1. Daily Walks 

There’s something to be said about walking in nature. It refreshes your mind, reduces stress and feels soo nourishing. It’s the few times through out your day where you’re not cooped up in your thoughts. Daily walks might sound like a luxury, but it doesn’t have to be something grand. A 10 minute walk around your neighbourhood after lunch or choosing a more scenic route and slowing down after you drop your kids at school is the way to go.

 2. Time With Yourself (I.e. Surrendering to Allah) 

I love this! This is where you sit down with yourself and spend 10 to 15 minutes or so being present and fully conscious in your body. Close your eyes, relax your shoulders and drop into your heart space. Go within. Keep your focus on your heart centre and notice how you’re feeling in the present moment. Connect with that little girl within you, yearning to be loved, seen and heard by you. In these moments, I love to use affirmations as a way of soothing any past hurt and connecting to that little girl within. Affirmations such as “I’m here for you. I’ve got you. I love you soo soo much. You’re doing soo well.” Feel it in your heart. Being here for you is one of the most magical experiences to have. You’re not anywhere else but here. You’re not glued to your phone, distractions, thinking about others or stuck in the past/ future. But here for you. It’s a deep form of surrendering and accepting all that Allah has decreed for you in this moment in time.

 3. Rest Between Meals + Focus On The Basics 

By resting between meals, I mean give your digestive system a break by not snacking excessively or overeating all the time. When your body is consistently being overfed, you’re prone to feeling crappy, which lowers your vibration. In that state, it’s hard to feel good about yourself when you’re consistently punishing yourself with food. The emphasis is on doing this consistently. It’s so normal to overeat or snack too much here and there, but when it becomes a daily habit, it’s probably masking other issues.

I used to do an intense 20 minute HIIT workout and barely move the rest of the day. I used to eat so healthy, superfoods and all but barely drank any water (minus 2 cups of green tea, at the start and end of the day). On top of that, I was the Queen of Stress. It hasn’t happened yet? It’ll likely never happen? Okay, I’ll find a way to stress over it 😀 Can you see the problem here? Whilst I’m still working on these basics, learning to embrace them was a huge step in my self-love. It meant that I could no longer neglect myself. The health basics for me are staying hydrated, eating well, daily movement, varying my workouts in alignment with my cycle, managing stress better and quality sleep to the best I can.

 4. Make Your Needs A Priority 

By doing so, you treat yourself as someone worthy and important. (I.e. you stop putting your husband/ career/ other people on a pedestal. By leaning back and focusing on you, it gives them the space to come towards you. That space isn’t filled with you trying to receive something in return for your efforts). What matters most to you right now? What is your heart yearning for? What would the most radiant, glowing version of you be doing right now? Maybe she’d make herself a cup of oat mylk latte and cherish the moment. Maybe she’d call a friend and catch up on some girl talk. Maybe she’d prioritise her work or finish up lose tasks around the house.

With making your needs a priority, it’s not always about getting what you want. Sometimes, it may not be possible. (I.e they’re maybe other people involved, you might have more pressing needs like a child whose acting up or family responsibilities). The emphasis is that you don’t neglect your needs for the most part. In cases, where you physically can’t meet your needs, you soften. If your child is refusing to sleep and past his bedtime, and you’d rather spend that time to yourself, you soften (not repel back) but surrender and adjust as needed. If your parents need your input and you really want that time for yourself, you soften, not fight back but find a middle ground. Prioritising your needs is about you stepping up for yourself, not being afraid to ask for your preferences whilst being able to read the room. 

 5. Do Work That You Love 

By work, I mean anything that gives you joy. It might be a certain project, hobbies, a career path, passions, anything that sparks joy. Following through on the work that you love, the passions that might have been forgotten over the years is a way of nourishing your soul and cultivating your own happiness. You stop waiting on people or the future to give you that. What can you pour all your heart into? One of those things for me is fashion and clothes. Within my home, I love playing dress up, experimenting with different pieces, watching fashion videos and getting excited over things I probably won’t buy 😀  Sure enough, it doesn’t happen everyday and there have been times where I’ve neglected it. But every time I come back to it, it’s this renewed sense of joy and connecting to that little girl within. In that state of self-fulfilment, you’re not embodying lack or externally needing others to fulfil you.

 6. Connect With Your Desires 

Spend some time each day connecting with your desires. It might me before sleeping where you visualise your end outcome, talking about it to Allah at tahajjud time, journaling in the morning on your desires, affirming your dreams throughout the day…. any time that connects you to your duas and dreams. Set the intention to receive what you desire and deeply connect with it. Embody it and feel it real in your heart. The courage it takes to ignore your current reality and still choose to believe in something new is phenomenal. It’s you telling Allah with your faith that despite what it looks like out there, you choose to believe. You choose to have faith in Him. Connecting to your desires is you connecting to your heart. And that’s a wonderful feeling.

P.s If you’d like further 1-1 support on calling in your deepest duas and dreams, click here to learn more about my 3 month coaching program. You can schedule in a free 20 minute coaching call to get started!