Throughout my experience with mental health I have come to realize that maintaining a wellness routine is imperative. Life may be hectic, but I learned that I have to set time aside for myself.
Routines are habits that you keep repeating and enjoy. The wellness routine that I tend to maintain is the routine that I enjoy. It does not restrict my daily life, nor does it seem tedious.
My wellness routine begins with waking up early. The days that my body feels like it needs extra sleep, I will sleep late. But, in general, I wake up around eight to nine in the morning.
I set alarms, but my alarm ringtone is not loud nor is it my ringtone for calls. Setting your alarm ringtone as a basic setting may not be the best for someone with anxiety. You can wake up anxious, thus I set a gradual sound as my alarm. Eventually, I began waking up before my alarm, and now I typically do not need an alarm to wake myself up.
I will drink a lot of water. There are many benefits, and I realized that I feel better when I am hydrated. Lately, I have been attempting a 30-day yoga challenge.
This is the first time I have attempted a 30-day challenge for something other than to lose weight. Instead, this is a challenge to make time for myself. The teachings of breathing techniques have helped me with my anxiety. I am able to maintain my breathing and calm myself when I begin to feel anxious.
The most important step in my wellness routine is setting aside my phone. It is so incredibly easy to get caught up in social media and texting.
But, I have found that putting my phone on “do not disturb” helps my mood when I first wake up. This way I don’t have to check social media the second I open my eyes in the morning. Checking social media is something that ultimately made me compare myself to others. Instead of doing that, I wake up, write a to-do list, make breakfast, and do something that makes me happy.
Maintaining a wellness routine has become my top focus. People who suffer from anxiety understand that every day is a little battle. But, in that battle, I become victorious if I keep my routine going.
It can just be 10 to 20 minutes of yoga time I give to myself. It helps me refocus my thoughts and gives me happiness. This may sound cliche, but the little things truly do bring happiness. The small changes I made to my daily routine have improved my quality of life.