GYM VLOG #2

Author: Julia Dulgerova

Clearing Your space and Creating Routines

Do you ever walk into your room and feel like you can’t progress with your day because everything is a mess? Or maybe you left dirty dishes in the sink and you’re starting to feel overwhelmed. Or you left your house and forgot to throw your clothes in the dryer.

When we have to constantly remind ourselves that these things need to be done, we begin to worry. Especially if we already have a million thoughts firing away in our brains.

Things that seem simple like making your bed or putting away your laundry can drastically impact your day, especially when these are things you constantly see in your home.

I often think of a million little tasks I need to do, like submitting that homework assignment, cleaning my junk drawer (we all have one), or changing my sheets. In my family we like to call these things “elephants” because they sit in your brain and take up a lot of space, but they are tasks that are fairly simple and quick to do.

And that’s when the “Pit List” comes in handy. I learned about the Pit List from Shaye Elliot and Angela Reed of “Homemaker Chic Podcast”. The Pit List can be created by anyone. It’s just a list of the little things you have to do that sit in your brain, but when you finally have the time to do them, you can’t think of what you wanted to do because you can’t remember! (this happened to me ALL the time)

So, create a Pit List of your own, and anytime you think of that little thing you just cannot forget to do, but don’t have the time at the moment, write it down on your list. I can’t express enough how much this can help with anxiety, and I’m speaking from personal experience. First off, it clears your mind of the repetitive thoughts of these tasks because now they are documented on paper, and you don’t have to rack your brain when you forget what you wanted to do when you got home.

So, make a list!

Making a Pit List clears your brain but physically clearing your space is just as important.

As I mentioned earlier, making your bed takes about a minute or two but the feeling you get when you walk into your room after school or work and see your nicely made bed is worth the small amount of time by a million. Doing things like this will eventually turn into a habit, and it will habitually make you feel better and decrease your anxiety every time you walk into your room and see your bed made.

Similarly, don’t let those dirty socks rot and ferment on your floor! Put them in your laundry basket!

It may seem like it’s not that big of a deal, and you may even convince yourself that you don’t care, or you don’t see them, but trust me when I say the smallest things can trigger our brains and clutter can make us anxious on its own or make anxiety that already exists even worse.

So, clear your space!

Giving yourself the permission to indulge in self-care without guilt should be a daily routine for us all.

First, let me give you a rundown of my nighttime routine as an example. At around 8pm is when I begin winding down for the night. I try to finish or find a place to stop whatever I have been working on like homework (or this blog post!). I find it very important to stop yourself at certain times because you may be like me, and just go on and on and work but not notice how much time has stopped. So, by 8pm I like to tie my work up. Then, I’ll go downstairs and drink a tall glass of water, and then I take a shower and put on my cozy pajamas. Then, on the weekend me and my dad will sometimes watch a movie but on the weekdays, I’ll go to my mom’s room, and we will talk about our days while we Gua Sha our face with some oils. Using a Gua Sha is great for blood circulation, lymphatic massaging, and reducing inflammation. Plus, it’s quality time with my mom. I forgot to mention that I try not to look at my phone or any screens after 8pm, because not only does it delay the time we fall asleep because we just can’t get enough, but our body’s circadian rhythm gets confused. And by 9:30pm, I am in bed and ready to read my book for a bit before I go to sleep. Reading before bed gives you a peaceful sort of entertainment without constant stimulation from social media or screens.

Circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock that regulates many internal functions for example sleep, metabolism, hormone secretion, digestion, immunity, cognition, and neurobehavior. All of which are crucial for not only the functioning of our bodies but also for our own survival. If this internal clock is disrupted by things like screen, late night snacks, etc. our body’s functioning is unbalanced and can cause issues in many parts of your life. The way that it works is that our brain receives signals based on the environment and activates the production of certain hormones, changes our body temperature, and regulates your metabolism to keep you awake and alert or to make you sleepy and ready for bed. Maintaining healthy routines in your daily life makes you respond better to the natural rhythm of your body’s internal clock.

Things like salt lamps, lymph massages, and fascia release are great examples of things that you can add to your self-care routine, and they are extremely beneficial for our bodies.

Salt lamps are what’s called “natural ionizers”. This means that they change the electrical charge of the air that circulates around them. Ions carry a charge, and this is because they have an unbalanced number of protons or electrons. When a change occurs in the atmosphere by things like waterfalls, storms, heat, and salt lamps etc. ions are produced in the air, and they secrete different energies. Salt lamps produce ions because they attract water to themselves that evaporates off them producing ions. Salt lamps improve air quality, can boost your mood, help you sleep, and create a nice ambiance in your space.

Lymphatic drainage and massages are great for draining waste and toxins from the body. The lymph system is very interesting. Our body has vessel systems that carry our blood to and from the tissue, well the lymph system is equally as important because it is a system of vessels that removes cell waste, proteins, excess fluid, viruses, and bacteria. It’s kind of like a filtration system that picks up fluids and waste from in between our cells and filters and cleans them. Just like a water filter, our lymph system can start to build up in the toxins it’s filtering out and can cause all sorts of issues like swelling, sluggishness, infections, and more. The vessels of our lymphatic system are all throughout our body, but about 70 percent are just below our skin! This means that by massages with light pressure, circular motions we can stimulate our lymph system to work better and move filtered lymph fluids back to the heart. These massages are great for things like acne, post exercise recovery, cellulite, and eczema which are all things the lymph system can be responsible for. Many toxins can build up in lymph fluid and massages can be done to release these toxins.

Similarly, massages and stretches can be done for fascia release. Fascia is what gives our body structural support and protects our muscles. This fascia is usually able to move easily, except for when certain trauma or injuries occur, and your fascia can lose its flexibility. This makes it tight and rigid and can lead to pain and make it hard to move around. Fascia release can reduce the soreness in the muscles after exercise and can be used as a tool to recover faster, so you won’t feel as sore after working out or doing lots of physical movement.

So, take some time to turn on a salt lamp and do lymphatic drainage and fascia release!

You may feel selfish when you take this time for yourself, whether that’s in the evening or in the morning, or like you are being high maintenance. But It is so important for our bodies’ healing that we create this time and space in our schedules and give ourselves permission to do these things. And care for yourself with intention as it puts you in the mindset of healing, and it’s not extra or bougee. Having a mindset of positivity and wellness plays a very significant role in our bodies ability to heal. These routines are something you can look forward to as your time and space and design it how you would like to honor your individual person. Also, routines for self-care are a great independence practice to have especially if you feel like you are constantly under someone’s watchful eye. So, create this block of time in your day to prioritize yourself and your health as you learn more about who you are and what is important for you. It isn’t by chance that we get the greatest ideas when we are showering because it’s a time when we are forced to be with our own selves and our own mind without any distractions. Creating space in your brain, and in your life, while implementing self-care routines flows positively into other areas of your life and opens the door for creativity and self-discovery.

Here are some links to resources that may help you to clear your space and create routines for wellbeing!

Lymphatic Drainage Massaging