Lifestyle

Midweek pick-me-up: Creating a nourishing self-care routine for a happier life

True story: Monday is one of my favorite days of the week. Everyone always looks at me like I’m insane, whenever I mention this. I get that.

Admittedly, I was once one of those people who lived for their weekends. I’d run on an autopilot mode during the week- literally. I’d get in my car, drive to work and think, as I pulled into the parking lot, “how did I get here already?”. All I thought about was that getting through this day, will get me closer to the weekend. Thing was, my weekends weren’t all that exciting, either. Still, I’d always count down the days and long for that time on Friday afternoon, when I log off my work computer and head home.

What changed?

Well, I’ve realized that it wasn’t my work that I was dreading and it wasn’t my work that was leaving me feeling exhausted. My habits, the things that I did every single day, were leaving me feeling stuck and overwhelmed.

I used to take the smallest of things personally, I worried about everything going wrong, I had trouble falling asleep at night because my anxious mind wouldn’t let me relax. As a result, I never got enough sleep, I drank too much coffee, that, in turn would make me feel even more anxious.

Gratitude and mindfulness; those are the things that changed my life.

I mean, okay. As a kid, I was told all the time: “remember to say Thank You!“.  I never thought of myself as an ungrateful person, yet I showed my lack of gratitude every single day.

I’d complain about everything and see nothing wrong with it. I could spend an entire day nagging at my husband telling him that he works too much, instead of cherishing the little time we had to spend together.

But you know, I still considered myself to be very grateful, just so we’re clear.

There’s this amazing shift that happens once you start practicing mindfulness. You notice things you never noticed before. You’re more focused, less stressed, you appreciate everything that’s around you.

Once you uncover the power of gratitude and mindfulness, your days, the way you see everything, will start to change.

Next thing on the list of my life-changing habits? Self-care.

It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MORNINGS

I’ve developed a special bond with my early mornings and I wouldn’t give them up for anything- not even for an extra hour of sleep. No, I wasn’t born a morning person. In fact, up until a few years ago, I was a night owl and my days often ended at 3 o’clock in the morning. These days, I’m usually in bed by 10 pm and up by 5 am and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

How can becoming an early riser help you?

If you’re constantly busy and don’t have a lot of time for yourself- get up early and take a long, relaxing bath.

A bath?

Really?

Early in the morning, before work?

Well, why not? A hot bath, a good cup of coffee, a good podcast or a few chapters of a book; these are all things that most of us, busy, working people would call “a treat”.  I’m a workaholic who also believes in the power of slow-living and self-care. While I don’t necessarily believe that you can “have it all” I do think that achieving a certain harmony in life is within everyone’s reach (really trying to avoid the word “balance” here, because I can’t stand it).

And hey, if a hot bath isn’t your thing (or you don’t have a tub) go for a run. See the sunrise. Make an epic breakfast. Write in your gratitude journal. Get a good workout in. Do your laundry or prep your dinner so your evening can be a bit more chill. I personally love having a cup of tea and sitting down to write, just as the sun comes up. Sometimes a single post takes me hours (or days) to finish, so as someone who also works full-time, my mornings are precious to me and I have to take advantage of them. Early morning is also the time when I’m usually most productive.

Do something that makes you feel good. Have something to look forward to, every single morning. Change your mornings, change your life.

MEDITATE

The more you think you don’t have time for things like meditation, the more you can benefit from it. It can help you feel grounded, it centers you, calms you down, makes you feel refreshed. If your work can sometimes get stressful, if you often feel overwhelmed meditating can both lower your stress and improve your focus. I don’t know how I’d cope with those stressful days, if it wasn’t for meditation. Don’t know where to start? Try an app like Calm.

PAMPER

A face mask, a manicure, a massage- those are usually things you look forward to doing after a long week. Those things feel much more special and fun if you do them during the week. Most of us run a little bit on *autopilot* during the week and not everyone has time for a candle-lit 1-hour long bath. A 10-minute face mask at the end of the day, a face massage, a foot-soak while also spending 30 minutes away from your phone is all it takes to unwind. I also love diffusing essential oils or burning my favorite candle.

GET AN EARLY START

…to your night. Seriously, is there anything better than sleep? Turn off all your electronics and get some quality Zzzs. If you can’t get to bed early, try to at least sneak in a little power nap. Napping is probably one of my favorite self-care practices, not going to lie.

JOURNAL

I like to think of journaling as a real-life pensieve. Whenever you feel overwhelmed with your thoughts, try journaling. My very first journal was a gift from a therapist I saw back when I was in High School and I’m not exaggerating when I say that it can be life-changing. It certainly changed my life and the way I see myself.

When you have 100 different things running through your head, it can be difficult to concentrate on a single thought. BUT when you sit down and take the time to write down your thoughts, feelings or ideas, you can’t help but focus on that single thought. You can’t help but pay attention. You can learn so much about yourself. You discover all these feelings, fears or ideas, dreams you never realized you had. If you don’t where to start with journaling, you can search for some prompts on self-reflection and discovery.

Taking care of yourself or “pampering” isn’t all about eating healthy or using a face mask or taking a long bath. Taking care of your mental wellbeing is even more important and it isn’t something that you should be doing only during your weekends.

Why not grab a dinner with a friend on a Tuesday or a Wednesday?  Why not have a movie night with your SO?

Your life “happens” during the week, too. And, if your 9-5 leaves you feeling drained and exhausted (and not in that “it was such an exhausting but a productive and satisfying day!” way) then maybe it’s a sign that it’s time to think about a bigger change (and in case you’re looking for it: *this is a sign*).


17 Comments

  • Reply
    Deanna Marie
    May 10, 2017 at 9:10 pm

    I love this post, Paula! I’m an early riser too and my mornings are everything! I’m still trying to get into meditating myself – it’s more intimidating than it looks! I’m going to try the app you suggested! So far, I’ve used a Youtuber called Boho Beautiful – she has excellent guided meditations uploaded on her channel. Self-care routines are awesome :)

    http://www.luxandvitae.com

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      May 11, 2017 at 8:30 am

      Thank you Deanna! Meditation definitely is a little intimidating at first- especially for those of us who love staying distracted :) I’m sure you’re going to love Calm!

  • Reply
    Ana
    May 11, 2017 at 8:48 am

    I really want to start to get into meditation! I think it has so many benefits xxx
    http://fallingforablog.blogspot.com.es/2017/05/5-outfits-5-lipsticks.html

  • Reply
    Aleksandra // bunniesaremagic
    May 11, 2017 at 8:57 am

    Because of my eyes through most of April I was going to bed around 7ish, and as an-old-lady-like as it sounds, it was truly glorious!

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      May 11, 2017 at 9:24 am

      Oh I bet it was amazing! Going to bed early is one of my favorite things, ever. My sister calls me a granny all the time, it’s worth it. :)

  • Reply
    Biana Perez
    May 11, 2017 at 11:16 am

    You always have the best tips! While I love my job and what I do, admittedly i do get overwhelmed and this is a nice reminder to slow down!

  • Reply
    Face to Curls
    May 11, 2017 at 11:19 am

    These are excellent tips. I’ve been thinking about trying mediation but we’ll see. Not sure as yet.

    Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com

  • Reply
    Cara E
    May 11, 2017 at 3:40 pm

    I love this post and all these tips! Self care is so important especially after a really busy day x
    http://www.britishmermaid.com

  • Reply
    Kiri Yanchenko
    May 11, 2017 at 6:21 pm

    I used to dread work too and lived for the weekends.
    And while mindfulness is something I practice; the thing that changed the working week for me was having a purpose outside of work (exercise and blogging/new business). I do little things during the day too to keep me interested and inspired.
    Like for lunch I will go for a walk, or catch the train to the city to run errands or go window shopping.
    Or I have lunch with a friend or my mum. Or I work on my blog on my laptop in the boardroom.
    After work I walk to gym and then meet my husband and go home.
    We have dinner together and then I work some more or we study Japanese together.
    We have been learning for 4 years! Then we watch something funny before going to bed.
    Kiri
    Set to Glow
    http://www.settoglow.com.au

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      May 14, 2017 at 6:57 pm

      That sounds like such a lovely routine Kiri! Love that you and your husband are picking up a new language, that’s awesome! :)

  • Reply
    Kiran
    May 12, 2017 at 5:47 am

    I honestly couldn’t think of anything better than waking up first thing and having a bath. I imagine that would set the most wonderful tone for the rest of the day, I need to try this! Great post, I think gratitude and trying to be present and taking time, even if it is just little moments here and there, for yourself makes all the difference. Great post Paula, I hope you are well and have a great weekend xxx

    ALittleKiran | Bloglovin

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      May 14, 2017 at 6:58 pm

      Thank you Kiran! It does sound lovely, doesn’t it? There’s no need for a special occasion to treat ourselves with some love ;)

  • Reply
    Natalie Redman
    May 24, 2017 at 6:29 am

    Great post! Love a good pampering sesh!

    http://www.upyourvlog.com

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