4 Rituals to Get Your Mind + Body Back in Balance

Spring is almost gone, and summer is coming fast. How have you done with your New Year's Resolutions? Does that question make you feel disappointed or proud? If your answer is disappointed, there is hope! It’s never too late to begin thinking about the things we can do to renew ourselves and to improve the balance in our lives. What better time than now to re-group, re-prioritize, and re-invent ourselves. Here are four “rituals” to get the juices flowing.

1 | De-Clutter Your Office or Spa

If you haven’t used it in two years, throw it out or donate it. It’s incredibly liberating to free yourself of your unused worldly possessions. I just moved at the beginning of the year, and although it was a ton of work, I'm so glad we went through everything. We divided everything up into three categories that you've probably heard before; keep, trash, and donate. Not only did we save money by paring down on our belongings, we felt more refreshed and excited when it came to unpacking, a rare feeling indeed. Later this month we will be posting a blog from my wife and owner of Lash Affair on how to specifically clean out your lash kits to get ready for the summer! In the meantime, check out The Minimalists on decluttering your life.

2 | Start a New Discipline

A few years ago I started a new discipline called TM (Transcendental Meditation).  In short, TM is a technique for avoiding distracting thoughts and promoting a state of relaxed awareness. Through a series of daily walk-throughs, you learn how to calm your mind and how to organize your thoughts so that you can be more efficient at life. It helps you block out all of the “noise” that modern society throws at you (the sound of planes overhead, cars beeping their horns, phones ringing, text messages chiming, etc.) It teaches you to see past all that craziness so you can focus solely on what you’re trying to accomplish.

I use the Headspace app, which is free for the first 100 minutes to guide me through my practice. The apps method is not exactly TM, but very helpful, especially if you are new to meditation or like the accountability of notification reminders on your phone. I fit it in first thing in the morning, after turning the coffee on of course, and there is no better way I’ve found to start your day off on the right foot than with a clear mind. It only takes 10 minutes a day; give it a try, you won’t regret it.

3 | Spend More Time Outdoors

20 minutes of sunshine is a great way to increase your serotonin. This amazing chemical improves your mood, happiness, and energy levels. My suggestion for you would be to take a walk outside between clients instead of checking emails and texts inside. Another way to load up on serotonin is to reserve the early morning of your first day off for running or hiking. There’s nothing better than starting your weekend with a clear mind. 

4 | Get a Minimum of 20 Minutes of Exercise Per Day

Right after my first cup of coffee, I  transition into working out. Exercising in the morning before work gives me the energy and focus that running my business demands. Finding time to do this will benefit you beyond losing those unwanted inches in your waistline. The best app for free workouts that I have found is the Nike+ Training App. This app features dozens of workouts from some of the best athletes and entertainers in the world. You can select from strength, endurance, and mobility. Most of the workouts take 15 minutes and they all include videos of every movement to ensure you use perfect form. The best part is it’s 100% free, some of the workouts won't even require any equipment. It’s a real lifesaver if you're traveling too.

All of the above rituals improve upon your work-life balance. Many times in our lives we overlook the importance of this. As best-selling author and business guru, Tim Ferriss has chronicled in his latest book Tools of Titans, the most successful people in the world all have 10 things that they do every day that contributes to their daily success. I have shared four of the rituals that I do every day which I feel contribute to my success. If you’d like to read more about the habits of tycoons you can find them here. 

All the best,

Paul Paris | CEO | Lash Affair Inc.