud of my words.  Excited.  Eager to share the ideas forming in my mind. After, my teachers and parents would praise me and tell me how good my writing was but by then I always doubted it. I’d always question it. I was my own worst critic. I’d re-read it and find phrases I didn’t like, doubt my plot, question if my vocabulary was right.

Even now when I write blog posts, the words come pouring out of me like blood gushing out of a deep wound. My husband says I type so fast that my keyboard is going to catch fire. But I am trying to keep up.  In my mind, the next sentence is forming in my mind, as I am writing the former.  Sometimes my fingers can’t find the keys fast enough.

I remember when I was a kid our teacher would always make us write a “plan” before we were allowed to write a story.  I hated the “plan”.  The ideas were already taking shape in my mind, the characters were speaking to me, and the setting was painting a picture.  I wanted to write it down as fast as I could.  I wanted to get my ideas on paper before they were gone.  But my teacher insisted that I had to do the “plan”.  I will never make my students write a “plan” if they don’t need one.writing

Even this very blog was born out of my need/desire to write.  I had this urge to be creative (as I often do).  I’m not a painter, I don’t do crafts or play a musical instrument, and although I tried scrapbooking, it was never my thing.  What’s my art?  I am a writer.  To be a writer, is simply to write.  I am not professional.  I am not published (not recently anyway).  I don’t write books.  But I can write.  I can take my inspirations and experiences and put them into words that form a piece of writing.

More importantly, by writing I can quiet my mind.  I can take all the thoughts that swirl in my mind all day – that exhaust me, overwhelm me, and consume me, and release them.  I let go of the words and  I find quiet, calmness, and peace. I find honesty, curiosity, creativity, self-doubt.  I find joy, pride, courage, and uncertainty.

But most of all, when I write, I find myself.