Achieving Success and Wellness Through Daily Rituals - A Sneak Peak

This week we are diving into a snapshot of my (Leah) daily life. Typically, there is not a lot of down time in my days, and I keep my life organized through a series of lists and planners because every day of the week looks different. What keeps me sane is managing what I can directly control and adapting to the things I do not have direct control over. So, let’s get into the controllable of my life.

The Controllable in My Life

• Morning Routine: Every morning I get up around 04:45am. For me a productive day starts with a well-structured morning, so I don’t feel behind or off track. I start my morning with vitamins, probiotics, and a decent amount of water. Next, I make my breakfast, which recently has just been avocado bacon toast with a side of applesauce. I prep the French Press and get my coffee brewing as go get dressed for my morning work at the research lab. As I dash out the door, I throw together my coffee and grab my lunch.
• Working Out / Physical Activity: After retiring from swimming, my body has experienced significant changes that have greatly challenged my self-esteem. Weight gain became a struggle, leading to self-doubt, negative self-talk, and a general dislike of who I am and what I look like. Additionally, coming up with a gym plan and sticking to it is difficult for me so I follow set work series. Right now, I am in week five of an eight-week program. Sticking to a series of workouts keeps me motivated to not miss a day and keeps me focused to make every minute that I have in the gym worthwhile. I try to get about five to six days of some sort of movement or workout in with each session being around 45-minutes. I have found that this is a good amount of time to push myself physically, refresh myself mentally, and start to create a more positive mindset.
• Meal Planning: I'm just going to say it food is hard when you are constantly on the go. Eating has been one of the hardest things for me to feel motivated to keep up on. However, I have start to do weekly meal planning. As I mentioned, I typically eat the same thing for breakfast on weekdays, but every Sunday I write down what I am going to cook for meals for every dinner along with lunches and snacks. I tailor my grocery shopping to this planning, and it helps me take the guess work out of each day.
• Evening Routine: By 06:00pm, it’s time to prepare dinner according to what I planned for that day. After eating dinner, I pack lunch for the next day and ensure I have a clean and organized kitchen. If I have homework, this is when I would dedicate time to completing it; otherwise, a TV show is always a nice way to wind down. A little pleasant treat I have started these past few months is making myself a nightly mocktail as I complete my guided journal. This mocktail is extremely simple to make. It’s just organic tart cherry juice or organic antioxidant juice mixture mixed with mineral sparkling water. This combination helps my body decompress, prepare for sleep, and promotes better sleep.

Another thing I have started to do is this idea of habit stacking. I originally learned this from a TikTok channel I follow. The idea of habit stacking is when you do something beneficial for yourself to get 1% better while doing something that you have to do. Simply, I integrate beneficial habits into tasks I must do. For example, folding laundry is a chore that I must do; however, while I fold laundry, I also listen to a self-improvement podcast. Additionally, building healthy habits is key for me. Just adding one new habit a week or every two weeks is a great way to start improving your lifestyle and build a healthier version of yourself in a sustainable way.

Are you curious about how to conquer the chaos of a busy life while focusing on self-improvement and overall well-being? Join me on this journey of balance, motivation, and self-improvement. Feel free to reach out on any of the WorldsApartWordsTogether media platforms and stay tuned for more tips and insights!