My Top 5 Daily Life, Love and Wellness Practices

Life is tough on the heart and mind. It can be challenging to the body as well.

How do you get and keep yourself going every day? How do you maintain energy to get all the things done, take care of your loved ones as well as yourself, and keep from burning out?

Or do you?

Days fly by and sadly often carry with them our best intentions.

Self-care is definitely important but frequently the neglected item on the to-do list, if it is even included. Plus, lengthy lists of suggestions for self-care practices can be overwhelming themselves, right?

Drink this, eat that, move this way, meditate that way, spend five minutes doing this, spend ten minutes doing that….

It can make you think you’ll never have it all together. You’ll never do all the things you should; you’ll never feel the way you want.

I get it. I spend a lot of time researching strategies to help my clients with challenges in life, love and health. I love learning all the tips and tricks for myself, too, but I can’t possibly do everything or practice all the different types of self-care.

Neither can you. Nor should you.

Self-care is a very personal matter. What helps one person relax and unwind might give another anxiety. What energizes me might give you a headache. What makes you feel like your life is full might make me feel like I’m in an ambush (think party scene for an extrovert vs. an introvert).

It is worth your time to give this some thought. What self-care strategies would be beneficial to you?

Need some help practicing SELF-CARE? Check out my email course RENEW! It’s a Good Start Guide to Help You Restore Your Body and Mind. Click HERE to see why you will love it.

Lately I’ve narrowed down for myself five non-negotiable self-care practices, and I’m going to share them with you. These are five activities that I must include in my days because when I don’t I struggle mentally, emotionally and physically. And then I struggle in my roles and relationships as well.

I believe that these five wellness practices would benefit anyone. The key is to customize them according to your own preferences and goals.

Here are my top five daily life, love and wellness practices and some ideas for incorporating them into your own life. I hope they give you a springboard from which to venture into finding ways to boost your days!

1. Meditation and/or Mindful Moments

I used to think I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t stop my running mind. I couldn’t find peace in silence.

Do you feel that way?

Well, if I can do it, you can do it. The secret is letting go of the vision of a figure sitting perfectly still, cross-legged, arms outstretched, in a perfectly quiet meadow under a flowering dogwood.

If you think you have to be in the perfect mindset in the perfect position in the perfect surroundings, you’ll never even try meditating.

Meditating helps you DEVELOP a perfect mindset, GET your heart, mind and body into good positions, or states, and BECOME appreciative of and more resourceful in your surroundings.

Here’s how I do it…..

sometimes…..

I’m not much of a ritualistic person, unless you count my regular morning latte. That is about the only thing I do every single morning.

As for meditating, I start each day with a short, simple practice lying in bed or maybe sitting on the deck of our sailboat home, not cross-legged, no arms stretched out, and not very still thanks to strong currents in our anchorage. If I’m feeling really ambitious and awake I might complete a few sun-salutations while meditating.

I take a few deep breaths, and as I draw each one in, hold it for a few seconds and release it, I say in my mind a few words of appreciation for my life and things, people and experiences in it. Some mornings this is a few simple thankful sentences; other mornings this is elaborate gratefulness. Whatever I feel like. (Not what I’ve been instructed to do by any guru.)

I recite my word of the year to remind myself how I want to feel and how I want my days to roll. It helps me set an intention for the day. As I consider what’s on the agenda, I think of how I will show up.

So that’s it for meditation, sometimes….

Sometimes it goes down a little differently.

A little boy might wake early looking for snuggles, interrupting my light mantras, and I never want that to stop, so I let go and indulge him. A handsome sailor might stir up hoping I’ll make coffee soon, and I like to spoil him that way and will get right to it.

So what to do if the morning meditation doesn’t happen?

That’s where mindful moments come in.

Mindful moments throughout the day can be even more helpful than a morning meditation.

I wrote about the importance and benefits of anchoring throughout your day (especially if you struggle with severe stress, anxiety or depression) in the post, From Chaos to Calm.

That title says it all. (But you should definitely go and read the whole article! 😉)

Mindful moments are simply brief pauses in your day, tiny windows to crack open and get some fresh air and relieve yourself from regular stressors and challenges that arise.

A mindful moment can be:

• one deep breath, or two, three, five or ten
• an extra glance at a beautiful bright bloom, an attempt to memorize a scene or a face, or a long stare into a sunset over a bay
• drawing in and holding wafting scents of a luscious linden tree, a dewy meadow, a home cooked meal, or a cup of hibiscus tea to truly awaken your senses and relax your mind and body
• shaking your hair out in the wind
• warming yourself in the sun
• a kiss that parts extra slowly
• a hug that turns into holding each other
• attention paid to the sounds of water lapping on shore, bird songs, rustling leaves, cooing babies, giggling children, or crackling fires
• licking instead of biting into your ice cream cone
• sipping instead of gulping your iced tea
• savoring instead of scarfing down a perfectly cooked steak

You get the point. I just have to slow down.

I need to take moments here and there to soak it all in because I see it, hear it, feel it all going by too quickly.

Do you?

2. Physical Activity

I’ve got to move my body. Every day. Period.

For one thing, I’m an older mom. I had my son when I was 39. He’s ten now—you do the math—and very rambunctious and fun. I can’t stand the thought of not playing actively with him. I know he will outrun, outsurf and out-ninja-warrior me soon, but I won’t let it be very soon!

So, that’s my biggest why, my biggest reason to stay fit, limber and nimble. I am not a sideline mom. A couple years ago I had to tell him I couldn’t play a time or two due to a nagging knee issue, and it killed me. I cured myself as fast as I could.

Besides keeping up with my son, my greatest passion (besides life, love and wellness coaching) surfing requires strength, agility, flexibility and swiftness. The ocean is fickle, however, and I get depressed when several days go by without waves. And if I don’t stay active between sessions I notice my lagging.

So, between surf sessions here is what I do:

• Yoga – sometimes just several sun-salutations, sometimes powerful strength sessions
• Bodyweight workouts – mostly full body and core workouts, sometimes I use a resistance band or a big, heavy coconut
• Walking – we don’t own a car and walk a LOT
• Biking – great to follow my son on his skateboard and to get places a little faster sometimes
• Skateboarding – our whole family enjoys this
• Swimming – we live in a giant pool
• Dance parties on the boat 🤩 – island music is perfect for getting our groove on and hearts pumping; I just exaggerate my moves to get a great core workout
• Sneak in mini-workouts – lunges, push-ups, and other exercises while counting or hiding in hide-and-seek games, jumping jacks under the tree the kiddo is climbing, glute squeezes while playing board games and teaching homeschool, standing on my toes doing dishes, brushing my teeth in a squatting position, salsa moves in the shower, working out in the cockpit on night watches while sailing, etc….
• Just stretch – if nothing else, I designed a yoga/Pilates inspired stretching routine that takes about ten minutes, invigorates me, and often motivates me to do more

Almost every day I do something physically active. Some days simply playing with my son counts. Some days there’s surf! Some days I just get creative. I have taught hundreds of group fitness classes and designed tons of personal training routines, so that part is easy!

Motivation isn’t always high, but that’s when my “why” comes in….that cute little guy that I’m not ready to let get past me yet.

How about you? What is your “why”? What could be a good reason for you to do something physically active every day?

3. Hydrating Creatively

I don’t love drinking water.

Do you?

I don’t love dry skin, parched lips, or feeling sluggish either. So I know I need to drink lots of water!

At times I can be disciplined enough to get my fill. We pack water bottles everywhere we go and keep them full and visible at home.

But sometimes I need a little kick in my water to keep me motivated to drink up. One standard for me is keeping quality essential oils on hand like lemon, grapefruit and rosemary. It’s difficult to keep a large supply of these fresh items on a boat. Ingesting essential oils is a controversial topic I will not get into, and I’m not making a recommendation. I will simply repeat that I keep quality oils on hand, and yes, I ingest a few.

Here are some more creative additions to help stay hydrated:

• lemon and rosemary – my favorite!
• strawberries and jalapeños – you’ve got to try it!
• cucumbers and mint – an old standby often forgotten
• raspberries and lime – mmmm
• strawberries and basil – uniquely delicious
• ruby red grapefruit and vodka – whoops, wrong list (Go here for more spirited drinks…)

How do you stay hydrated? I’d love more ideas!

4. Producing Laughter

All I am going to say is there is nothing better than making my son, my husband or anyone else laugh! It is always a goal.

I am not a naturally funny person, but I goof things up a lot, and I don’t take myself very seriously, so there often is laughter in the air around me.

Overall, though I really have to make an effort and seek out opportunities to make things more fun. Except with my son—he is still sooooo ticklish I can always get a win with him.

If you know a great, entertaining joke I can steal, I would thank you forever! Please share in the comments.

5. Eating Real Food

It’s important to my husband and me that our family eat mostly real, home cooked food. We are picky about quality ingredients and have learned to make a lot of complex, flavorful meals because we won’t compromise taste for healthy.

We rarely eat out, and when we do, we still consider sources of ingredients and cooking methods. We also just don’t like to spend money that way!

Before leaving the boat to go ashore for work, play, or errands we pack sandwiches and lots of fruit, veggies and healthy snacks, often homemade bars and such. The same goes for sailing voyages when I don’t feel like grappling pots, food and dishes down in the rocking galley.

We do purchase some convenience food items, again sticking with quality ingredients and minimal processing.

When we neglect to stay on top of this practice we regret it. There are digestive complaints and often dissatisfaction with the food in general. To us it’s just not worth the convenience or the money.

My family stays really healthy, and I attribute that to this important practice.

I enjoy cooking, creating and experimenting in the galley; my husband has mastered the grill and a few exotic stovetop dishes. I’ve thought about sharing some recipes on the blog. Let me know if you’d like to see some!

Do you enjoy cooking? Have you found a good copycat recipe for a restaurant favorite, or a way to recreate a packaged item? I’d love to know. And I’ll share some of ours if you’re interested.

So there you have my top five daily goals for nurturing my life, love and wellness.

They are not recommendations or meant for comparison.

Your top five could and should be very different. So many possibilities to boost our lives and our days.

The important thing is discovering and committing to what works for YOU and YOUR LIFE, LOVE AND HEALTH.

I would love to read in the comments what you do or will start doing daily for your life, love and wellness.

Looking for help with discovering and committing to your best self-care practices? See how you can get in touch with me for a free 20 minute consultation here. Or check out my online course RENEW to help you Restore, Energize, Nourish, Empower, and Win back….YOU!

Find out more about me here, and a few more of my top five lists here.