The Self-Care Routine of an Artist with a Day Job
I never used to think twice about refining a self-care routine. The routine I was accustomed to was straightforward already: chase.the.bag.
I never took the time to show myself love or slow down to become grounded or even play for the sake of playing. Quite early, the focus was on finding ways to make enough money that would dramatically change life for my family. Little did I know that all the things I was skipping out on, was exactly what I needed to bring forth that level of prosperity and abundance.
As I grew into young adulthood with this mission in mind, I had no choice but to exercise my independence. I moved across the country on a football scholarship and believed it was only a matter of time before I met my destiny to play in the big leagues. I dreamed of celebrating with my family, because we had finally made it.
In reality, I spent many Christmases alone. The bond we held, weakened from the time we had spent apart. And, I decided to stop playing football in my Junior year of university.
It wasn’t until then that I began to take stock of what made me feel worthy, powerful and grounded.
I started to examine all the variables in my life that had led me to this current state and decided to consciously, actively rebuild my foundation.
That foundation is my self-care routine. It is just as much a part of my day as is work, or eating and drinking. As I grow, my routine grows with me as I take on new responsibilities and seek to manage my time differently.
But for the most part, it’s remained the same.
That’s the thing about having a strong foundation. We may get confused, scared or doubtful about our progression in life and how our identity develops over time but if we can return to the foundation we consciously built — that is where we’ll find the answers we need to move forward.
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6am — Wake up
I choose to wake up early to consciously set my mind up for the day ahead. This is a time when the city is quiet and the Sun hasn’t risen yet. It really feels like a sacred time in which I just exist with myself. I used to wake up and hop right into my day. Whether it was classes or work that I needed to attend, that rushed approach just didn’t work for me. There was always something on my mind that I hadn’t addressed yet. Not having the time to address it throughout the day only made me more anxious. Waking up at 6am allows me to take stock of how I feel, decide how I want to feel and plan to challenge myself to bring my best to the table that day.
6:01am — Grab a glass of water
I know that drinking water in the morning is associated with a handful of health benefits but I won’t sit here acting like I’m an expert on those. All I can say is that drinking a glass of water in the morning wakes my body up with ease, it alerts my senses and creates momentum.
6:03am — turn on meditation music
Not only do I enjoy it, but I need to begin everyday with peaceful and healing meditation music. There is something to be gained from the vibrations of a high frequency. It stills you, clears you…empowers you.
6:05am — bodyweight workout
As a condition of my football dreams, I began lifting heavy weights very early. When I decided to hang up the cleats, I also decided to focus on how my body felt during exercise and let that knowledge lead the way. I didn’t want to be big & buff anymore. I wanted my body to feel functional, flexible and forceful. Making the transition to calisthenic exercises did that for me. What’s more — this new habit also challenged my accountability and perseverance.
6:45am — shower
Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
7am — pop open the notebook. Record how I’m feeling — most times in the form of poetry. Set out the “to-do” list. State goals. Track progress. Inspirational quote for the day.
I’ve always loved the therapeutic effect that words have on me. Specifically when those words come from a place of introspection — investigating the darkest and lightest parts of myself. Examining self-talk is where I make meaningful changes to my life. I separate myself from the constant voice-over and tune into the messages that lay beneath the surface. This time is set aside to let my soul talk.
7:30am — begin work + boil water for coffee
My morning ritual is incomplete without a warm cup of coffee. As the kettle boils, I gets started on personal projects. I’m employed full-time for a creative and highly regarded digital marketing agency but I also enjoy creating on my own. Everyone is building a brand for themselves these days and I use this time to plan and complete projects that will enhance my own. This holds a piece of my identity separate from that of my day job and allows me to continue growing holistically.
8am — fiancee wakes up/begin breakfast
I love this part. I’ve been up for a couple hours already so, naturally, I get used to the feeling of being alone with myself. Although it’s a time of peace and authenticity, the feeling of seeing my fiancee’s smile is irreplaceable. The fact that I get to spend my life with this human is a gift in itself and by that time in the morning, I’m able to appreciate that gift by giving her the attention and love she deserves.
We cherish our mornings together because we get to share quality time rising with the day. It’s usually filled with lots of laughs, breakfast and cat cuddles.
8:30am — sit down for breakfast & Ugly Delicious w/ bae
We love a good culinary cooking show. We speak the same language of dreams and creativity — she loves the art of cooking while I admire the stories and insights from the chefs.
Win-win.
8:45am — clean up
Building more momentum for the day, getting things done and checked off the list.
8:50am — check email/slack/review work from previous day
9am-5pm — working (day job)
There you have it! The self-care routine of an artist/corporate employee — the best of both worlds. I hope you can examine your own self-care practices and identify what’s impacting you, both positively and negatively, before committing to the necessary changes needed to balance out those energies.
Peace & Love.
