Daily Rituals: Facial Gua Sha

CREATING THE TIME – It’s said that doing one small thing 5 minutes every day is more effective then spending an hour on something less consistently.
This is what we’re going to focus on in Module 1 of this course, building a new daily habit. One that is achievable and repeatable and fits into your life. Small actions, done consistently, can have big effects. If you keep it up for these 4 weeks, I’m certain you will see the difference.

Time to pick up your ‘Creating your Gua Sha Ritual’ (printable can be found in the appendices section) worksheet and get started.

1. HABIT STACKING

Habit stacking, a term coined by James Clear, author of ‘Atomic Habits’ is a method of pairing new habits with old ones. You could read more here (https://jamesclear.com/habit-stacking). This helps to speed up the process of creating a new habit by connecting it with an established pattern. I like to use this as the first step, figuring out what part of your day you will be most successful setting up your Gua Sha ritual.
Begin by brainstorming some current daily rituals or habits in your life. You want it to be something you do almost every day, particularly if it would feel strange not to do each day.
Write these down. Try to come up with 3 – 6 examples in your life.

Now rank the top 3 of these from 1 – 3, based on how well you think it will work to do your Gua Sha ritual immediately before or after this established habit. Start with #1 on this list, try it for a week. If it doesn’t work, no harm done, try the next one.

Last step for now, lets cement this intention in our brain. Using the worksheet, or write it down for yourself, complete the sentence:

“After/Before I (current habit) I will (practice my daily gua sha ritual) .

*An additional tip: Don’t wait until just before bed. We get tired and have less motivation. Choose a habit earlier in the day. Maybe even pair with after dinner clean up. Or after your kid’s bedtime or evening dog walk.

2. MOTIVATION

Habit stacking gives us the structure. Next, we need the motivation. I have a few ways I like to support developing habits. Not everything will be for everyone, so choose what resonates with you. I also don’t recommend doing all of these. Keep it simple to be successful.

• Set an alarm. If your existing habit in the ‘habit stacking’ exercise above occurs at about the same time everyday, put an alarm in your phone. Something like “Gua Sha Time”
• Write a note. If your base habit occurs in the same place, or you will be doing your Gua Sha Ritual in the same place (which I highly recommend) place a note to remind you and keep it very visible in that space.
• Track it. Just like the top of the worksheet, having a way to track the days you have and have not done your habit can be an excellent motivator. Never underestimate the satisfaction of a checkbox!
• Reward yourself. Combine this with tracking the days you complete your ritual. If you can get a streak or a week, or maybe just complete a certain number of days, commit to giving yourself a reward. It can be small and simple like an expensive coffee, or buying yourself new clothes, watching a movie, or taking some extra time for yourself guilt free. Whatever would help
  motivate you.
• Team Up. Have a friend who is also working towards better habits? Or just someone you can count on to give you a friendly reminder? Set up an accountability partner who will check in with you regularly to see how you’re doing with your habit stacking.

In the worksheet, check the box(es) of how you plan to motivate yourself.

3. MANAGE EXPECTATIONS

You, and those around you, will have expectations about how you use your time. Get ready to set some boundaries and adjust your priorities. This particular habit this course focuses on is short. 5 minutes a day. It is achievable to fit this in. It doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Make it non-negotiable for yourself. Look at setting aside these 5 minutes for yourself as more important than your chores or to do list. One thing I’ve learned, there will always be more to do than there is time to do it. It may feel wrong as first, taking time with your gua sha stone and skin care instead of laundry, dishes, etc. However, it will get easier, and feel more natural to let other things wait over time. And, it sounds backwards, but taking time for yourself will actually help you get more done. A daily practice like this can really help to increase energy and focus over time.

Communicate with those around you. The other barrier to taking this time for yourself may be others in your household. Perhaps a partner, children? If this is the case, set a clear boundary. Let those around you know that this is your time, it’s important, and not to disturb you. With my kids, I call it “Mommy’s Mind Moment” time. And my kids know it’s important for me to be able to get my mind back into a space where I can be a kinder, more engaged parent with them. It took some time and repetition, but my kids and partner now know I will only be stepping aside for 5 – 10 minutes. And they’ve seen that I’m usually in a better mood afterwards. I remind them where I am going, and not to disturb me, every time. And I get those few peaceful minutes to myself now.

Remove distractions. Don’t count on yourself to not be distracted. Most of us involuntarily respond to that phone ping. Set your phone on silent for the 5 minutes. In the worksheet write down 1 thing you think may be a barrier to you setting up a new habit. And then write how you think you can manage that challenge.