Return your hectic life to normal
By Morgan Hannah, Life & Style Editor
You have to commit to a day in order for it to be a good one. Sometimes that can be difficult to do, especially when all the days seem to blend together as they do in quarantine. But there is hope! It all starts with something called the 30 Day Ideal Morning Challenge. But before we get into what that is, let’s start by outlining what your current routine looks like, distractions and all. What do you do from the moment you wake up to the moment you find yourself crawling back between those covers? After sincerely writing an outline, ask yourself if there is anything within your day that you can remove or shorten to give yourself more time.
Now that you’ve eliminated all possible distractions from your day, it’s time to bring out a journal that you can keep handy for daily use in the 30 Day Ideal Morning Challenge. First, set an intention for the day—much like a goal, setting an intention for the day gives your day shape, and it gives you something to accomplish that must be done in order for the day to have been successful. After you’ve set an intention, list three things that you’re grateful for. Some of the world’s smartest and most successful people start their days with gratitude and I’ve personally found that being thankful is an excellent foundation to plan a day on. At first it might feel pointless or extra, but after a couple of days of listing what you’re grateful for, you begin to notice a difference in the way you feel upon waking up—you’re happier, more accepting, and things just feel brighter. Make sure that you don’t miss a day when recording what you’re appreciative for, but if you do it’s okay—just start up again.
Lastly, write down something that you plan on doing for yourself—a lighthearted moment just for you. Whether that something is setting aside an hour for watching your favourite show with a glass of wine, giving yourself some uninterrupted time in meditation, or making a tasty snack. Ensuring that you are honest with yourself and actually fulfilling each step of this challenge is the only way to receive the benefit from it.
The next step is physical. There are a variety of physical challenges out there to help keep you active, but my favourite one is simple: drink a glass of water first thing when you wake up in the morning, followed by a 30 second plank. We’re talking exercise here, so find somewhere comfortable to do your plank. And lastly, find the time to get in 20 minutes of cardio. Get your heart rate up and a decent sweat happening for at least 20 minutes. This may sound challenging (it is a challenge after all), but it doesn’t have to be! For example you could find a set of stairs and run up and down them as fast as you can while pumping your arms for 20 minutes, do some burpees on the carpet, and then switch into froggies (the more compact version of burpees) for 20 minutes—anything to get the blood flowing.
And lastly, work on your surroundings and what
you do in your off-time. It’s easy to fall back into a cycle of not feeling
good and having each of your days blend together again when you do the same
thing every day. It’s a good idea to change things up and to beatify the space
that you occupy. Yup, you heard that right. By beautifying the space, you
constantly have to be in, you feel more organized and earn a sense of ease and
accomplishment. My personal favourite method of this is indoor gardening—my
partner and I have over 60 plants in our home, including tomatoes, aloe,
strawberries, and a variety of herbs. Not only has gardening been a soothing
and naturalistic hobby, but it has been a fruitful one, too! Our plants provide
us with fresh home-grown veggies and berries, as well as medicines and natural
moisturizers, help to put a smile on our faces, and they make our space look
great!
Next, I’d recommend taking
on an activity that requires you to build up a routine, such as writing a book
or a memoir, putting together a dedicated area in your home for learning a new
skill (such as meditation), playing an instrument, learning a language, or
carving out a time for learning a new business strategy via online seminars and classes. These are
skills that will help you in the long run by broadening your capabilities and
interests and potentially even providing you with more opportunities once
quarantine has been lifted. Additionally, by taking the time to build a routine
around actives, you are helping yourself create a grounded sense of normalcy. You
may even have fun while you’re at it and forget all about being in quarantine!
