to ask what are your daily rituals? (if any)

[Fiveredbricks]

I'm trying to get myself back in to a much better headspace - I'm not doing so great right now due to some upheaval in friendships and my marriage not being at it's best, and was thinking on how I spend my day and what I can do to make it, I dunno, a much brighter, more comforting thing.

Beyond taking my vitamins and stuff I don't ever really do anything for 'me'. I don't even make myself a cup of tea anymore because it always goes cold :( (I blame the almost 2yr old running riot from 7am 😁)

I'm considering getting up at 5/6am from now on so I get an hour to do my own thing, whatever I decide that is.

Do you have any little things that make you happy that you do every day, or every few days?

I set my alarm far earlier than I need to to give myself 45 mins of calm and to drink gallons of tea before the day begins - it does ease my day no matter what I'm about to face

I like to stand outside in the garden in the early morning and enjoy the peace and quiet of the day beginning with a mug of tea. I love a camomile tea in bed before I go to sleep.

I always make a coffee first thing. My two boys get up at 6am. I put cbeebies on for an hour and that is when I have my coffee then do breakfasts etc before our day starts. I have to have that coffee and I always read half an hour before bed. You need to make room for yourself and get that cuppa back in your life! Get your 2 year old to join in. Mine loves to drink his milk and have a biscuit when I have my tea in the afternoon (another ritual). He is also 2 and sits with me and we look at books. 😊

Always a chapter at least of a book. Doesn’t matter what time of day, but I fit it in even on my busiest work days.

Don’t do it enough, but a bath with nice (doesn’t need to be expensive!) products.

Important routines/rituals for me:

Morning: first person in kitchen, kettle on, unload dishwasher (starting the day with an empty dishwasher makes it all ‘flow’ better), drink tea.

Daytime: (I WFH most days) Load of washing on, sweep kitchen floor/wipe sides, dog walk & podcasts, proper pot of coffee & nice breakfast e.g. bagel with eggs

Work, work, work, washing hung out, work, school run & awful kid-related business etc

Evening: cuddling kids, having an intentional calm bedtime we all enjoy not just endure, then dog walk, glass of wine (maybe bath), cuddle dog on sofa. Dishwasher on before bed - always.

Other ad hoc stuff that makes me feel better is writing shit down a la bullet journal (but not really!), weeding (random, infrequent), listeningvti audiobooks when cooking/pottering, candles/oil diffusers and nice smells and a fire in the log burner. And having a TV series only I’m watching to catch up on alone.

Use the head space app. It's free and it's 10mins a day. Once baby is asleep or kids at school you may have to almost force yourself to do it but it's wonderful. Also take a walk, just 10mins if you can. Just take 10mins at a time and consider it your small victory for the day. Or sudoku, puzzles, mindful colouring. Just take it 10mins at a time xx

20-30 minutes of yoga with adriene before bed. It's free on YouTube and good for mind and body.

A shower when I dont have to rush and can enjoy it is my favourite thing ever. Also a simple cup of tea while people watching from the window.

I have a long skincare routine which I love, it gives me time to myself and relaxes me and also makes me feel clean. I also like to have a candle lit bubble bath every now and then.

Enjoying these, and getting inspired. Mine: coffee! I like the ritual of pouring water in the pot, measuring the coffee grounds, helps me wake up slowly. I keep a Clarins eye mask in the fridge and apply a dollop of that whilst said coffee percs. Then I look vaguely awake as well as feeling it .