Your Most Powerful Tool for Self Care: Your Daily Non-Negotiables

You know what’s more powerful than even the most restful Self-Care Sunday, or a block of time to yourself midweek? Your daily non-negotiables! These are simple, healthy practices that you commit to, every single day, no matter what. (Because you feel infinitely better when you actually do them.)

To be honest, mine hasn’t been so “daily” lately, even though I know that these quick-hit rituals help to center my mind, soothe my body, and tune me into the best parts of myself!

Daily non-negotiables serve two purposes: they make you feel good by doing them, and they make you feel good by committing to them. When you force yourself not to “hide in your busy” and commit even a few moments each day to something that makes you better, you not only revitalize yourself, but you nurture the notion that you’re worth the time it takes to be your best.

Sound powerful? It is! Just as a long soak in the bath with a great book restores and heals you on #SelfCareSunday, small daily acts can be equally nourishing, especially when you commit to creating time for them each and every day. That’s why I’m taking this opportunity to share my daily non-negotiables with you—and to remind myself that they are, in fact non-negotiable., 

So, here and now, I’m recommitting to them.

Ready? (Me, too!)

Daily Non-Negotiable Practices

First things first: for me, exercise in the morning is the most grounding way to start my day. Whether it’s a sweaty flow on my yoga mat or a serene stroll through the woods, kicking off my a.m. routine with movement helps quiet my brain and tunes me into my body. And that good feeling can last all day along.

Later, I move on to my second daily non-negotiable: quiet time with a matcha latte (photo below) to help you slow down and recharge. It can be as simple as five minutes to sit and reflect with a restorative beverage (phone off!), but it grounds me and brings me back to myself for the rest of my day and night.          

Your daily non-negotiables might be completely different!

Maybe some of the following are resonant for you:

• Perhaps you thrive on making an ordered list each morning—whether you check off every item or not, it keeps you centered and focused throughout the day.

• Or maybe you find time to meditate in quiet moments to help relax your mind and keep you present.

• You might make a point of eating breakfast sitting down, to feel instantly nourished instead of rushing or eating quickly on the go.

• Or you could keep a gratitude journal to remind yourself of all the positive things in your life.

• You may enjoy a nightly bath to unwind and prepare for a restful sleep to end your day on a soothing note.

Whatever your daily non-negotiables are, they should be simple and specific. (Remember, they need to fit into your daily life!)

Rather than “I’m going to make quiet time for myself,” try:

• “I’m going to read one chapter of a book each day,” or

• “I’m going to turn off the TV and the music while I eat.”

Instead of “I’m going to get fit,” try:

• “I’m going to do 30 minutes of movement every day,” or

• “I’m going to schedule my workouts on my calendar so that I actually follow through and do them.”

Before you overwhelm yourself with “I’m going to be more grateful,” try:

• “I’m going to write down one thing I’m thankful for each day,” or

• “I’m going to slow down while eating to savor and appreciate my meal.”

So: no more excuses! It doesn’t matter if I’ve been traveling, or that work is crazy, or that we’re preparing to move into a new home, for example. Actually, all of those things make my daily non-negotiables even more critical.

Let’s support one another, and make ourselves accountable for achieving our daily non-negotiables, every single day.

More wellness tips from YogaUOnline and Elise Museles – Sleep is a Superfood How a Little Intention–and Some Yoga–Can Help You Get More.

Substance use is a growing problem and yoga can help: Study with YogaUOnline and Celeste Mendelsohn – Carrying the Message to the Mat: Teaching Yoga for Substance Use Disorder.

Reprinted with permission from Kale and Chocolate.

Elise Museles is an attorney turned Certified Eating Psychology & Nutrition Expert and creator of Kale & Chocolate.  A writer, speaker, teacher and healthy lifestyle advocate, she empowers people to reset their relationship with food & their bodies—by creating a happy, healthy, and ridiculously delicious Food Story. Elise is also the author of the recently released book, Whole Food Energy, (Barron’s Educational Series, January 2016) and shares daily inspiration (and mouth-watering photos!) on FaceBook and Instagram.