Epiphani
Do you have a morning routine? Are there certain things you must do daily to be successful and to show up as your best self? Building a morning routine and more so, daily habits was one of the first things I dove into during my healing journey and now, these same habits continue to benefit me and really set my day off to a great start!
Today, I’m letting you in on a little of my morning and sharing 🖐🏾 habits that make my day, along with why I do them / what they do for me. If anything resonates with you, feel free to claim it and implement it in your life. Even if not, I hope it gets you thinking about what you already do, or maybe could do going forward to show up and take the day!
Love you bunches 💞
🖐🏾 Habits that Make My Day
Reading the scripture of the day before I do (or read) anything else
Even though I do have more intimate time with God later in my morning…
It’s a small way of acknowledging and putting God first in my life and my day
It ensures God’s voice is the first I take in.
Laying in bed for a few extra mins.
I know many other gurus say that it’s best to jump out of bed at the first sound of your alarm clock, but I have ALWAYS been a tiered alarm kinda girl.
One, I like to alert myself 15-30 mins before it’s time to wake up and then get those last couple mins of sleep. (Kinda like, hey, it’s almost time to wake up… but not yet girl, so snooze away! lol)
Two, once I’m awake, I like to lay in be for a few minutes to...
Wake my brain up — because you know sometimes, we wake up like, who am i? Where am I? What’s going on? lol
Write down or voice record any dreams I had
Provide space for God to speak to me about my dreams and/or guidance He has for my day
Check my calendar and mentally prepare for what’s ahead (and sometimes start thinking about what I’ll wear)
Making my bed
As soon as I get up, I make up my bed (unless it’s Sunday, then I’m washing my sheets 😄)
Even when my room gets a little junky on those busy weeks, a made up bed holds it together a bit and brings order to the (temporary) chaos.
I also like a clean palette to lay my clothes on before getting dressed.
Plus…
Making my bed minimizes the temptation to get back in it, and
Who doesn’t like to snuggle into a made up bed at the end of a long day 😌
Opening my blinds
Letting the sun in is a key to setting my atmosphere (& really notifying my body that it’s time to really wake up)
I favor natural light over artificial—as much as I can do by sunlight, I will before turning on a light (and tha’ts all day)
Not only is the sun good for you (vitamin D and other nutrients), but also, for me, it’s another way of letting God in (NOT the “sun god”—who dat?— but the one true God who created the sun).
There’s something special about nature overall, it’s like a tangible way of seeing the Hand of God, and I need that in my life on the daily!
Having breakfast
Major key alert!
When I’m not fasting, having breakfast is absolutely necessary for me!
One, it fuels the first half of my day.
This is where I can intentionally load up on nutrients my body needs
I do want to get to a point where every meal consistently is healthy and nutrient-rich.
I do my best, but tbh, I haven’t 100% found my flow with meal prep and shopping to make that a consistent reality… yet.
So long story long, breakfast is my superstar meal that holds down the fort just in case lunch and dinner fall short.
My favorite way to do this is with a smoothie.
You can throw so much in there — fruit (take your pick of vitamins & minerals), spinach (or other veggies), yogurt (hello probiotics), seeds (fiber power!), protein (💪🏾), powdered supplements, and whatever else you want or need at the time!
Sometimes, I’ll also pack some oatmeal or overnight oats, especially if I know I have lots to do and won’t have lunch for a while.
Bonus
Scriptural Affirmations
I pull scriptures based on the season I am in or ones God leads me to, and read them aloud—some daily, and some weekly.
Sometimes I personalize them with 1st person pronouns (I, me, etc) and other times, I just read them as they’re written.
Faith comes by hearing, so it’s a way to establish and strengthen my faith in what God has said.
Saying it aloud as an affirmation is also like making a decree and speaking it over myself and my life.
It’s basically a way to say what God says about me and my life, and to show that I agree with His Word and plans.
Keeping my phone on DND until after quiet time with God!
I am definitely pro-block out all the noise!
I started doing this even before we had the DND feature on our phones—I would just resolve to not read any messages, answer any calls, or go on social media (when I had it) until my morning routine was complete and I had already set the tone for my day.
Initially, I did it because I was worn out by people or news swaying my mood and focus before I could even establish myself for the day.
It would throw me off!
I recognize the importance of getting anchored daily before letting in the winds and waves of life, people, work, etc.
I find that when I allow myself time to wake up, be fed by God, and fuel my mind and body, I am much more ready to take on the world, and to actually do so with grace and kindness.
It’s really as much for everyone I am to interact with that day as it is for me 😄
There are a few other things that are a part of my morning routine, but these are my main non-negotiables. I need these 🖐🏾 e’ery day to be successful!
What do you do every morning that makes your day?
"So long, farewell, to you my friends... Goodbye, for now, until we meet again!"
Shout out to 'Out of the Box' for the tunes. (If you know, you KNOW! 😌)
Don't worry! TGOE is not disappearing... well, not totally!
I've FINALLY made the executive decision for TGOE to leave social media *big gasp* lol.
I say 'finally' because I haven't wanted to be on social media for a very long time; I just thought it was something that I had to do, but…
Certainly not God! In fact, I felt like He told me a couple months ago to step away from social media, but I had just released our merch line and I wanted to make sure I was hearing clearly. Nevertheless, the answer hasn't changed & I can't even pretend to be upset! 😬 Social media honestly hasn't been my thing for years now. I took a long hiatus a few years ago to focus on healing and actively enjoying real life, and once I returned, it was never the same. Not only has my life changed, but so has the scope of social media, and I honestly want no parts! 🙈
Though I deleted my personal Instagram a while ago, I kept my Facebook because I had moved to the other side of the country and I felt like it’d be the best way to “keep in touch” with people I know. However, I’m not sure it’s normal, healthy, or even realistically possible to keep up with that many people and take in so much content on a regular basis… Plus, is liking and commenting on photos really “keeping in touch?” Debatable! lol.
Originally, instead of just deleting altogether, I thought “well let me just clean up my friends list and unfollow some people on IG and maybe that’ll make it worth keeping.” It made it bearable and I do enjoy seeing photos of family and friends’ milestones and life events, but ultimately, I’d rather live life in 3-D and go back to meeting people in person, sending letters and photos in the mail, and talking on the phone, tbh… You know, actually engaging and not just keeping up with “engagement.” 🤷🏾♀️
But even with being sure of my decision to close my personal account, there were still different factors to consider for TGOE. For example, if we’re not on socials, how will people find out about us? Another big thing to consider was the fact that our blog and YouTube channel are home to more long-form content, so it has always felt a bit misleading and inauthentic to put up posts that are meant to cater to short-form content. It always made me question: am I really reaching the appropriate audience this way? 🤔
Finally, with us being a faith and wellness oasis, I’ve felt dissonance for a good while now with being on social media, knowing the negative effects it has on society and mental health, especially for children. Obviously, people will still continue to do and use what they want whether we do or not, but is that a space that I want people to have to go to find me? It's a no for me! That’s no shade to any other health and wellness page that shares their information via socials. We must all do what works for us, our target audience, and our ideal life and business style. There is much valuable wellness information to be found on social media, like good health facts, recipes, food swaps, exercises, etc. TGOE just won’t be amongst that number anymore, and we’ll either be forgotten or blossom authentically by word of mouth and discovery on our main platforms, the ones that truly reflect the essence of what TGOE is all about. I’m resting on the latter, but either way, I will continue to show up and follow God’s lead, whether we have one, one hundred, or one hundred thousand subscribers. ☺️
So, to get off my soapbox and make a long story long…
TGOE is leaving social media! We will leave our pages up on both IG & FB, so you can always check out our previous posts, but going forward, you can find us posted on our blog at thegardenofepiphani.com, our YouTube @TheGardenofEpiphani and our podcast under the same name.
I've kept our Instagram and Facebook this long, because I felt like that’s what I had to do in order to reach more people and be a Kingdom ambassador in a space with so many worldly influences. However, God never really said that social media specifically was a part of my call, commission, or assignment, and has given me the green light to disconnect. Halleluyer!
I know there are people God has called to spread His light in the darkness over there, but I'm super grateful to say that's not my calling, at least not in this season and hopefully not ever if I can help it. Lol. Nevertheless, His will be done, not mine. So, if you ever see us post on socials again in the future, it will most likely be because God told me to do so.
Before we wrap up, it is wellness Wednesday, so...
I’ll leave you with a couple quick tips for using social media more mindfully and healthily:
One:
I encourage you to ensure you are actively engaged in the moments that matter. Put your phone away when you are eating with others or engaged in conversation. Even resist the urge to fill all of your quiet alone time with mindless scrolling; instead, make sure you spend some quality time with yourself and God everyday!
Two:
Set boundaries for yourself! I love that iPhones will let you pur app time limits and even general screen time limits on your phone. It can help you to guard your time, or at the very least be mindful when your time is being sucked up by scrolling on social media. I’d also encourage you to review your average screen time use every week, at least in the beginning of this process. See where your time is going and determine if you are okay with that. If not, make modifications each week until you are where you want to be. Also, take regular social media breaks, whether it be for a week, a month, or even longer. There is a certain clarity that can only come and remain when you aren’t being bombarded with 10 million perspectives, ideas, and images every moment of the day!
Three:
Do a social media cleanup. This one may take some time and effort, and likely won’t be done in one setting if you’ve been on the platforms for a while. Unfollow people and pages that negatively impact your mental health, self-esteem, outlook on life, etc. or that go against your morals and values. You can do this by intentionally going into your list and disconnecting, or gradually disconnecting as things pop up. I will say, this definitely helped me to stay on social media as long as I did. Our TGOE timeline is filled with positive, beneficial health and wellness content, biblically-sound faith content, and a few business and personal pages that just add a little razzle dazzle! Lol. I say that to say, if you’re going to be on social media, you should at least make it a positive, beneficial experience. I hear that’s a little harder on platforms like Tik Tok, but do your best to proactively guard your eye and ear gates!
Four:
Make time to connect with the people you know personally and share news with them each individually before announcing it to the world online. Write letters, make phone calls, send personal videos, or even just a quick text. Keep in touch with those who matter most to you, and know that it’s okay not to share every detail of your life with everyone, even if that’s normalized in the world now. In fact, resist the urge to make every good moment or memory of your life content on social media, even if you are a content creator. Put the phone down and live sometimes… really, most times!
Five:
GET OFF THAT PHONE when you’re driving. Lol.
Laughing, but very serious! As boring as driving can get sometimes, you are actually operating heavy machinery that can harm or kill you or others, so that picture, post, or text can wait until you get to a red light or to your destination. Just had to throw that one in there, because the amount of people I see going 30 in a 60 or breaking every five seconds with nothing but time, space, and opportunity in front of them has gotten ridiculous, all because because they’re too engrossed in their phones! Don’t let that be you! And for you who just thought or said, "I can drive well and text" this is still for you! Don't do it! If it’s not worth pulling over for, it’s certainly not worth getting into an accident over.
Be safe out there, fam!
That’s the end of today’s episode! Thank you for listening. Please share this with your tribe, especially those you know may need to get a stronger, healthier handle on their social media use. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please give us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform or a thumbs up on YouTube.
You can also let me know in the comments:
Are you on social media? If so, how do you use it mindfully and healthily?
I look forward to hearing from you!
Until then, have a healthy and wholesome week, and I will chat with you on faith Friday, God willing! 💖
Listen along via podcast 🎧
Happy Wellness Wednesday, Garden Fam 🌸
We are in the final week of our Stress Awareness Month Series. So far, we’ve chatted about ways to avoid and alleviate stress, healthy practices for work-life balance—which, if you heard that episode, you know we are now calling work-life flow—and lastly, how to manage stress in busy seasons (we know that it can look different than more quiet seasons).
Today, we’re wrapping up the series with creating an anti-stress lifestyle. I’ve shared tips and key pointers in the other three April episodes that I believe can also contribute to today’s topic, so be sure to go back and check those out, whether you need the information now or may need it in the future.
In this last episode, I thought it might be nice to just speak candidly and share a few of my experiences and what I learned from them as it pertains to living a stress less life. Overall, though there were seasons where I was more tired than others (naturally), I am thankful to say that very rarely did I find myself feeling “stressed.” I definitely owe the credit to God for empowering me in every season and allowing me to lean on Him. There were also tangible things that I did (or didn’t do) that supported my anti-stress lifestyle.
First, let’s chat mindset.
Before I even get into my experiences, I will say that as cliche as it sounds, mindset truly does matter SO much! When it comes to stress, I intentionally fostered a mindset of “I get to” rather than “I have to,” and I could definitely feel the difference when I was not intentionally approaching life this way. For example, I loved teaching, but in the hard moments, I would remind myself that it was a blessing to teach, engage, and have a hand in cultivating the minds of little ones.
There are times (really most times) when you have to train your mind what and how to think and literally cancel out negative or unproductive thoughts. I also embraced the scripture that says to “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” That’s Colossians 3:23 and it definitely kept me going in times when I wanted to quit, or complain, or checkout. There were definitely times when I fell short of this as far as excellence goes, but fostering this mindset was definitely helpful, because even when people may have been difficult, it reminded me who I was truly working for, and who was working within me. It surely made all the difference.
Whether you adopt these mindsets or some of your own, your mindset is definitely the first place to begin building an anti-stress lifestyle.
I’ve said this many times before, but you should also filter what you are taking in on a regular basis. We don’t need to know everything that is going on in every city across the world, or what is going on in the lives of every single person we know on a regular basis. We certainly don’t need to be taking in doom and gloom messaging and conversations. It’s important to filter these things out. If it doesn’t align with God’s word as it is written or the things He has spoken to you specifically, filter it out. There’s more I could say on that, but I’ll leave it at that for now. I wrote a blog on this last year, so I will link it in the comments for those that need help in this area, and I’ll likely find myself talking about it again in more detail in the future.
Overall, a healthy mindset is something that is actively cultivated, not passively, so get intentional, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” That’s Philippians 4:8, by the way. With this, and doing things God’s way, brings the PEACE of God, and stress can’t overpower the peace that God gives!
I can tell you that with confidence because I’ve experienced it for myself!
There have been times that I’ve looked back on and couldn’t fathom how I was not only surviving, but gliding through with grace. That’s not to say it NEVER got difficult, but overall, I’m impressed with all that God allowed me to do. During my time teaching, I was literally teaching full time and all the things that come with that: meetings and lesson planning and grading, and teacher outings, and even at certain points, planning events for staff, and volunteering… Then, on my own time tutoring and doing freelance work, and serving at my church, and somehow still making time for fun and traveling. My mind is lowkey blown just reflecting on it, but it’s a reminder to me and to you that it is possible to not only get a lot done, but to do so with grace and ease and peace. I won’t lie, that grace, ease, and peace may not come and definitely won’t be sustainable without God, but truly, all things are possible with God! Now for the takeaways: When I look back at this season, and the one I will share next, there are a few things that I know aided me in showing up with excellence:
TIME-MANAGEMENT! As someone who helps others manage their calendars, I know firsthand that this does not come naturally to everyone, but man oh man is it important and a major key to creating an anti-stress lifestyle. Whether you use a digital or written calendar, a physical checklist or project management software, you MUST have something that you are accountable to that helps you to plan your days and delegate your time. Disorganization, both physically and with our time, can definitely breed stress! When managing your time, be realistic about how much time you really need for tasks and don’t ever rely on “remembering” scheduled appointments, meetings, etc. Write it down or it’s not real! Lol.
Someone I know puts EVERY minute of their day on their calendar, from eating to showering, to working and working out, you name it! Shout out to you if you’re listening: You know who you are! Lol. I don’t always do it to that extent and I’m not suggesting that you have to either, but if I’m honest, it helps to visually see your time and how it is spent, and also, in busy seasons especially, you can almost create more time in the day by properly allocating time for things. Obviously, we only have 24 hours in a given day, really less when we count sleep, but when you employ the combination of visualizing your time and setting a schedule to adhere to, you’ll be surprised how much you can get done in a day and how much it will eliminate the stress that comes from confusion, disorganization, or not knowing what to do next. In this way, you also find that you have time for rest throughout your day, whether it be short breaks throughout or one long break in the middle.
Long story long on that, manage your time well, and don’t forget to factor in the logistics like travel time, actually cooking, ordering, or picking up the meal you plan to eat, rest, and hygiene. Shameless plug, if you need someone to help you setup or maintain your calendar, I’d be happy to help you through my assistance and organization business, Reorganize with Rhaven! I offer a plethora of services as a virtual executive and personal assistant, and as a digital organizer to help you organize your life, your space, your schedule, and your business. Check out my website reorganizewithrhaven.com and let me help you begin creating your anti-stress lifestyle today! The link will also be in the description.
The next experience I want to share is one that I know many can relate to, whether now, in the past, or in the future, and that is working full-time while going to school full time. If you are there or have been there, you know that combination packs a PUNCH. I completed my masters program while working full-time in my role as an executive assistant, serving in an ancillary role as the leader of our company culture, and continuing to serve my tutoring students. Now, let me say, busy is not always productive and you don’t necessarily have to be busy to be successful, but I want to offer a balanced perspective that you CAN be successful in living an anti-stress life, even when you are wearing 5000 hats. I know there has been a movement towards doing less, and I support that if that is the season you are in and if that is what you feel is best for you right now, but there are DEFINITELY seasons where God and life will require more of you. Don’t back down! You can charge forth, be super productive and impactful, and still be at peace. It doesn’t have to be either-or. I also want to debunk the idea that you just need to struggle through a busy season to get to a quiet, calm life. Realistically speaking, if you have goals and if you have a calling on your life from God (which we all do, but not everyone answers); if you care about being impactful and moving from glory to glory, you need to posture yourself to thrive and live a good life in every season, and not postpone joy, peace, rest, etc. for some season that isn’t coming or that won’t last. What am I saying? Live well NOW, no matter the circumstances. I think that is one thing that I have learned—to stop holding my breath and struggling through intense seasons, and to embrace each season for what it is, even when I know better is coming. How does this apply to working while in school? Well, I’m glad you asked! Often, when in school, we have this idea that we will just push through this 4 years in undergrad, 2-3 years in grad school, or however many years in a doctorate program, or however many months in a certification program so that we can coast later… but after school ends, then comes looking for a new job or promotion or building a business and the cycle starts all over again. So, what’s a better solution? Create a lifestyle of anti-stress now. Care for your mind, body, and spirit now. Manage your time well and create helpful habits now. Make time for your family and friends, and yourself now. Are there certain things that come after delayed gratification? ABSOLUTELY, but exhaling, resting, caring for ourselves, and truly LIVING should not be a part of those things. Build an anti-stress lifestyle while working and going to school full time by doing some of the things we’ve already mentioned, eating well, making time for rest, setting healthy habits, making time for fun and self-care, managing your time and tasks well, just to name a few. How this looks and how much time is allotted for each thing may need to shift in different seasons, but as we discussed in last week’s episode, you still need to make time for your non-negotiables in every season. And just to clarify, I’m not saying you will be comfortable in every season, because not every season is meant to last a long time, but you DON’T have to just accept that stressful living is your portion. It’s not… or at least it doesn’t have to be.
I will wrap up in saying this: many have accepted that stress is a part of life and I am here to tell you that while that is true, that life does come with certain pressures, it does not mean that you have to be stressed or life a stressful life. You can thrive under and really, over the pressures, and significantly alleviate or even avoid the effects of stress, especially chronic stress, by building a life that is not conducive to it. Go back and listen to the rest of the episodes in this series for more ideas on how you can do just that. You can also grab the transcripts on the blog at thegardenofepiphani.com, if you’re someone who needs to see it visually. As we wrap up April, Stress Awareness Month, I want to challenge you to begin setting up for an anti-stress lifestyle. What things do you need to start, stop, or continue doing? What habits do you need to strengthen or eliminate? How can you foster a better mindset going forward? If you haven’t already, I challenge you to leave stressful living behind in April and enter May committed to God’s grace, ease, and peace, and living a Stress Less life!
That’s the end of today’s episode and the end of this series. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and that you feel empowered to go forth. Leave me a comment and let me know one thing you will start implementing this week to build or strengthen your anti-stress lifestyle!
I love you bunches and will talk to you on Faith Friday, God willing!
Until then, have a healthy and wholesome week! 💕