I’m one of those crazy people (yup, just getting right to it here!) who feels like my life is chaos if I don’t have a plan. I’m not efficient, I’m not productive, I’m not the best version of me. So recently, after trying many ways to cure the chaos and constantly hearing the term “Self Care,” I decided to give it a go!
Self Care, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is: the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.
Sign.Me.Up.
So I’m going to run thru my morning routine with you bc I truly believe this is what focuses me and gets me thru the day – be sure to read all the way thru to the end for a challenge and prize from me!
My Morning Routine
First up, the 5:30am Club.
I watched this video awhile back and while its long, there’s SO much good information in it. If after watching it you don’t have even the slightest bit of motivation to give it a try, there’s something wrong with you. Sorry, but there is.
So as it said in the video, I didn’t go to bed early the first night, I went to bed a little after 11pm and had my alarm set for 5:30am. I like to use the Early Riser alarm for my wakeup bc instead of a blaring sound, its this weird musical melody and confuses me and in turn, wakes me up thinking,
“What the heck is happening?”
So here’s the trick, you MUST immediately get out of bed once you alarm goes off.
Do not hit snooze.
Do not close your eyes again.
Do not do anything except get your butt out of bed.
Movement is the first key in keeping yourself awake.
Next, open your blinds, turn on your light and make your bed.
In addition to movement, light tricks your mind to think that its time to wakeup.
After that, chug a glass of water.
I always go to bed with a glass of ice water on my nightstand so I just grab and chug. That big burst of water also helps to wake you up.
Next, its time for the coffee!
I head on out to the kitchen and turn on my coffeemaker. I prep everything the night before so all I have to do is press brew and then put the coffee in my body as quickly as possible. (We have this coffeemaker).
Once my coffee is ready, I sit on the couch and read two chapters of whatever book I’m reading at the moment. Two chapters is usually just enough to cover the time it takes me to drink my coffee and is manageable.
Reading two chapter keeps me on track to read at least one book a month.
I find that reading first thing gives me quiet time and if I don’t do it then, its not going to happen. I’m currently reading The Very Worst Missionary (which is amazing btw) and I’ve recently loved “Girl Wash Your Face,” “The Year of Yes” and “Braving the Wilderness.”
After that, its time to get my blood flowing!
I have a love/hate relationship with working out.
When I was single, I hit the gym daily and I was in shape! I miss my pre-marriage body but most days, I’m too tired to work out and could find 10,000 other things to do instead! I’ve heard a ton of other bloggers talk about BBG (Bikini Body Guide) before and was always interested but didn’t wanna pay for it. Well, one of those bloggers shared a link for a Free 30-Day Trial so why not give it a shot? Gals, its SO good! I downloaded the app, chose BBG Beginner and started working out on Monday.
The different thing about BBG is you can do all of the workouts at home and they’re all 28 minutes long! If that doesn’t spell convenience, I don’t know what does! The app has timers, playlists, water and step trackers, meal plans AND they show you how to do each move while you’re doing it! We have a “home gym” on one side of our two-car garage so thats helpful, but you can use a chair instead of a weight bench, a can of soup instead of a dumbbell and you can do this workout anywhere! I’m really excited to share this same free trial with all of you – just click here to get started! Again, literally nothing to lose here and this is not an ad or a sponsored post.
I get nothing from you trying it out, I just wanted to share the love!
After I work out, I make myself breakfast and take my vitamins (get $40 OFF yours here) while listening to a podcast on our Google Home.
I am on a total podcast spree lately!
Some of my favorites include RISE with Rachel Hollis, RISE Together, The Skinny Confidential and Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher. After eating, I empty the dishwasher, throw in a load of laundry, take out anything that needs to thaw for dinner and plan my day out.
I love using my Erin Condren Planner in the hourly format to help time block my day. I usually put my top three important things first thing in the morning and the rest afterwards. I put a half-hour buffer on each task bc life happens. The hubs and I also have a shared Google Calendar to keep our lives in check btw his meetings, my meetings, the kids’ sports, etc. Its a lifesaver and its free!
My Nighttime Routine
After we eat dinner, we clean everything up right away.
A clean kitchen gives me life and a sink full of dishes makes me wanna go crazy!
I always start the dishwasher before bed so we have clean dishes in the am and any cups we use after dinner have the chance to make it in the wash by that point.
I’m the worst with washing my face, but I have to do it bc of adult acne issues I’ve had – read about them here. To make sure I do it, I set a reminder in my phone at 8pm every night to remind me to do it. By doing it at 8pm, it gives me time to do a mask or derm rolling or whatever.
I’m not half-asleep by that point so its not torturous or easy to skip!
After that, I have a cup of tea while watching a show with the hubs. Hot tea soothes me and helps settle me down for the night. I recently started drinking this before bed and who knew magnesium knocks you out?? Magnesium is a mineral that has been found to reduce inflammation, relieve constipation, lower blood pressure and helps you sleep! It has a way of calming your nervous system and helping your muscles to relax which in turn, makes your tired! A friend gave this to us in a care package a few months ago and I finally randomly tried it and now I drink it every night! It tastes really good! If you’re not into hot beverages, they also make it in gummy form.
If I don’t fall asleep on the couch, I head to bed by 10:00 at the latest
with my woobie (aka Nap blanket) and turn on the white noise option on our Google Home and within minutes, I’m out cold. Thankfully the Bedtime setting on my iPhone ensures I’m woken up at 5:30 the following morning and also tracks my sleep in the process!
So those are the self-care steps I’ve been taking recently
and this is what I’ve found:
- I’m sleeping better.
- I’m more focused and productive during the day.
- I can get SO much done by 9am.
- I’m a better wife, mom and all around gal!
- I feel GOOD!
Here’s my challenge to you:
- Take one of my Self-Care Tips for a spin this week – start today!
- Share it on Instagram (in a post or a story) and tag me > @jillianrosado
- Do it for a week, establish the habit and on August 10th,
I will draw a winner to a fun little self-care package from me!
I would love to see what you’re all doing and reward you for taking steps to take care of yourself!
As always, be sure to follow along with my on Facebook, Instagram and subscribe on the sidebar so you never miss a post! If you’re really loving this, be sure to pin this post to share it with the world! xo
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