Have you ever bought books thinking you can’t wait to read them when you get home, but never end up reading them? If yes, I feel you. If no, well then…good for you hahah.
I love browsing through self-help books. I have a stack of them on my shelf, but I rarely flip through them. In fact, the only books I’ve ever finished were textbooks from university and the New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley. Exciting I know. But with the newfound free time I have being in lockdown after lockdown, I decided to give these never-been touched books a try (as I should have a long time ago). To my surprise, I fell in love with one of them. I couldn’t stop reading it.
You guessed it (or read the title of this post), it’s Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Probably one of the most popular books in recent years especially within the self-help world. People have been raving about it and for good reasons. It is easy to read, practical, and straight to the point no BS. This book came at the perfect time for me. I’ve been having random health issues and this motivates me to start making changes to my day-to-day before it gets worse. My ultimate goal is to have a healthier body, mind and soul. A very general idea, but as the book suggests, I believe tiny consistent habits can get me there over time. Here are the systems I’ve built during the pandemic!
*I don’t do these perfectly everyday, but thankfully consistent enough to turn it into habits.
My “In-Bed” System
Most of the habits are actually built into my morning routine.
When I wake up, I take a few deep breaths followed by a 2-minute stretch (neck, shoulder and back mostly). Then I drink half a bottle of water to recover from the dehydration through the night. After that, I turn on some chill music on Spotify and spend any time between 5 to 30 minutes reading a book. How much I read depends on how I feel and how good the book is getting. It could be several pages or a few chapters. A crazy improvement from not reading anything at all I know (insert proud face emoji). Then I do a 2-minute brain-dump journal session, so I can start the day with a clearer mind.
All of these are done in bed because I’m hella lazy and ain’t nobody wanna get out of the blanket so fast.
My “Get-Fresh” System
Basically the part 2 of my morning routine. This is where I finally get out of bed. After my “in-bed” activities, I take a shower, brush my teeth and do my 4-step skincare routine. Then I go back to my room to make my bed, and change out of my PJs into something slightly more presentable…like a pair of sweatpants. After that I head to the kitchen to grab myself a drink and get ready for work from home. Usually it’s a green tea, coffee, orange juice or my glow-up smoothie if I need some nutrient boost.
My “Get-Fit” System
To be honest, there isn’t much to this. After I’m done work, I either go for a walk or have a mini dance session (I’ve been trying to pick up house!) Then I roll out my mat and do some very basic exercises and stretches while indulging in Netflix. This is perfect because by the time I finish, I get hungry and shortly after it’s dinner time.
My “De-stress” System
This one also doesn’t have much to it…yet hahah. I’m still figuring out how I want to set it up. But generally I’ve been trying to incorporate these new habits into my evening routine.
Before bed, I do my 6-step nighttime skincare routine, sometimes with a face mask if I’m feeling glam. Then I write down the to-dos for tomorrow in my planner, and then do a 1-minute cleanup of my space. This is so when I wake up the next day, things are organized and ready to go. The last thing I do is pray. I’m a Christian gyal so I like to have a chat with God before I sleep. Thanking Him for things I’m grateful for, and asking Him for help on problems I’m struggling with.
That’s It…for Now!
Have you read Atomic Habits? Do you have your own systems in place? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to get some inspiration!
♥ I opened an Etsy shop! Come visit @DaiseeStudio ♥
Hello City Girl 
Great post! I love the simple systems, especially the reading in the morning. I usually have several books going and lately it’s been hard finding time to read them. Baking it into your morning routine is great! Also I’ve got to get journaling again! Thanks for the inspiration!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for dropping by 😊 And so glad you enjoyed this post! In the past I’ve been trying to read at night but I always end up skipping it because I get too tired. Then I realize I’m most motivated in the morning so it’s working out pretty well now 🙌 And yesss journalling is great, id recommend getting back into it!
LikeLike
You have done a lot – well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha thank you 🙌 Thanks for dropping by 🧡
LikeLike
Amazing post! I love the idea of starting your habits and morning routine in bed. I don’t know why I never though of that but I’m pretty sure this could help me so much in the morning! I also love how manageable your habits seem. I usually tend to overload myself with stuff and habits that I want to pick up but I simple don’t have enough time and energy in the day to do everything – instead of tidying up for 20 minutes, I could just do it for 5 or two! This post really inspired me ahah, so thanks for sharing!
LikeLike