What is your self care routine?

Before I go further please note that I don’t achieve this everyday. Today is a Monday and I am feeling motivated and “on it”. Despite my best efforts Wednesday morning will probably involve guzzling coffee, whilst chasing a nine year old round the house looking for shoes and homework.

I am a morning person... it’s worth getting that straight from the start. Not everyone is a morning

person and that’s fine. What I am about to describe I do first thing because it works for me. Your own self-care could take place at a different time of the day, if that is what works for you.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to find some time in your life for you... I know how hard that can be with the pressures of children, work, chores and the many other things we feel are more important than ourselves. However, if we look after ourselves, then we are best placed to look after others.

One of the reasons I like an early morning routine is I can get it done before anyone else is really awake, and it can be adapted to suit where I am and who is around me. Some of what I do is stolen from Hal Jordan’s Miracle Morning, which is a great read. However, not everything he suggests work for me so I have adapted it a little.

The following can all be achieved to incorporate the school run...however, it’s also worth noting that my son is also a morning person, easy going and happy to join me on the dog walk etc, which does make life a lot easier. I also switch the order around to suit other activities such as my Thursday morning 0700 networking meeting.

• Alarm goes off... yes indeed that’s the first, most important and most painful part... I use an alarm and it’s on the other side of the room so I have to get out of bed to switch it off. I don’t resent the alarm... but some days I really don’t like it.

• Down some water... honestly I wake up so dehydrated. Sometimes it feels like a hedgehog is nesting somewhere in the back of my throat!

• Affirmations, breathing and goals review. This is the bit I find hardest. Not really in my nature but I push on through a simple affirmation I have written, three minutes of focused breathing and then look at my long term goals and aspirations.

• Daily tasks - I write down three things I want to do today. These aren’t epic goals, just simple achievable tasks that I know will get me one step closer to my wider goals. I try to pick one for health, one for work and one for pleasure. At the end of the day I also write down three things I have achieved. If I am lucky it is the same as the morning tasks!

• 30 mins on the bike. I bought a cheap bike to go on my turbo trainer (see post on Investing in your health). The fact it’s here at home means I can fit in the effort no matter the weather.

• In theory I follow it up with some sets of strength exercises. In reality I give up after about the third push-up and hit the shower.

• After I am dressed it’s time for a healthy breakfast with a cup of hot lemon, honey and ginger. This is true about 5 days a week. The other two involve bacon or pancakes. Sometimes both... with maple syrup. If you haven’t tried pancakes, bacon and maple syrup you are missing out one one of life’s truly great combinations.

• Then it’s out with Rosie the #hypnodog for a couple of miles walk before the morning coffee ritual. I use a stovetop moka pot. I love it.

Make of this what you will. It works for me and that is what matters. See what works for you. Miracle Morning is definitley a good motivator and starting point.

Adam Baggs Hypnotherapy offers solution focused hypnotherapy in Cirencester as well as online hypnotherapy. Learn more about what I can help with here.