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| You have the same 24 hours every day as Beyonce, so just follow her lead. Photo by Noemi Nunez. |
Listen, folks. It’s time to start being our best selves. It’s 2017. The world is imploding, and fixing it is possible but really hard, so let’s focus on ourselves, shall we? Let's be our Best Selves!
Our Best Selves have sharp, inquisitive minds, meaningful relationships, deep spiritual roots, well-developed interests, magnetic personalities, and perfect bodies that were achieved by trying to be healthy, not skinny.
It’s easy to be your best self. All it takes is a little self-reflection, and then adding a few things into your daily routine. Don't have a daily routine? Don't worry! Here it is!
Here are the things you should do as the VERY FIRST THING the second you wake up:
That first moment of the day is key - this is your opportunity to hydrate, centre yourself, and put your mind and body on the right track for the day (and life!) It may seem impossible for so many things to be the first thing you do, but you'll sort it out, or at least your Best Self will!
- Drink a glass of water.
- Drink a glass of water with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in it (so good for digestion).
- Poop it out! Pooping first thing in the morning means that you have a perfect digestive tract and your diet is great and you are superior.
- Meditate for 30-60 minutes in the Sacred Space you already have set up in the corner of your room, so that you really start your day off centred.
- Do yoga for another 30-90 minutes to unify body, mind, and spirit at the start of the day.
- Break a sweat! Nothing wakes you up like getting that blood pumping! This is the perfect time for a brutal HIIT workout!
- Get outside! Breathe fresh air and get sunshine on those pupils right when you wake up to keep your circadian rhythms straight.
- Journalling is such a great way to get in touch with your innermost desires, and what a perfect thing to do right when you wake up!
- Dedicate your day - to yourself, a goal, someone else, whatever. Before you do anything else, take a few moments and set an intention.
Now that you’ve had 3-5 hours of "first thing in the morning" moments to start your Best Self out with your Best Foot Forward, let’s move on to stage two of the morning: getting ready for life.
- Breakfast time! Obviously eating is super important. Your "best self" choices include raw fruit/veg in a smoothie or cold-pressed juice (made with fresh, local, in-season, superfoods and enriched with chia seeds and turmeric), or an artful jar of overnight oatmeal that you prepped the night before.
- Don't just jump in the shower like a troglodyte! Dry brush your entire body to exfoliate and get the blood flowing to your skin first. It'll keep you young (our Best Selves are definitely young, while simultaneously embracing age), shed the dead skin of your former self, AND help you check in with your entire body.
- Now you can shower. Of COURSE all your shower products are naturally sourced and chemical-free (because our Best Selves don't have any chemicals). As you cleanse your body, imagine your life and heart and mind are being cleansed. Be present and feel the water on your skin.
- Post-shower, pat dry and take a moment to admire the flesh and bone that carry you around all day. Thank them. Then slather yourself in moisturizer (probably coconut oil, because it cures everything, and then you get to stand there for five minutes while it soaks in).
- Do whatever beauty stuff you require to make your face and hair and body acceptable of the world, reflecting your true inner beauty by altering your outer self.
- Now that your body is ready and your mind is fresh, take a moment to plan your day! Make a mug of perfectly-steeped organic tea and ponder your plans for the day.
- Take a moment for yourself! Ideally before you head out into the world and work, take a moment to do something that makes YOU feel like YOU. Read a book. Write. Paint a picture of that morning's sunrise. Hug a friend.
At Work
Obviously your work is a perfect reflection of your inner mission and you are joyed to go there every day, but it's still easy to get lost in the hullaballoo!
- Take mini breaks all day long! Stretch! Get outside! Drink water! Walk! Your best self is not a dried husk, chained to its computer. Nobody will mind that you stop working for 20 minutes every hour, because when you're back you'll do the work for 10 less-fully-realized worker bees plus 2.
- Bring a lunch that you prepared the night before in a jar. (Best Selves don't spend too much money on unhealthy restaurant food! Unless there's a vegan, gluten-free, farm-to-table, fresh eatery nearby, then go there and spend all your money on a holistic experience.)
- If you get hungry mid-afternoon, munch on six almonds and an apple to keep you fresh and humming! Don't bog down your soul with junk food.
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but dinner is a time to shine. Best Selves are almost always culinary deities, and the food you give yourself sets the stage for your evening.
- Pick up fresh ingredients for tonight's dinner on your way home. Ideally you are already on a first-name basis with a producer merchant, baker, butcher, and anyone else you may purchase things from. Look them in the eye, really see them, and chat about that week's chard harvest.
- Chop and simmer your way to a dinner of whole, fresh foods! Don't drown out your mind with TV or talk radio or podcasts! Classical music or confusing jazz will do the trick.
- Really enjoy your food. Focus on eating. Don't be distracted. Feel, with gratitude, your body absorb the nutrients.
- Also, socialize while you eat because sharing a meal is a spiritual exchange!
Evening
Your time is yours! Avoid falling into the Netflix trap by doing a hobby that truly reflects your heart and passion.
- Be a well-rounded person by trying something you would never do. Spend 30 minutes playing an instrument or building a chair or skydiving, then journal about what you learned.
- This is, of course, also time for your side hustle. The business that you started just because you love it that is now blossoming into something "real".
- Invest in your relationships! Chat on the phone or meet up with a friend! Share your hearts with each other over a simple 20-ingredient cocktail and kale chips.
- Reading is good for your soul and mind, so try to spend at least 30 minutes a day reading something enriching.
A bedtime ritual is key to getting a good sleep and being your best self.
- Go to bed at a reasonable hour. Don't let other people or responsibilities drag you away from the rest you need! (But this is no excuse to avoid doing all the other things.)
- Put away all your screens! Screens don’t exist. They kill your sleep and thus your Best Self.
- Prep whatever meals you need to for the following day, including pre-chopping fruit and veg, making a jar salad and/or overnight oats.
- Spend a few minutes tidying your home so that you will wake up to an ordered environment to match your gleaming soul.
- Drink a glass of water.
- Consider a short-but-luxurious soak in the tub, surrounded by candles.
- Do all the personal hygiene things, making sure to use special creams for all the different parts of your face and body.
- Do some gentle stretching to prepare for bed - nothing too intense, just 10-20 minutes.
- Consider meditating, praying, and/or journalling to let go of any stresses from the day and give yourself the gift of a peaceful night.
- Spritz your sheets with lavender before bed - it's a gift to yourself!
- Thank yourself for a wonderful day and enjoy a fulsome sleep. Try to practice lucid dreaming.
There is more involved in being your best self, that you'll just have to find time to fit in:
- Be caught up on all the good TV shows. (Off the top of my head: Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black, Blackish, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Service, The Crown, Downton Abbey, Doctor Who, Sherlock, The Great British Bake Off, Jane the Virgin, Kimmy Schmidt, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Black Mirror, The OA, Chewing Gum, Narcos, all the Marvel shows, Suits, Crazyhead, and everything else that is critically acclaimed and/or popular and/or nerdy and/or a cult favourite. Make sure you watch British and non-English-language shows with subtitles.)
- Listen to the cool, smart podcasts and know all the hip music artists and go to their concerts.
- Volunteer your time with a cause that you care about.
- Spend time in nature, hiking, snowshoeing, paddle boarding, or whatever suits your heart best.
- If your career isn’t artistic, make sure you have an artistic side-project: take up photography or writing or drawing a webcomic. (Oh yeah, and read the cool webcomics.)
- Be informed about current events! Politics and business news and economic turns and natural disasters, both locally and around the world. Make sure you listen to your nation’s public broadcaster, as well as the BBC and Al Jazeera and at least one source you disagree with, just to keep your mind sharp. Read the entire article, every time.
- Enjoy a sweet sex life with lots and lots of orgasms. Not that you are aiming for orgasms, they just happen, all the time.
- Stay up to date on your laundry and other household cleaning.
- Fill your home with beautiful decor that you either made yourself or hand-selected from artisanal craftspersons.
There you go! A simple, straightforward guide to being Your Best Self in 2017.
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