Photography by Ava Dillon from Dupe
Trying to achieve our goals is challenging because as much as we know how fulfilling it is after accomplishing them, the journey might make it feel more elusive.
With how routines need constant finetuning and how it takes commitment to stick to them, one might feel like it's too much work. Most often, it's because we rarely see how interconnected the habits that make up our routine should be to achieve the results we desire.
That is why it's essential to value holism in ritual-making. The act of seeing how every step connects to how well we do the next step and appreciating how it makes up the big picture could make all the difference to achieving our goals in the most fulfilling way, even when we have yet to reach them. Here are three foundations you need to have and how you can slowly incorporate them into your routines:
Quality Sleep
Photography by Alexandra Vandooren from Dupe
Let's start with the most overlooked foundation of holistic routines: quality sleep.
Studies show that having quality sleep (yes, more than just looking at the hours!) greatly improves our overall health and how well we function throughout the day. Try thinking of the last night you had a restless or sleepless night. More often, those are the days when ideas don't come out as well as they usually do, or we feel like we're crawling our way to the end of the day. When we feel that way, we don't get to have the same vigor or determination to do the rest of our laid-out habits— showing just how interconnected they are.
Habit-Starter: Set a wind-down alarm to signal that it's time to dim the lights, have yourself in bed and ready to put the phone down (and far away) from your bed.
Well-Balanced Meals
Photography by Payton Butler from Dupe
Having a well-balanced meal that fuels our body to do what it has to do is another foundation that should be present in our holistic rituals.
Thinking of food as fuel can change our perception of it as we start to see it as an essential to do things and a way to thank our body for allowing it to do them. The best ideas, moments, and movements always thrive with a happy stomach— much more when we fill it with well-balanced plates.
Habit-Starter: Try to make it a goal to introduce one food group a week to your plate. There's no need to eliminate food (unless it triggers hormones.) Try to add a new one until you find it essential. Start by adding a side of vegetables and go from there.
Movement
Photography by Cora Pursley from Dupe
For those who frequently experience bodily pains, this might be the foundation you might need to work on.
Incorporating frequent movement in your daily routine could help alleviate uncomfortable aches and improve your overall mobility, making it easier for you to take on daily adventures and even more adventurous ones! Say hello to better endurance, stamina, and strength.
Habit-Starter: Aim to put in at least 10,000 steps whenever you can! According to studies, it’s a healthy amount to set you to a healthy pace.
The Skin and The Holistic Foundations
Quality sleep, well-balanced meals and even the stress-reducing factors of movement are also interconnected to how our skin reacts. When we lack sleep, shy away from balanced meals and have no way to manage our stress levels, it manifests through the skin. It all works in a holistic flow.