September 15, 2023
When I first began studying Ayurveda, I quickly learned the importance of daily routines. I began waking up early around 5am, drinking warm water, practicing yoga asanas, meditating, and enjoying a warm, nourishing breakfast. The impact was almost immediate – I felt more grounded and engaged throughout the day, and my overall effectiveness increased.
This experience made me realize just how important daily routines are for our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. In a world that seems to be moving faster than ever, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, and stressed.
According to Ayurvedic principles, establishing a consistent routine helps bring balance to our bodies and minds, promoting optimal health and wellbeing. This can include practices such as waking up early, practicing yoga or meditation, and eating regular, nourishing meals.
Routines can also help us manage our anxiety by creating structure, reducing uncertainty, and unpredictability. They help us know what to expect. By incorporating self care into our daily lives we have a sense of control and not feel that life is always chaotic.
How can start to incorporate these principles into your daily life? I always follow the principle take small steps. For example, you might start by waking up earlier and doing a light stretch, drink warm water, or make yourself a nourishing breakfast. These simply small steps can really have a great impact on the rest of our day and on our overall physical and mental health.
Research has shown that establishing a routine can help reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and boost overall wellbeing. It can also improve our productivity and creativity, as we are able to focus our energy on specific tasks and goals.
What will you start to incorporate today?
Here’s a list to get you started
- Conscious breathing- take a few minutes either at the same time everyday or whenever you remember- breath deep, feel your breath, release
- Movement- a morning walk, yoga, exc..
- Go to sleep/get up at the same time everyday- for those that have trouble with sleep, this can make a big difference
- Gratitude journaling, or just journalling, morning pages, or write what’s on your mind before bed.
- Meditation- can be as short as 1 minute, it’s not about the length it’s about your commitment to yourself.
- Drink warm water in the morning, have a cup of herbal relaxing tea at night, or a midmorning coffee, be happy.
- Limit screen time- know your boundaries, check in to see if this affects your anxiety, your sleep, choose media carefully.
- Meet a friend, share a meal, a cup of tea, a walk.
- Eat nutritious meals- eat what makes you feel good, keep to a time schedule, enjoy!
- Take breaks and rest- schedule in rest time throughout the day, move away from your computer, take a walk, lay down, sit, breath.