HABITS AND RITUALS: Tips for creating them in a new normal - working from home, social distancing, etc.)

As a result of COVID-19, our previous “normal way of life” has been disrupted and forever changed.  We will not be able to return to the way this was before the pandemic.  We must all look for a “new normal” for ourselves and how we interact with our family members, neighbors, business associates, clients and customers in our everyday life.  We have a new awareness of how precious life is and how important it is to make the most of every moment we have to be alive.  We must be, if we are not already, aware to be grateful for our lives as well as kind, considerate, compassionate and caring to all we come into contact in our daily lives.  However, before we can serve and care for others, we must care for ourselves to be strong.  Like our automobiles, we must put gas in the tank before we can go anywhere!  With the closure of the hair-salons, hairdressers and salon owners are  now at home, working in an entirely different environment, and this change in work environment requires all of us to exercise personal discipline and responsibility to stay on schedule and productive with our lives.

Here are a few habits and rituals that can be considered to make us strong and reliable for ourselves and others:

• Starting with waking in the morning from a night’s sleep, be thankful to the Universe for the sleep (be grateful that we woke up);
• Do some stretching to wake up your muscles after being inactive for hopefully 7 to 8 hours of restorative sleep;
• Do some form of exercise, (stretching, Yoga, Tai Chi, push-ups, etc.) to get the life force in your body moving and the blood circulating;
• Of course, get a cup of coffee or tea to help you wake if that is what you desire as one of the first things in the morning;
• Have some “quiet time to yourself” to meditate before you engage the world;
• Greet your family with a “Good Morning, I’m so happy you woke up this morning – I love you”;
• Have a very good breakfast with some protein to get your body metabolism started;
• It is so easy these days to go to “OVERWHELM” with current events happening at what seems to be at accelerating speed! That is why it is so important for you to take time for yourself to plan your day to reduce your stress level.  As Jim Rohn said – “Don’t start your day until it is finished.” This means plan your day before you begin your day.  To accomplish this planning, you will need your calendar with your existing appointments, pencil and paper or notebook.
  • Sit down with a pencil and paper or notebook, list the top three projects you are currently wanting to continue to move forward and prioritize that list placing the most important three things at the top of the list on one side of the paper.
  • Identify who you must contact today on the back side of the same sheet of paper.
  • Identify who you are waiting on for information on the back side of the same sheet of paper.
  • Identify the main things that “MUST BE DONE, TODAY, NO MATTER WHAT” as they relate to projects, people you must contact, people you are waiting on for information.
• Great!! Now you have your plan of action for the day! REFER TO YOUR PLAN THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY! NOW, WORK YOUR PLAN!
• As you accomplish the tasks on your daily plan, CHECK THEM OFF!! This will give you an ongoing sense of accomplishment show that you really are in control of YOUR DAY!
• EAT HEALTHY AND TIMELY MEALS DURING THE DAY!
• TAKE A WALK AT SOME TIME DURING THE DAY! (A GREAT STRESS RELIEVER)
• BE SURE TO MAINTAIN “SOCIAL DISTANCING” PROTOCOLS WHEN INTERACTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE. THIS IS REQUIRED FOR OUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.

• FINALLY, AT THE END OF YOUR DAY:
  • Take some time before you go to sleep to review your day’s list and see how much you have accomplished (YOU WIN!) (REJOICE, YOU TOOK CONTROL INSTEAD OF THE DAY’S EVENTS CONTROLLING YOU!)
  • Things that did not get done today will roll over to tomorrow and you will have another time to accomplish those. Keep your daily list so you can add the tasks that still need attention to tomorrow’s list.  (AGAIN, YOU ARE AND WILL BE IN CONTROL OF YOU LIFE!)
• BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP, BE THANKFUL FOR ALL THE GOOD THINGS IN YOUR LIFE AND LIVING ANOTHER DAY.