I’m not going to lie, I’ve been in a horrible rut both creatively and just everyday life motivation-wise. It’s hard to drag yourself out of that space, especially when your goals are so overwhelming that they set you back more. That’s why I am going to share 5 things I’ve implemented into my routine over the past few months that make my everyday routine better (more agreeable and easy to follow according to my current goals and lifestyle)!

It was important for me to take my time including these things into my daily life so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed and just do none of them. reminder: doing one thing that benefits your mental and physical health every day is way more productive than doing none because you got overwhelmed trying to do them all.

1. Competitive Duolingo streak

I started a competitive Duolingo streak with myself and I have been having a blast! It helps with my mental health because it allows me to learn new skills and stay on my toes a little more than just doing the same work things every single day. Plus the Duolingo owl little threatens you when you don’t do your exercise of the day and it’s quite a good motivator.

2. Giving Myself at least an hour to relax in the morning

I used to head into work kind of anxious and just not very clear-headed. It would impact my performance and just my overall attitude towards the day. I couldn’t figure out what was causing these feelings until I had a day off and realized how much I enjoy having a slow morning. I have now giving myself time to have at least an hour of relaxation time to read, journal, listen to music, and eat breakfast. This hour alone with myself has made me SO MUCH happier and really gets my day started on the right foot.

3. Spending at least 30 minutes a day researching or looking at inspiring media

During my rut, I realized how much I was on my phone without actually doing anything productive. So, I have been making myself spend 30 minutes (of the time I would already be on my phone) looking at things I find inspiring or researching things that I find interesting. It’s been a really fun part of my routine and has changed the way I have been using my phone and learning!

4. Ice rolling & eye patching

As soon as I get up I wash my face, brush my teeth, blah blah blah. I have recently started putting eye patches on and ice rolling while watching YouTube in the morning. It helps so much, not only with puffiness but with waking up and just feeling refreshed in general. 10/10 recommend!

5. Putting on jewelry every day

I work from home so one of the biggest struggles for me is feeling motivated enough to get ready everyday. I find that when I put jewelry on I am ore inclined to do my hair and makeup and put on better clothes. In turn, I feel more put together and feel more productive!