Creating a personal wellness routine is an excellent way to show yourself some love, lift your mood, and boost your long-term happiness.
Stress and anxiety are obvious signs that it’s time to change something, but you don’t need to feel like anything’s missing from your life to take steps to feel even better.
Discover what’s so good about a personal wellness routine and how to create one that works for you in this guide. Of course, we’ll include tips on adding CBD products for general health and wellbeing — and explain your options.
The Essential Elements of a Personal Wellness Routine
Everyone defines the purpose and meaning of life differently, but we all have the same basic needs. Abraham Maslow, an early 20th-century American physiologist, described them in a model that’s since come to be known as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
This model is usually shown as a pyramid. The primal needs that keep us alive form its base, while the tip depicts what Maslow called “self-actualisation” — reaching your full potential.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is an excellent way to assess how well you’re meeting your self-care needs.
Let’s take a peek at the model, starting with the foundation and moving toward the things that allow you to appreciate the richness of life fully:
- Physiological needs: Air, water, sleep, clothes, and similar absolute necessities.
- Safety: Security, health, a job.
- Love and belonging: Family, friendship, and intimacy.
- Esteem: Respect, recognition, freedom, and feelings of self-worth.
- Self-actualisation: Reaching your full potential — knowing you have a purpose and being passionate about your life’s mission.
A good self-care routine can increase your wellbeing across all of these tiers. It can help you to sleep better, be healthier, feel more optimistic about your relationships and yourself, and help you discover your passions.
A comprehensive wellness routine covers physical and emotional bases.
1. Stress Relief and Building Resilience
Everyone gets stressed sometimes, and developing healthy coping mechanisms can improve our overall wellbeing. Chronic stress can lead to a variety of physical and emotional issues. A good wellness routine can help you make sure that stress doesn’t take over your life.
The ability to recover from stress is one of the most important markers of good mental health. A wellness routine can help you process any challenges you face and allow you to retain a calm and healthy mindset.
2. Quality Sleep
Nobody functions optimally when sleep deprived — and frequent sleep trouble really does a number on your mental health.
3. Social Connections
As social creatures, we’ve evolved to seek closeness and connection with others. We all need quality relationships, so spending quality time with friends and family is essential. At the same time, intentional solitude is an important way to recharge your mental batteries.
4. Mindfulness
You might have stumbled on the term “mindfulness” before. There’s more to it than meditation, though that can be a part of it. At its core, mindfulness simply refers to a mindset that allows you to be present in the moment. In other words, enjoy life — and don’t let it pass you by on autopilot.
5. Exercise
Physical activity is essential for general wellbeing. You don’t have to go to the gym or play a particular sport, but you do have to move your body to be healthy and happy. Walking, swimming, and gardening are all good options.
6. A Healthy, Balanced, and Enjoyable Diet
The fuel you put into your body plays a massive role in your health and emotional wellness.
A good wellness routine keeps all of these basic needs in mind and can help anyone who has been coasting along become more fulfilled. Interested? Good. You should be, because you’re worth it. Join us to explore tips to create your personal wellness routine in the next section.
Creating Your Personal Wellness Routine: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you think you can’t afford to create a personal wellness routine because you’re too busy to look after yourself, you’re wrong. You can’t afford not to prioritise your wellbeing — and you probably have more time than you think.
Start there. Keep track of how you’re spending your time for a while, and be brutally honest about all the time wasters you’d be better off without. You might be able to free up intentional time in the mornings, at work, in the evenings, and on weekends.
What will you choose to do with it?
The term “wellness routine” might give you the impression that you have to meet all your self-care needs in one chunk of time, but that’s not true. You can take time to focuss on your wellbeing throughout the day. What’s more, these self-care moments can neatly fit into your existing schedule.
Here’s what we recommend.
1. Incorporating Wellness Into Your Mornings
Any wellness routine that aims for good overall health should include healthy foods, exercise, good sleep, and a healthy mindset.
Get up at roughly the same time every day for a better night’s sleep. Start the day with a tasty breakfast and positive thoughts. People who want to find ways to be more active may walk or bike to work or school or go for a jog before starting their productive days.
If you feel like you’re missing out on social connection, use your morning to reach out to someone you love. Ask your friends or relatives how they’re doing, or wish them luck if they’re doing something important.
Some people choose to add CBD products, like CBD gummies, capsules, or CBD oil, to their morning routines.
2. Remembering Self-Care During the Day
People doing sedentary jobs (and students!) can improve their general wellbeing by getting up to move around at least five minutes every hour. Do some stretching exercises or some yoga, or hit the gym during your lunch break.
Those who work physically-demanding jobs will want to do the opposite. Take some time to put your feet up whenever you can!
A healthy lunch can keep you going, and preparing a packed lunch is a good way to avoid splurging on fast food.
People who use CBD products to support their general health and wellbeing may want to pack CBD capsules or gummies. Both are portable, easy to store, and quick to use.
3. Planning an Active Late Afternoon to Boost Wellbeing
The hours immediately after you finish your productive day are another great window to engage in some exercise. You may also want to use this time to keep your mind stimulated — intellectual curiosity can lift your mood and make you feel more positive about everything.
Fortunately, your week is seven days long! You could hit the gym or play sports three days a week, take a cooking class one day, socialise a few other days, and set aside time to do absolutely nothing a few others. Balance is key.
You could have dinner (ideally with your family, if you have one) before or after your afternoon routine. Family dinners are a great way to connect, especially because they act as a built-in routine.
4. Developing a Relaxing Evening Routine
Restorative sleep is essential to good health and a great mood. Unfortunately, too many people aren’t getting it. Adults need at least seven hours of continuous sleep every night. Getting there may take some time and effort, and a relaxing evening routine is the perfect way to wind down after an active day.
Try to go to sleep at the same time every night — and use the hours preceding it for a relaxing evening routine.
Are you still answering work emails or looking at your bank statements just before you go to bed? Stop that. There are better ways.
Your relaxing evening routine could include any (or all) of the following elements:
- Breathing exercises
- Yoga
- Reading a book
- Listening to music
- Meditation
- Using CBD products for health and relaxation
- A nice, relaxing bath or shower
The light that blue screens (like computers and smartphones) emit mimics the characteristics of daylight, and they can make it harder to go to sleep. Turning your devices off an hour before you go to bed is an excellent idea.
What Role Can CBD Products Play in a Relaxing Wellness Routine?
More and more people are becoming curious about cannabidiol. This non-psychoactive cannabinoid is extracted from hemp plants. Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD products may contain small traces of THC, the main psychoactive substance in cannabis, while CBD isolate products are pure and don’t include any THC.
CBD products are available over the counter without a prescription. It is important to note that research into the precise effects of cannabidiol is still ongoing. Despite the fact that CBD products are available on the open market, they shouldn’t be used to prevent, treat, or cure any specific medical conditions.
Strict advertising rules in the UK also prevent companies manufacturing or selling CBD products from making particular claims about the potential effect of cannabidiol. Nonetheless, research shows that many users have a range of reasons for adding cannabidiol to their general health and wellness routines. Stress relief, relaxation, and seeking better sleep are among the top reasons CBD consumers cite for using cannabidiol products.
If you’re interested in adding CBD products to your relaxing evening routine, you have a wide range of options.
1. CBD Gummies
Quality CBD gummies are typically made with CBD isolate and do not contain any trace of THC. CBD gummies are an excellent choice for consumers seeking the benefit of a pre-dosed CBD product that’s easy to use. You consume these edibles like any other sweet, after all!
CBD gummies are a great choice for people who want access to cannabidiol on the go, as well — you can just throw them in your bag!
2. CBD Oil
CBD oil is a popular over-the-counter product that doesn’t contain any controlled substances or psychoactive ingredients. It is packaged in glass bottles with a dropper that allows you to measure the appropriate dose to achieve the desired effect. You then hold the CBD oil under your tongue for 60 to 90 seconds before swallowing it.
CBD oil is fast-acting and remains a popular choice. This form of CBD is best for an evening wellness routine at home because CBD oil can be unwieldy on the go.
3. CBD Capsules
Long-acting CBD capsules are another common choice. You take a CBD capsule just like you would use a multivitamin supplement. The convenience of capsules makes this form of CBD a handy choice for busy working professionals who want to add it to their afternoon routines.
4. CBD Vape Pens or CBD Vape Juice
Vapers can easily add CBD to their wellness routines by buying pre-packaged CBD vape pens or CBD vape juice. Some people enjoy the ritual of vaping cannabidiol, which can be a more intimate experience than popping a capsule. Vaping CBD can also be an excellent option for people trying to quit nicotine products.
5. CBD Balms and Lotions
Not all forms of CBD are consumable. Some people who are curious about adding cannabidiol to their wellness routines opt for topical applications instead. For example, you could apply CBD balms or lotions after a relaxing bath.
Wellness Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All: How to Create A Routine That Works for You
A personal wellness routine is a commitment to give yourself some serious TLC on a regular basis. Without a routine you automatically fall back on, you risk placing yourself last — which can cause serious stress.
Remember that you’re unique as you create a wellness routine. First, evaluate what you’re already doing right, and then add the essentials you’re missing.
The essential components of overall wellness and health include:
- Stress relief through healthy coping mechanisms like meditation and calming rituals.
- Good sleep — a regular bedtime and a calming bedtime routine will help you get there.
- Connecting with your loved ones and interacting socially.
- Mindfulness (making the most of the present moment).
- Exercise or physical activity.
- A healthy and enjoyable diet.
There’s no one way to tick all these boxes. Ticking them will make you a healthier and happier person, though, so take some time to figure out what works for you!
Sources:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23858951/
- https://www.nih.gov/health-information/emotional-wellness-toolkit
- https://www.nih.gov/health-information/physical-wellness-toolkit
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/what-is-healthy-sleep
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2020.1729201
