Every week, the reporters at the Airdrie City View and Rocky View Weekly take turns writing an opinion column to be featured on this very page. And each time my turn comes around, I find myself scratching my head as I think of what to write.
It’s not that I don’t have opinions, it’s just that every time I put my fingers to the keyboard, I can’t seem to fight the feeling that voicing one more opinion on a political or social issue would only be adding to the noise in the world.
Instead, I find myself gravitating toward topics that I am passionate about, such as self-improvement and whole-body wellness – mind, body, and spirit.
To some, writing on these topics may seem that I am preaching a better way of life, or that I have all the answers in these subjects. That is not the case. As I am growing older and learning important life lessons, I am refining my views on these topics and perfecting my own personal routine for better health, though I can admit I still have a lot to learn.
One thing I have learned is the importance of developing and continually refining a daily routine – an absolute must for obtaining or regaining one’s health after a time of illness.
If you do a Google search for “perfect morning routine,” you’ll probably find some health bloggers waxing on about green smoothies, morning yoga poses, and gratitude journaling. These are all valid items to include on your morning routine checklist, but I believe everyone’s routine should be curtailed to their specific health goals and interests. If you aren’t a yoga person or can’t stand the taste of a kale smoothie, then the aforementioned health blogger’s morning routine obviously isn’t for you.
A daily routine, whether it be a ritual to kickstart your day, or a series of events to wind down and get ready for bedtime, should be something you’ll stick to, so it’s important to build it around your life. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.
For example, my daily routine includes optimizing my sun exposure with morning, mid-day, and evening sunlight, daily walks outside, stretching to improve my mobility, and prayer.
I also try to put away my phone at the same time each night, and limit unnatural blue light in the evenings with blue-light blocking glasses. I probably look a bit funny wearing tinted glasses at night, but it works for me.
Your routine will likely look different than mine, and that’s not a bad thing. Whatever your daily routine consists of, it’s important that it is something that you will be willing to stick with.
You’ve got to make your routine make sense for your life.
