5 Ways To Stay In Touch With Your Wellness Routine
Contributed By Maddie Pasquariello
These days, it’s a challenge (read: nearly impossible) to think about keeping up with your wellness routine when everything else is … a mess. Our routines have been thrown largely out of whack and sometimes it seems like just getting out of bed is a win for the day. But now more than ever it can be helpful to tap into some comfort by staying in touch with pieces of our usual routines.
Whether you’re completely keeping up with your routine, reimagining it entirely, or just ticking off one or two things a day that make a difference to you, hopefully the tips below can help you feel a little more connected and tuned in during a time when everything else is chaotic.
Decide which of your wellness habits are actually valuable to you.
At a time when we are all turning inward (whether purposefully or because we just have more time to ourselves), why not take the chance to figure out which rituals are serving you most? Since being confined to my apartment, I’ve realized that a little at home pilates session or some dancing around my kitchen is just as effective and fun as my usual hike to the gym and sweaty HIIT circuit. It’s given me a new perspective on the “movement” portion of my routine and reminded me that a little flexibility can be super beneficial for the body.
Make time for something more mindless.
While it’s important to face our feelings around what we’re going through at any given moment, it can be just as powerful to turn off and completely zone out for a minute. The time you take to disconnect (put your phone on airplane mode and lean into a book, a new recipe, a Netflix show, a board game) will ultimately help balance out the time you’re spending watching the news or getting regular text updates about everything else that’s going on in the world.
Establish 2-3 things that make you feel good when you start (or end) your day.
Decide on a couple of things that make you actually feel good when it comes to your morning or night routine. For me, it’s typically some sort of movement to start my day, a cup (or two) of coffee, and opening the shades (or even the windows if it’s nice out) so that there’s plenty of sunlight. I’ve adapted my routine a bit and I now work out after work, but the rest of my morning “routine” has stayed the same. Normally, this would be checking in with my family and friends, maybe doing a quick stretch, then a long commute and breakfast + coffee at the office. Now, of course, my office is my home, and vice versa, so I’ll wake up a few minutes earlier to ensure I have that quiet time to reset and get into “work mode” before the day starts.
Stretch.
Even if you’re finding yourself not super motivated to do much in the movement realm these days (same!) take a few minutes to do a 5 minute yoga video on Youtube, roll out your wrists and shoulders, and maybe even spend a minute or two in savasana, taking some time to just be in your body and see what needs a little relaxation or attention. I find that even if I spend 3 minutes stretching at the end of my day, it’s a good way to create some separation between a hectic workday and a more relaxed evening.
Make a list.
Give yourself a few tasks (achievable ones!) that you think are possible for that day. That could be something like making sure to drink enough water, making your bed, making a nourishing meal, drinking a smoothie, doing something self-care related, etc. Check things off over the course of the day. Even if you’re not achieving everything you set out to, being able to physically tick things off a list will give you a sense of productivity and purpose for your day.
Introducing our new contributor Maddie Pasquariello, Maddie is a nutritionist and Registered-Dietician-to-be, currently working as a hospitality and lifestyle publicist in NYC. She started @eastcoasthealth, her wellness + health platform, in 2014 as a way to share inspirational recipes and health content with her community. Her favorite things in life are baking, dance workouts, group dinners at her favorite local sushi spot, walking around Domino Park in Brooklyn, and of course a good Netflix session.
