Do you have a practice?

First, what is a practice?

Definition #1: To practice is to perform an activity or exercise a skill repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency.

In the self care realm, we refer to the things we do every day to maintain a balanced relationship with the world as a daily practice.

A daily practice can involve a range of activities, including:

• Showering and Self-Grooming

• Exercise: Walking, Yoga, Qigong

• Eating breakfast, having coffee/tea/hot water without distractions

• Deep Breathing

• Meditation or Prayer

• Dream Journaling

• Balancing chakras (more on this coming soon)

• Pulling a tarot or oracle card

• Setting an intention for the day

• Speaking or writing a mantra (more on this coming soon)

People with a successful daily practice do a combination of these things, or others, on most days of the week.

January is a great time to commit or re-commit to your daily practice! Which brings us to the next definition of practice:

Definition #2: The actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it.

This definition makes me laugh! To me, it reads like, “Hey, don’t just say you’re going to do something in theory, actually do it!” Therefore, I declare that the first step to maintaining a practice is to actually start one. Brilliant, right?

Here’s a few tips to get started:

• Intentionally plan time into your day for this practice. If you don’t give it a place of honor in your schedule, it’s just not going to happen.

• Choose to engage in your daily practice at the beginning of your day, if possible. If you’re as busy as I am, shoving the daily practice in between a work meeting and picking the kids up from school means that it’s probably not going to happen. Starting your day with your practice sends your brain and body a message: This is important. It matters to me. I am important. I matter to me.

• Set yourself up for success. If that alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m. and you’re not a morning person, you’re probably going to hit the snooze button on that daily practice. At first, try a short practice of, say, 15 minutes (not including showering/grooming). Here’s an example of something that could work for you:

  • Wake up.

  • While still in bed, write/type in a dream journal. (5 mins)

  • Sit up, put feet on ground. Meditate or pray. (5 mins)

  • Shower/get ready for the day, and think about your intention(s) for the day. Repeat your mantras out loud in the shower!

  • Sit down, and do some deep breathing. (5 mins)

  • Face the world!

• View your practice as a necessary part of your day. You are absolutely worth 15 minutes (or more!) of meditative self care. It will make you a happier person, a more supportive partner, a gentler parent, or all of the above. If your immediate thought while reading this article is, “Yeah, but I don’t have time to do this because…” examine that thought. Is it 100% true? Yes, there are obstacles. Sometimes major ones. Get creative and figure out how to make this absolutely essential part of your day actually happen. Believe that it is essential, and it will become just that!

Need some help? Let’s talk!

In my former career as a school psychologist, I spent a lot of time helping teachers, parents, and students figure out how to make routines work for them. I can help you too! Book a session and we can spend some time chatting about how to make a daily practice a reality in your life. I look forward to seeing you soon!