A Small, Daily Routine can Ease your Mind

It almost feels like if I am not moving forward, I am moving backward. Greta and I both experience this. For myself I notice that on the days I do my morning routine, my mind is more at ease. I feel a little proud of myself. I have a little glow. And I am not always wishing things were different. Because I feel like I am working towards making things different.

I am not talking about self-care so much as building a small routine. I need it to be small enough that I can do it every day.

Self-care is wonderful and necessary (a bath, a walk, calling a friend) but the ease of mind is a little more temporary. The power of building a small daily routine is that your mind can start to be at ease a little more knowing that change is happening.

I think it is the same for our kids. In fact I know it is because that is how humans are wired. The smallest bit of forward momentum can really put the mind at ease.

I know that on the days Greta does a few body breaks throughout the day (stretching, yoga, walking) she feels better, not only physically, but also emotionally. These body breaks obviously have benefit for her body but it is amazing how doing a few mind-body practices regularly throughout the day can put her mind at more ease. This connection is becoming more and more obvious to us! Like on the days she is not taking steps towards health she is often depressed and crying at night, not knowing why it was such a hard day. If she is emotional in the evening we can almost always tie it back to having had an erratic day without any routine.

Developing a small routine with your child (or yourself) can start as small as drinking a little more water throughout the day or doing a short stretch when you wake up. The key is to make it small enough so you can do it every day. On the easier days and the more difficult days.

Taking the smallest daily step towards a little more health can be a great tool for putting our worried minds at ease.

~ Carla

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