“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle
I came across this quote this week and it got me thinking how I can incorporate this into my life and achieve 'excellence'.
Following the theme of the wellbeing challenge, embracing change and figuring out what is in my circle of control (which felt like not much) BUT I found a couple of things that could help me feel in control of my life. I decided to create a healthy routine, that way i'm in control of what I am doing and putting my energy into.
I started university this week and after being out of education for a year on placement it's been weird getting used to doing work 24/7 not 9 to 5. I felt constantly guilty every night because I wasn't doing work because apparently I felt the NEED to?
Being a university student sometimes means you don't really have a set routine, lectures are scattered around and you're responsible to no one but YOURSELF. You are meant to create your own routine and prioritise. You quickly realise that having no routine or structure is so much more draining mentally, physically, and emotionally than any routine could ever be!
There is a lot to get done and consider and there never seems to be enough time or you just don't have the energy/brain power. However, having a daily routine helped me prioritise my tasks, keep myself accountable, feel motivated to achieve and to create a HABIT.
Our brains are constantly working and in need of energy and when we get overwhelmed with all our thoughts we waste all our energy on overthinking everything as opposed to using that energy in a healthy way to GET STUFF DONE. Wouldn't it be easier to write down every task I needed to get done and create a road map of how I will get there, less overthinking, more planning and a happy ME!
Here is what I have done so far to build my HEALTHY routine:
Ps. In no way does a routine work for everyone, every one of us is wired to deal with change and routine differently. However, this is what i've been trying to do and it's been working for me so far, so I thought I would share! 😇
Starting and ending my day with reflecting:
In the morning I ask myself:
What am I grateful for...
What will I do to make today great...
Every night I ask myself:
3 Amazing things that happened today
How could I have made today better...
2. Creating a habit tracker
Here is my basic habit track, so I can stay accountable to myself and check that I am taking care of myself. My favourite part of my habit tracker is the grounding exercise, acknowledging 5 things you can see 👀, 4 things you can touch ✋🏼, 3 things you can hear 👂🏼, 2 things you can smell 👃🏼and 1 thing you can taste 👅 around you.
3. Creating a to-do list
Every night I create a to-do list for myself, what do I want to get done in the day? I write up to 6 tasks and the satisfaction I will feel when I mark them as completed at the end of the day is so satisfying!
4. Meal Prepping!
Decide early what you will eat in the week and get your groceries done. The last thing you want to do is think about food when you're exhausted and well HANGRY...
Now, it's your turn! What's one step you can take to build your healthy routine?