

Feeling Unmotivated? This Morning Ritual Will Help You Get Sh*t Done
Thanks to my new puppy, I'm finally a morning person. After years of being a night owl, I have now been confined to a life of waking up at 3:30 and 5:30am to go tinkle, and sis is tired. I am sis. While this newfound lifestyle change has not necessarily been easy, it's allowed me to slide back into my morning routine like I never left and I have some tips that will help you get back on your grind, too.
Since the beginning of this quarantine, it's easy to get distracted and let anxiety overwhelm me, but the SAVERS morning routine has allowed me to slay the day like the savage that I am.
The routine, which I initially read about on Pinterest and adopted a few years ago, was inspired by The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life Before 8AM,a self-help book that promises to cure your productivity problems for good. And for this I Tried It, I put this theory to the test.
S.A.V.E.R.S stands for:
- Silence
- Affirmations
- Visualizations
- Exercise
- Reading
- Scribing
And to me, it is a foolproof method to leveling up your focus despite being stuck in quarantine.
As, hands down, the most distracted woman in the world, I brought this morning routine out of retirement for a week, and I must admit my mornings were actually pretty magical.
Silence
I wake up around 5:00am. Wipe my face down with Witch Hazel and brush my teeth. At that point, I take the puppy out to tinkle and begin my routine.
Once I come back in the house, I put the dog back in his kennel to sleep, and get some serious alone time (with myself). I spend the first 10 to 15 minutes of my day in silence. I pray during this time and use the opportunity to tell God thank you for all of the amazing things in my life. I also meditate and think about absolutely nothing. It helps to use apps like Headspace and Calm if meditation isn't really your thing.
Affirmations
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Next, I move on to affirmations, which I often say in the mirror. I received Fearless Faith + Hustle: 21 Day Devotional Journey by Arian Simone at a Pajamas & Lipstick event in 2018 and it is full of affirmations for boss women. A few of them are:
- I am fearless in pursuing my destiny.
- I make decisions in alignment with my purpose.
- God supports my success.
- I am loved.
- I am a solution to someone's problem.
- I spend my time and energy in areas that are fruitful.
Remember to speak each of these affirmations with conviction and don't forget to say it with your chest.
Visualizations
After I speak life over myself, I'm ready to move on to the visualization part of my morning routine, which is probably more effective than you realize. I sit in silence and imagine myself accomplishing all of my goals for the day. I think about how productive and happy I want to be. I imagine the epic interactions I have (even in self-isolation) and I see myself at peace with how I spent my time.
Exercise
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Now, it's time to get that ass (and your heart rate) up with a brief workout.
I know. it's early. You're wondering who in the hell has time for this. But it's you, sis, you have time for this and you deserve to start your day with a burst of energy. I stretched and then moved into a quick circuit of at-home workouts.
Reading
Reading every morning can help you reduce stress, improve focus and concentration, and can even prevent memory loss, which makes it the perfect activity to incorporate into your morning routine.
I'm currently re-reading The Alchemist, which I try to read at least twice a year. But I would also recommend The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz or Acts of Faith by Iyanla Vanzant as great morning reading materials.
Scribe
@prettyhonore for xoNecole.com
Finally, it's time to use all of the morning motivation you've gained from the last five steps and get it all on paper. I use a modified version of bullet journaling in a bulleted notebook I got from Walmart for about $10 and I do a brain dump of everything I want to accomplish that day and then prioritize those items. I also like to use books with prompts or exercises during this time, this one is called How to Be Happy, Dammit: A Cynic's Guide to Spiritual Happiness.
I use this opportunity to release any thoughts or anxieties that I have—to get rid of any icky feels or unwarranted worries. I write letters to God and make a list of all the things I'm grateful for, which ultimately puts me in a kick-ass mood for the remainder of the day.
Next, I take a shower, get into my skincare routine, and get dressed to slay the living room.
My Thoughts:
This is totally something I would recommend for women who feel stuck and unfocused during quarantine. Self-isolation doesn't have to mean slacking on your to-do list and although this morning routine didn't completely solve my productivity problems, it allowed me to start and end my day with a little less anxiety and a lot more inspiration.
Do you have a morning routine that you swear by? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of @prettyhonore.
- The Miracle Morning Solution - a 7-step morning routine ›
- A Concise Description of 6 Miracle Morning Savers - YouTube ›
- My Morning Routine - And Why You Need One Too | Boho Berry ... ›
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (animated book summary) - How ... ›
- The 7-Step Morning Routine That Transforms My Entire Day ›
- The Miracle Morning For Writers | HuffPost ›
- Savers Daily Morning Routine — Morning Tips ›
- Start Your Day Off Right with the SAVERS Morning Routine ›
- The (6-minute) Miracle Morning - halelrod.com ›
- I tried the 'The Miracle Morning' productivity routine for a month ... ›
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Blac Chyna Opens Up About Her Initial Fear To Share Her Spiritual Journey With Others
Watching Angela “Blac Chyna” White’s transformation in real-time has truly been a sight to see. It wasn’t that long ago that she announced that she was reversing her cosmetic surgeries in an effort to go back to who she was before the world came to know her as Blac Chyna. In previous interviews, she stated that she was dissolving her facial and lip fillers, removing her breast implants, and getting a butt reduction, as well as removing the dimple piercings that enhanced her fame and controversial tattoos.
In a recent Tamron Hall interview, the mother of two said that she has “fully recovered” from the procedures. She is also celebrating one year of sobriety and opened up about being worried about how her new journey would be received by others.
“I’ve been in the entertainment industry for so long, right, and of course, like, you know, coming out, I’m like young, I’m gonna do wild things as we all have,” she said.
“...I feel like by me being vocal and showing everybody you can change your life and things can get better, like through myself, that right there is an accomplishment, and that’s a part of freedom, too.”
But as she started on her journey, many people have shown her grace, which is something she’s grateful for. “And then the fact that people have been showing me grace, it’s like amazing,” she said. “And I feel like when I did it, I just did it. It was more so like spiritual thing and I feel like people see that, and I’ve always been like my authentic self, so what you see is kinda what you get with me, and that’s just kinda what it is.”
Chyna, who recently received an honorary doctorate from Sacramento Theology Seminary and Bible College, has also repaired her relationship with her mom, Tokyo Toni. The social media celebrity surprised her daughter on the Tamron Hall Show. Prior to the sentimental surprise, Chyna dished on the reconciliation and having a better understanding of her mom.
“I must say, some of the things I have to take accountability for because, like my actions. As a mother, you don’t want to see your daughter doing certain things ‘cause it’s like it doesn’t matter what my past was or what we’re going through, I didn’t raise you that way,” she admitted. “So, it’s like, okay, maybe I was a little bit wrong. Maybe I was acting out a little bit. But I feel like as we grow older, I kinda see more, and I understand more.”
Chyna will be starring in season two of Fox's reality competition show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
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Feature image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images