Over the past few months I've been hearing more and more about how important it is to have a daily practice. This is probably because I've been meeting more people who live away from the 9-5 and have to motivate themselves to work. As I've become more reliant on the money my own projects bring in, I've started to understand much better why it is so important to have some form of routine or daily practice in my life.
Whether this is a creative practice like writing or drawing, or some kind of sport or meditation, it doesn't really matter. The point is to have some kind of consistency in your day that in turn helps to stimulate your brain and organize your thoughts. I've met plenty of people recently that swear by meditation first thing in the morning, but being a mother of 2 it's rarely possible to go to the toilet alone, much less sit quietly and clear my mind for any stretch of time.
Others say they make sure to make one drawing a day or take one photograph and post it to social media every day. This is a great way to get the creative juices flowing and set up a mood or intention for the day.
I'm one of those people who hardly ever stops, and when I do I think far too much, so exercise is very important to me and my mental health. It also makes me a nicer person to be around, so my husband and kids also benefit from me taking some time away to blow off some steam.
About a year ago I got completely overloaded and felt like anxiety was taking over my life. I felt stressed and unhappy with myself physically and mentally and I knew something needed to change. I took up going to the gym and then pilates and yoga, which made a huge difference to my life. It's taken me 36 years of being an on/off kind of exerciser to finally realize that pushing myself physically is the number one release for me.
I usually try to exercise in the morning and then launch into other things, but that's not always possible with a family to take care of and also class schedules. However, as long as I know I'll have some time later on in the day the daily practice is already set in my mind and gives me a schedule or goal for the day. Just knowing that I am going to have this time all to myself lightens the load and allows me to get into the work that I need to do.
I've also always thought about writing every day but always seem to put it off and do other things instead. So now Steemit is becoming my new daily practice (this being day 2) and I'm hoping to be able to get a story written every day. It's great for getting the things that I'm thinking about most out there and let my mind just flow a little bit.
Do you have a daily practice that helps you to focus and get the most out of your day? I'd love to hear about it if you do!