Routines are key for me keeping on track with my healthy lifestyle.  While I have an easy going nature, the structure of feel-good habits keep me grounded each day, and when I don’t make time for them, I feel unbalanced.  My morning and evening routines have become nearly identical, which bookends my days so wonderfully!

10 Daily Nonnegotiable Habits

1. Drink warm lemon water 🍋
   • This helps regulate digestion, curbs cravings, increases hydration, among many other benefits!
2. Wash away the day/night of sleep using my favorite cleanser, brushing teeth, showering then moisturizing 💆
   • Your skin is your largest organ – take care of it!  I’m always researching and upgrading my products to make sure I’m doing that to the best of my ability.
3. Make the bed 🛏
   • Yes, every morning!  You spend much of your day in bed, so fluff those pillows, smooth the sheets out – every time you crawl back in, it’ll be fresh and ready!
4. Reiki, pray, and meditate 🙏
   • If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen bits of my spiritual and reiki journey.  It has been a key ingredient to several life changing events from the last few months.  Will share more about my reiki practice another time!
5. Share with James what we are both most grateful for that day – evening 💛
   • My gratitude practice has been with me most of my life.  There is a gift and lesson in each day, good or bad.  Every blessing, big and small, should be appreciated and recognized.
6. Pick from my animal medicine cards to meditate on – morning 🦅
   • Because of my deep connection to the Earth and animals, these cards really spoke to me.  They provide so much guidance and set my intentions for the day.
7. Read my “creed”, below, which is a combination of the five reiki principles and the four agreements ✨
   • Just for today…
     1. Do not get angry
     2. Do not worry
     3. Show appreciation/gratitude
     4. Work hard (on yourself)
     5. Be kind
     6. Be impeccable with your word
     7. Don’t take things personally
     8. Don’t make assumptions
     9. Always do your best
8. Asana (physical yoga) practice 🕉
   • I primary practice at home, whether it’s five minutes or an hour, morning or night!  You can even do some postures right in bed!  Stretching your body in any which way will help begin or close your day.
9. Journal 📓
   • Be it a couple lines or several pages, I try my best to get my thoughts onto paper each day.  It’s a great tool for reflection, releasing discouraging emotions, and celebrating joyful ones.
10. Walk the pups and get outside 🌞
    • The pups spend most their day snoozing, so it’s only fair to get them up and moving when we get home from work.  And that gets us outside too.  Being in nature, breathing the fresh air, especially with James and the pups, get major bliss points!

These ten actions don’t take too much time but bring so much peace.  Sure, some days I can spend more time on each and not every day is a perfect list.  But I take it a day at a time and do my best (as #7 states!!) to commit to it each day, and by prioritizing them as nonnegotiables, I find the time for them.  Never beat yourself up if your day isn’t completely ideal – pick yourself up and start back up again tomorrow!

What are your daily nonnegotiables? 🙂