September – Time for routine and healthy habits?

Forget January, there’s something about September isn’t there? It’s the perfect time to create some new healthy habits.

I think for a lot of us in the UK it brings back those childhood memories of the end of the summer (with all its frivolity and freedom) and then going back to school with a bump… getting your feet measured, uniform checked and labelled, new stationery and alarm clocks set. Structure, routine, regime even! ⏰

There are pros and cons to this level of organisation, but I think what I’ve brought forward subconsciously is that feeling of STARTING AGAIN with a clean slate which can make me feel happy and hopeful 👉 That sense of starting afresh with an urge to create some new healthy habits which feel achievable, but not unrealistic… Kind of like starting the new school year, when (no matter what happened last year) there was that optimism of keeping your new shoes shiny, your new blazer fresh and your pencil case pristine… for a couple of weeks at least! 😅

A routine gives us a focus

I don’t know about you but I have a love/hate relationship with routine. Too much of it and I get a bit frustrated, too little and I feel a bit lost. It’s nice to have that happy medium. Unfortunately this year, it feels like we’ve been treading water or simply waiting for something.

I usually encourage my clients to just go for their goals, but this year of uncertainty has certainly thrown a spanner in the works for many with regards to making progress. 🧐 The good thing about routine is it can give us that much-needed feeling of certainty at times when we most need it.

You can be your own certainty in a sea of uncertainty

Be your own best friend

We’ve been faced with challenges and decisions we’ve never had to make before and it seems like everything has been affected, especially the things we used to take for granted. Like travel, shopping, work, school, eating out, a pint in the local… the list goes on… And the problem is, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any form of normality back any time soon (apart from the kids donning their school uniform again, hallelujah! 😆)

Focus on you and your surroundings

So stick with your one constant.. that’s YOU! 💪 Be your best ally. Tell yourself that you’ve got this even if the whole world is still looking crazy right now. And if you’re wondering what you can do to control the chaos, the secret is to focus on the things you CAN control, rather than the things you can’t! The chaos is going to happen regardless so you might as well prioritise YOU and your family and put some strategies in place to help with your daily life.

For a related post on the home environment click here.

What healthy habits can you cultivate?

Now is a great time to create some new habits which support your mental health and give you a focus and structure. From yoga to HIIT workouts, planning healthy meals to learning crochet! Or even just sticking to the basics of drinking more water and getting enough sleep.

Or are there any bigger changes you’d like to make? Now could be a good time to research a new job, a new interest, or a change of location even. What have you been too scared to do (but actually when the world’s gone bonkers, that thing you’ve been wanting to do doesn’t seem that crazy after all. And it might just lead to a future with more happiness and a greater sense of connection to your true self ✨

Accept the present while planning your healthy habits

Does this feel like the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? It’s all about perspective. If you’re alive, why aren’t you living? 💃 Why aren’t you embracing your uniqueness and your special gift to the world? As Mel Robbins says, you are 1 in 400 trillion. You have life changing ideas for a reason.

Take control. Your problem isn’t a lack of ideas, your problem is that you don’t ACT on them. And then you tell yourself you can’t do it.. sound familiar? 🙈 Well you won’t find happiness and peace of mind without taking action and making some progress my friend. (To view a related post about progress vs. perfection, click here.)

Are you working from home?

Maybe distractions and lack of focus are a problem for you? A quick but powerful tip for when I’m procrastinating is to ask myself, “Is this thought or action going to help me get where I want to go?” Quite often the answer is a resounding NO! So get aware of yourself and the way you spend your time. We all know that when we are focused AND being productive it feels amazing!

Procrastination is a problem for many…

Did you know… The average employee wastes around 2 hours a day – mostly surfing the internet, on social media, gossiping or day dreaming.. that’s 10 hours a week! I think the same can be said if you are working from home (or worse!) – unless you are disciplined enough to separate your work life from your home life. See some tips below for simplifying and maximising your productivity.

I’m here to tell you that you CAN get focused enough to extract the potential in each day ✨

You got this!

7 ways to maximise your productivity with these healthy habits…

• Plan ahead – Planning your day (or at least parts of it the night before) can be a game changer – no more time wasted in the morning writing your ‘to-do’ list and wondering where to start first!
  
• Focus on one task at a time – so much more productive! I know the women among us like to think we can multi-task (and we can) but when you’re flitting between emails, social media, work docs, and online shopping that ain’t multi-tasking lady, that’s called procrastinating!
  
• Leave your phone in another room or put it on silent while you work – come on, we all know it’s too tempting not to check it every 10 mins!
  
• Allocate 50 minutes per task with 10 minutes break in between for a change of scenery (and maybe checking your phone!)
  
• Schedule some time outdoors to recharge – so one of your breaks could involve a walk outside, or even a quick run if you’re feeling brave!
  
• Create some daily rituals – and do them around the same time every day (this helps them become second nature). A herbal tea break? Journaling? Affirmations in the shower anyone?
  
• Set your alarm 30 mins earlier than normal and don’t even think about hitting snooze. You have a small window of time before your body and mind will conspire against you by choosing comfort over courage!

Get motivated!

If you need a bit of motivation… think of all the challenges you have overcome in your life so far, write them down if you like. See how amazing you are! Also, try listing all the things that you like about yourself, or are grateful for or proud of… However mundane you think they might be, they are part of what makes you YOU! ✨

YOU are one multifaceted, awesome UNIQUE human being 🙌

Yes you are!

And it’s time to celebrate that 🥳… the good bits, the in-between bits and even the not so hot 🙈. Because right now, it’s really important to appreciate who you are, where you’ve been and where you’re going, even if you’re not quite there yet!

So I’m curious.. do you see September as a fresh start for new beginnings? Or as the end of summer and a long downward wintery slope until the joy that is Christmas?! It’s all about perspective ✨ A positive perspective and an air of hope obviously gives us a healthier and happier outlook on life.

Create your happy

Time to get back on track. As much as I’ve enjoyed having my kids around 🥰, I’m grateful for them going back to school! It’s so important to get some space to think and plan and work out what you really want. How about using the weekend to plan your week ahead? Whatever you do, make sure you keep scheduling in time for yourself in the form of healthy habits ✨

Self-care and routine will mean different things to different people. But don’t forget your basic self-care which is even more important than ever right now, especially if we are feeling stressed and anxious. Basic self-care includes: Washing • Eating • Brushing teeth • Making the bed • Getting dressed • Drinking enough water.

If the above is all you can manage right now, that’s absolutely fine! Just take it one day at a time and when you’re ready, start adding other things to that basic routine. For some information on the science behind routines and mental health and how it can help with anxiety and depression, read this post from psychologytoday.com

Plus, if you need a little supportive voice on the sidelines of YOUR journey when creating your healthy habits then slide into my inbox and grab yourself a Life Coach – ME! 😃 You can email me here: caroline@coachyourlife.co.uk

Or sign up to my mailing list below and I’ll send you 85 Simple Self-care Ideas for FREE, many of which could become new healthy habits! ✨

#takecontrol #newreality #newperspective #beyourbestfriend #healthyhabits #youarecapable #selfdevelopment #trustyourself #newnormal #selfhelp #lifecoaching #choosejoy #createyourhappy