Do you collapse into bed at the end of the day feeling exhausted and burnt out? Are you constantly running from one thing to another, whether that’s at work, at home, or a blend of both? Does your schedule feel like it’s spiraling out of your control and you can’t get anything done, much less find time for yourself? It may be time to incorporate Ashwagandha into your routine.
Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogen that has been revered in Ayurveda for centuries. Over time, it helps your body adapt to daily stressors — the kind of stuff that you encounter on a day-to-day basis, like shuttling your kids back and forth to games and activities, dealing with work drama, and trying to balance all those spinning plates of life.* It’s best used over a period of time, so if this sounds like something that might work for you, here’s how to incorporate Ashwagandha into your routine — and find time to prioritize self-car
Schedule a few minutes of “me time” each day.
Even if your schedule is super-packed with go, go, go energy, you can find five minutes to sit quietly and focus on yourself. Maybe it’s early in the morning before your family wakes up or a few moments during your lunch break. Consider setting a calendar alert to remind you to stop what you’re doing, put your phone down, and just be. Breathe, stretch, journal, read a book, or sip a cup of tea or coffee with no distractions. Once you’ve mastered that, try carving out more time that is just for you. Get in a workout, take a bath, book a massage, walk around your favorite store, whatever!
Just breathe.
A few deep breaths can totally turn around your entire day. When you’re feeling especially stressed and tense, step away from the trigger, find a quiet spot to sit and breathe deeply for a few minutes. You can do box breaths, where you breathe in for a few seconds, hold for a few seconds, exhale for a few seconds, and repeat, or just focus on the flow of air in and out.
Redo your to-do list.
Be more realistic about what you can feasibly get done in a day. Each day, make a list of three to five things that absolutely must be completed, then list out everything else as a “nice to have” for that day. If you can get those things done, great! But you won’t need to stress so much if not.
Make Ashwagandha a part of your favorite ritual.
If you never let a day pass without a green smoothie, love snuggling up with a cup of tea and a good book or TV show, or make a point to stretch or do a few minutes of yoga each night, incorporate the adaptogenic herb Ashwagandha into that ritual. It’s like habit stacking, or pairing a daily must-do with something you want to add to your life to make it stick. You’ll find a moment of peace in more ways than one.
Reduce pre-bedtime mental clutter.
Do you spend half the night tossing and turning or wake up thinking of something that happened at work or at home? Before bed, try journaling for a few minutes to get those pesky thoughts out of your brain so you can sleep more soundly. Just writing down your worries and stressors can help you free your mind — and sleep better!