Three Practices You Can Do Morning, Afternoon, and Evening to Find Peace and Motivation During Seasons of Disconnection
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We all go through periods where we feel disconnected from ourselves.
Whether it’s due to financial fear, lack of sleep, a sick family member, poor food quality, substance overuse, or a jam-packed schedule… Stress is the number one thing that gets in the way of living vital and joyful lives.
When you feel out of balance or like life is beating you down, the common coping strategy of numbing out only leads to you feeling further and further from yourself.
By adding in new, uplifting practices that give you real benefits, you can ease yourself into the best place you’ve ever been in life.
In this article, I’m unpacking three specific things you can do during the morning, afternoon, and evening to ground yourself and find peace during these seasons of disconnection.
By implementing these practices, you can rebuild your sense of balance, reconnect with your inner self, and navigate the inevitable ups and downs of life with more ease.
Morning: Start Your Day With Personal Connection
Your actions first thing, set the tone for the rest of your day. During periods of anxiety or feeling off, it's essential to ground yourself with purposeful actions first thing in the morning.
Here are three practices you can integrate into your morning routine to reconnect with yourself:
Meditative Movement
Connecting with your body first thing creates a beautiful buffer as your brain is transitioning from delta waves (deep sleep) into more alert and conscious brain waves. Easing yourself into a meditative movement practice first thing, gives you the benefits of a slow morning, even if you only have a few minutes.
For me, this looks like getting out of bed and immediately getting onto my yoga mat. Still in my pajamas, I start by rolling my neck and stretching my wrists as I breathe deeply. Then I’ll put on a Boho Beautiful yoga class on YouTube and move my body as I focus on my breath moving through me.
By the end of the practice, I feel centered and well equipped to care for myself well all day.
Benefits: Meditative movement in the morning helps in reducing anxiety by calming your nervous system. It gives you a chance to observe any negative emotions or thoughts arising and move stagnant energy out of your body.
Other ways to implement: Yoga is my favorite way to do this but you can also stretch on your own, do ballet barre or pilates, go on a walk outside, or jump rope as you breathe in the fresh morning air. Even just 10 minutes can change the way you feel for the rest of the day.
2. Journal
After flowing through a meditative movement practice I’ll usually be more aware of my internal dialogue. The practice of being conscious of your thoughts is important for learning how to care for yourself well.
By journaling right after I move, I’m able to express what needs to be expressed and set up a plan that aligns my daily actions with my long-term goals and dreams.
Benefits: Having a log of how you’re feeling and a way to capture your deepest desires gives you a blueprint to look to any time you’re feeling lost. During seasons where life doesn’t seem to be going your way, conversing with yourself is the best thing you can do to find a sense of security, companionship with Self, and inspiration to move forward.
Other ways to implement: I end my yoga flow in savasana, corpse pose, which naturally allows me to connect with Self and soak in a mini meditation. If journaling doesn’t feel right for you, try a few minutes of stillness right after your morning movement. Laying on your back, palms up, relaxing every muscle in your body as you focus on your breath, may be the fire you need to reconnect with yourself and move forward with clarity.
3. Lymphatic Drainage
A flowing, healthy lymphatic system helps your body cleanse toxins, release inflammation, and optimize immunity. Helping your lymphatic system in the morning with a couple of gentle, drainage practices can help you move through the entire day feeling your best.
I support my lymph system in the morning by first jumping rope outside. I love to focus on breathing deeply and taking in the sights and songs of nature in the morning. Any kind of rebounding activates your lymphatic system and aids in detoxification. You can get the same effect of jumping rope by jumping on a trampoline or even doing a few jumping jacks.
Next, I dry brush right before stepping into the shower which helps open up pores and encourage drainage of toxins. Then I step into a hot shower which opens up my blood vessels so fluid can freely move through my body. I take my time and self-massage as I wash my body to further release blocked energy or clogged fluid within the body.
After the shower, I gua sha my face to increase circulation and sculpt my face. Lastly, I take my time moisturizing my body, being sure to massage my feet and body to release tension and practice self-love.
Benefits: Lymphatic drainage helps debloat and release swelling. It helps lower your toxin bucket which allows your body to function more optimally, breaking down fat cells and cellulite. Taking the time to do this ancient healing practice supports beauty by stimulating glowing skin and creating a lightness within that comes from tension release.
Other ways to implement: I described a few different lymphatic drainage practices that I love. Here they are in one place, plus a few others you could try: Deep nasal breathing, exercise — walking, rebounding, and swimming, — tapping your skin on lymph nodes, self-massage, gua sha, hot cold therapy, and dry brushing.
Afternoon: Quick Midday Pick-Me-Up to Fuel Your Highest Self and Eliminate the Afternoon Slump
Dance
A midday energy boost is absolutely necessary to combat the sedentary lifestyle that is so common today. I love to do this with an afternoon dance session.
It’s a quick and effective way to revamp your energy and soak in the fuel you need to crush the rest of your day… Yes, this means no more energy drinks or afternoon coffee necessary!
My midday dance looks different based on how I’m feeling. If I feel sluggish or low vibe, I will follow along to ballet-style classes from Alexis Ren (they’re free but you have to exchange your email and phone number to get access) or an upbeat dancer workout from MadFit.
If I feel up to a more introspective and free-flowing energy boost, I will blast some of my own music and do a few of my favorite dancer workout moves, without counting, just feeling and flowing as I sing to the music. This allows me to connect with my body and my own thoughts which gives me the release and inspiration to vibrate higher for the rest of the day.
Benefits: Raise your vibration and start attracting more positive experiences. Enjoying life even in the midst of a busy day can completely change your entire outlook on any given situation. It’s a beautiful way to step into your femininity and embody your highest self.
Other ways to implement: Occasionally, I can feel extremely resistant to dancing so instead I’ll go out on an introspective walk in nature or simply step outside and put my feet in the grass. Did you know that many of us go days without ever touching our Earth? Even in you go out on daily walks, your shoes create a barrier between you and Mother Earth. Aligning your body with nature’s healing frequencies is probably the most effective way to relight your spirit to continue living the life you most deeply desire.
2. Meditate
After I move my body, I find that a midday meditation is the best way to set myself up for the most productive and centered rest of the day. In the afternoon, it’s easy to push your body through and start to go on autopilot, unconsciously moving through your day feeling numb.
Meditation brings you back to the present and gives you that much needed boost to help you respond to everything as the person you want to be.
Benefits: Increase your self-awareness and ease your nervous system which improves both mental and physical health. Meditation helps you gain clarity on your purpose and recharge your energy stores.
Ways to Implement: Lay flat on your back on a yoga mat, feet elevated up a wall, or sitting upright on a cushion. Follow a guided meditation to ensure you stay focused and on time. You can also experience more freedom when you play frequency sounds or meditate in silence while you focus all your attention on your breath moving in and out.
3. EFT Tapping
EFT Tapping is a powerful practice to redirect your focus from fear to positive intention.
What limiting beliefs and doubts have come up early in your day? Clearing those out with tapping can bring down any barriers to success and allow you to create your desired outcomes.
Benefits: Acknowledge the challenges you’re facing then consciously move through them and find love and acceptance for yourself. This confidence boosting practice has been used for thousands of years to heal and uplift your energy field.
Ways to implement: I always follow along with these YouTube videos to guide my practice. Find a topic that speaks to your current experience and follow along!
Evening: Wind Down and Reconnect with Self
According to recent research, about ⅓ of Americans have trouble sleeping. Our minds race with all the things we didn’t get done today and all we need to get done tomorrow that no matter how tired you feel, when your head hits the pillow, you’re wide awake.
Having practices in the evening that act as a signal to shut of and wind down from your workday can drastically improve your sleep and overall well-being.
Walk
An after dinner walk is the best way to stimulate digestion and release stress and mental clutter. Being out in nature, soaking in the fresh evening air aligns your body with nature’s frequencies.
Taking in evening sunlight also helps regulate your circadian rhythm which keeps your body in balance and helps you experience more restful sleep.
Benefits: Deeper, more restful sleep, boosted metabolism, and a greater sense of connection with the world around you.
Ways to Implement: After fueling your body with a nourishing meal, head out and walk around your neighborhood. You can listen to an inspiring podcast or go technology free and tune into the bird’s songs.
2. Paint
Having a creative flow activity in the evening is the best way to ease your mind, wind down, and stop yourself from indulging in those destructive evening behaviors like binge eating, drinking, or scrolling.
As a former self proclaimed “not artistic” person, doing paint-by-numbers is the most accessible way to stimulate your creativity and begin enjoying a new hobby.
Benefits: Painting, drawing, or scrapbooking stimulates your creative mind and opens you up to life-changing new ideas. It also stops you from common numbing habits that are easy to fall into after a long day. Having a easeful activity in the evening is a beautiful buffer between daily activities and rest.
Ways to implement: I started with buying paint-by-numbers online at Michael’s. Then I branched out to try watercolor workbooks like this one, and even free painting my own wildflowers on a mini canvas. Occasionally, I will create mini mood boards and adventure journal pages to capture the essence of something going on in my life. Whatever feels like the easiest way for you to start a creative flow activity in the evening, give it a try!
3. Read
Reading as the last thing you do before bed is the perfect way to ease your mind and lull yourself to sleep.
It may feel like you’re relaxing when you’re in bed scrolling on social media, but that actually stimulates your stress responses and puts you into a sympathetic state. All of the sudden your plan to go to sleep early is hours past and you’re feeling wide awake.
Reading does the opposite.
Benefits: Reading puts you into an instant parasympathetic state, calming your nervous system, and signaling that it is safe to rest and digest. Reading forces all your attention onto one thing, allowing you to get lost in a story or learn something inspiring right as you enter into that subconscious sleep state. Priming your mind for healthy sleep is so essential and reading is the most controlled and effective way to do so.
Ways to implement: I change it up depending on the weather and my mood of the evening. Sometimes I read in my hammock outside if it’s an early summer evening and the sun has not completely set. Other days I lay with my legs up the wall to get some lymphatic drainage while I read. Or probably most often, I cuddle into bed and read as the very last thing before putting on my eye mask and going to sleep.
Implement the Practices That Best Suit You
Having these simple practices on hand to turn to whenever I’m feeling down takes away the feeling of helplessness.
Feel free to jump around and implement the practices that speak to you at the time of day that makes the most sense for your schedule. For example, a morning walk, afternoon journal check-in, and an evening lymphathic drainage ritual might be exactly what you’re body desires.
Having mini moments of bliss scheduled throughout the day gives you restorative breaks and helps optimize your time. It might help to start small. Try just one morning, one afternoon, and one evening practice.
The hardest part is starting the thing. Once you do, you’ll feel the difference!
And the more you feel the amazing benefits, the more you’ll want to add in more!
For more on how I transformed my life from feeling dull, sick, and lifeless to alive, vital, and uplifted, download my free ebook, 6 Pillars of Holistic Well-Being. You’re sure to find resources that can lift you up from your unique situation and help you step into your dream experience.
🤍 Jaclyn
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