5 Simple Steps to Waking Up With a Purpose

Are you waking up with a purpose?

2020 was undoubtedly a hard year for everybody. Nearly every one of us has been affected by this pandemic in one way or another, and it’s hard to believe that we are still facing this issue in 2021. Many of us are left wondering what to do with ourselves when we’re stuck at home 24/7.

For that reason, mental health has been a hard topic for many these last few months as people adjust to this new, and often challenging, way of life. As more people are forced to quarantine and face unemployment and entire cities are put on lockdown, this can leave one wondering what purpose there is to life when all or most responsibilities and commitments have been put on hold. More or less, the days seem to bleed into one another and it can feel like life is on repeat.

Fortunately, the Life’s Rails Community is one that takes into account the various lifestyles that have been drastically changed and strives to find ways that all can have purpose in this hectic yet monotonous state. Finding purpose means more than just giving yourself something fun to do in your spare time — it means waking up for a dedicated reason and seeing vibrant colour in even the most dreary parts of our lives. Here are five steps to waking up with a purpose during this time of both chaos and stillness.

Step One: Have a Morning and Night Routine

A key to keeping yourself balanced is waking up and going to bed at the same time everyday.

Truthfully, this is one that I struggle with daily. Dealing with insomnia, late-night binge-watching and an over-thinking mind can make it difficult for one to cultivate a healthy sleeping pattern. However, finally building up the willpower to go to bed early and wake up early can have a number of benefits on your health. 

This includes increased energy levels, better brain function, clearer skin and much more. Getting eight or more hours of sleep every night can have you glowing and ready to tackle on whatever purpose you’ve set for yourself that day.

Consider taking a sleep-aid such as melatonin or doctor-prescribed medicine to help you turn off that brain and get a restful night’s sleep. Or if you prefer more natural alternatives, studies have shown that chamomile or lavender, ashwagandha root, and valerian root can aid in regulating your sleep cycle. Before bed, use these plants in a tea or take them in capsule form.

Step Two: Practice Self Care

When you love and care for yourself, you feel powerful and ready to take on anything.

This one is way easier said than done. We see so much about self care on social media outlets like Instagram and YouTube by large influencers that love to promote products along their skin and hair routines. Self care has become so sensationalized and trendy that it seems to lose its deeper meaning — aside from spa days and moisturizers, self care connects us to the core of who we are and provides us with the emotional fuel we need to bring ourselves to a state of self-contentment and well-being.

Self care can be going easier on yourself today than you were yesterday. It can also look like allowing yourself an hour or even a full day of doing absolutely nothing. Yes, sometimes binge-watching your favourite Netflix show with a tub of ice cream counts as taking care of yourself!

In other words, purpose can often be found in the quieter and lonelier moments of life. As we take care of our minds and bodies, this can give us ample time for self-reflection and redirection. Next time you give yourself an at-home spa day, care for your mental health as well by letting your mind rest with some meditation or relaxing quiet time.

Step Three: Find a Hobby or Fuel a Passion

Passion is like a fire that keeps on burning, lighting up all the areas of our lives.

Many believe that taking up a new hobby can be a nice distraction from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. However, when we’re trying to find purpose, let’s try and step away from trying to distract ourselves and lean more toward rekindling a fire in our spirits that may have been put out by the pandemic. 

If you’ve lost all motivation to do anything, something like knitting or wood making can seem less like a fun pastime and more like a dull chore. That is completely understandable, and you are not alone. With this, however, comes the need to change your mindset.

Think of your mind as a campfire. If someone doesn’t keep adding logs to the fire, it’ll slowly fizzle out to ash. A passion, or the fuel, allows this fire to keep burning. When you are passionate about something, like art or music perhaps, the whole world seems far brighter than it was before.

It is also normal for many people to not feel passionate about anything. You may not be passionate about a craft or activity at all. You may simply be passionate about nature, or the warm, cozy feeling that comes from drinking a mug of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s day. There is no limit to what fuels your fire, and often that fuel can be the most insignificant but enriching of things that brings purpose to your life.

Step Four: Start a Workout Regimen

Our bodies can be our purpose as we live to watch it flourish and become healthier and stronger.

Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to start working out more? Yeah, me too. Are you still working out as much as you said you would? Yeah, me neither.

I recently tried to start a 30 day yoga challenge. I told myself I would start on the first day of the new year and I would do yoga every single day for a month. After making it for about six days straight, I finally broke my streak. But even though I skipped a couple days, eventually I rolled out my mat and I completed Day 7. I skipped a few more days, but my purpose for the time being is to finish this challenge, even if it’s not consecutively 30 days in a row.

It’s okay to fall off your New Year’s resolution plans. We are all human! Finding purpose within your life doesn’t mean you need to break your back trying to get your life and health together.

Keep in mind that I say to start a workout regimen and not routine. The difference between the two, according to the definition, is that a regimen is a “way of life for the promotion or restoration of health” while a routine is strict and structured. Be easy with yourself and give yourself realistic goals and expectations. Rather than saying you’ll work out five days a week without fail, perhaps plan to work out after lunch tomorrow and try again the day after that. If you miss a day or two, don’t beat yourself up about it — it’ll simply be your purpose for the next day.

Step Five: Stay Social – Virtually!

Smiling and laughing with someone is one of the best forms of motivation there is.

When it’s difficult to force yourself out of bed in the morning, it’s likely even more difficult to get yourself out there in the social world. Still, waking up with someone on your mind is often the best motivator to get moving! Even though we might feel lonely at home these days, it’s so important that we maintain close contact with friends and loved ones.

We all know that staying under quarantine rules means avoiding all in-person contact, meaning that the best way to keep in touch with others is virtually. You may just find your purpose staring right back at you through the computer screen! And realistically, you don’t even need to get out of bed to do that. When you’re feeling your grubbiest, chatting with someone over the phone while in bed in your PJs can be almost therapeutic for some people.

If you’d like to find new ways to remain social during this pandemic, the Life’s Rails Community is a great place to start. As a community that values feedback and involvement, Life’s Rails can help you connect with others through social media who are experiencing similar struggles. Sometimes all we need to get out of bed is someone who understands what we’re going through.

Conclusion

Your purpose might look different to everyone else’s, but that’s okay. Differences are what make us unique, giving us character and offering others more things to love. You may not see a rainbow right away when you wake up tomorrow morning, but you may see the sun beginning to peek out from behind the clouds if you take the time to wait for it. Even if your schedule looks empty, at least your heart and mind will be full.