Why so lost? It seems the older we get the more lost we get. We lose ourselves to others. It’s not always a bad thing though, we just need some fine-tuning to understand that we really need to make ourselves happy.
Many of us wake up and go. We start our day at full throttle and it’s quickly filled with chaos. Before we know it the evening shows up and we feel that we haven’t even stopped to breathe. When did you do anything for yourself? “Well, I did stop by the local coffee shop and grabbed a coffee and my favorite pastry!” That’s fantastic, but did you realize that you devoured it in 5 seconds during your commute to the office all while on the phone with your boss that demanded your attention?
I’m sorry, but that’s not getting back to you and your wants and needs. You didn’t even taste the coffee or the pastry. You should have managed your day better and arrived earlier. At the very least go to a park or visit a great nature scene near you to relax and enjoy being in the moment. The coffee will taste fantastic and the pastry will be out of this world! Breathe in slowly and soak up the goodness.
“Put your oxygen mask on first.” You will be of no use to yourself or anyone else if you can’t breathe. Make yourself happy first and foremost. Do not rely on others to make you happy. No one can do it so please don’t count on it. Many have a false sense of belief in it, but if you aren’t happy with yourself then you will just keep that cycle going.
Your day shouldn’t go by and then you realize that you didn’t reconnect with yourself. I promise you that if you create a good morning routine that starts off with you taking care of yourself first, your day will go smoother. It will give you a sense of peace. First thing in the morning should be about you. Make intentional choices.
Here are some helpful tips that can help you accomplish this.
(Yes, we all have responsibilities but do make the necessary strides to be peaceful with yourself)
-Wake up slowly. This will help ease you into the day. Waking up and rushing off to work just sucks. Most times the day just continues to feel rushed and leaves you frustrated. Wake up early.
-For the first hour stay away from your phone and other distractions. Nothing worse than to wake up and check your phone only to find notifications of things you need to do, a friend is pissed off because they are mad at the world, the world is at war, or other mood killers. Test this one out and you will instantly see the value and importance of it.
-Do your best to get the best sleep possible. A good sleep schedule works wonders.
-Create a morning routine of things that are for you and about you. Meditation, good breakfast, journals, soak in nature by taking a walk, exercise, or all of the above. Whatever helps you feel connected to yourself.
-Create time boundaries for your day. Include times when you work and times when you don’t. Some have more flexibility with this than others based on career, responsibilities, or whatever but do be steadfast with it and avoid making excuses. Do people say steadfast anymore? I thought I’d throw it in there and see what happens! SMILE!!!
-Chat with friends and family. The good ones of course! Communicating with those that we have healthy connections with is good for our souls.
Bonus
Have fun.
Find a hobby.
Volunteer.
Say “No” to others.
Get back to goals you never reached that you still may have.
Conclusion
Getting back to taking time out of the day for you is important for your overall health and well-being. Don’t take time for granted. Make sure you communicate with your loved ones about the things you do for yourself. If people love you they will understand. Additionally, it could very well inspire them to follow suit in their own lives.
What would you add to this list? Is there something impactful that you do to reconnect with you?
