Motherhood, social life, careers, relationships, hobbies, and health are some of the many balls the modern woman has to juggle daily. All this while navigating through the expectations and norms of a society that always seems to set an unforgiving standard for her. There is a new standard to live up to with every ceiling broken. As such, it can be overwhelming not to consider the pressure from the media and social platforms. It does help to have some tips from someone who has been very much in the thick of it all and still came out smelling roses and living the fairy tale, Meghan Markle.
Even in her busy and successful career as an actress, she still found time to pen her personal blog, make friends and have fun holidays, but most importantly of all, walk away with a flesh and blood prince, and even with the pressure that comes with it, she embraced it all and is now set to enter the stage of motherhood. Through her now-defunct blog, The Tig, we can collect some golden gems any woman could use to improve her well-being.
1. Make a routine for your morning
Not everyone is a morning person, even those who are; getting stuff sorted in time and with energy easily determines how the rest of the day goes. In one of her posts, Meghan notes, “The morning, as we all know, is that vital time that sets the tone for our day ahead.” Some of her suggestions include creating a morning playlist, setting bed and wake times, and sticking to them. You can add in a vibrant meal and some simple exercises. The routine should be something you enjoy but still challenging enough to give you the thrill of accomplishment.
2. Enjoying time alone
Being alone can be scary, especially when struggling to balance so much, yet it should not be so. Being together in the company of loved ones, even if it is fun and vibrant, can be draining and also deny you the chance for introspection. More than you may realize, staying in and just having some ‘downtime,’ as Meghan calls it, can be revitalizing. Here are her thoughts: “I give myself the luxury of downtime. We are all so incredibly busy and juggling so many things, but I always take an hour to decompress, watch mindless TV, snuggle with my dogs, and enjoy a glass of wine. That’s all part of the investment. It’s a balance.”
3. Reading for fun
With so much focus on self-development, most people spend their usual leisure time learning new professional skills or reading self-help books. When was the last time you read a classic book, whether fiction or based on true life experience? The more complex the subjects or setting of the book, the better. It is great for unwinding and also opening up your outlook. She suggested a list of vacation reads, with her best being The English Patient because “just as with the movie, The Notebook, I have never seen these endlessly romantic love stories that people speak about with such tremendous adoration, nor have I read the books of which they are based. So…this is the time. Not for The Notebook, but rather to dig into the epic World War II love affair, The English Patient. There’s a reason it’s a classic.
4. Kindness with sustainability
The nature of women is to nurture and care. It is so easy to spread yourself thin. It is even trickier on holidays and festivities or when you feel the need to create a bigger impact and not just dish out handouts at times to people that hardly deserve them. If you want a more lasting impact, you can follow her idea of buying gifts whose proceeds benefit an entire group or community. This allows you to get gifts while supporting a charitable cause more sustainably.
5. Don’t be rigid with your diet
In trying to maintain shape and good health, several women find themselves stuck in a diet that they cannot accept is boring even though it is. This military-style regimen can easily kill all the joy and fun in pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Meghan recognizes that food like kale can be boring, and her advice is to try different food combinations and spruce up your desserts. Some days, though, you just need to indulge your fancy.
6. Make time for exercise
Equally important to healthy food is making time for exercise and workouts. Meghan Markle has an amazing body, and more than just the shape, it exudes strength, which she surely needs given her schedule. She is not in some fad program or routine, just old-fashioned yoga and a personalized regimen in the gym. For those struggling with workout discipline and motivation, her advice is
“My health, my state of mind, the feeling you have after a workout; all of these things drive me to step onto my mat or go to the gym. Sometimes the idea of working out sounds dreadful, but I always remind myself how good it will feel afterward. Euphoric, almost!
7. Take care of your skin
Using plenty of makeup is not taking care of your skin. It is actually a shortcut that can easily have adverse effects. Meghan uses minimal makeup to allow the skin to breathe while staying hydrated; fruits and sunscreen are to thank for her smooth and glowing skin.
8. On Enjoying Life
Oh, the one thing you may be guilty of forgetting is how to have a good time while balancing everything in your sphere. Concentrating on solving and doing stuff right, career goals, and the well-being of people you love loses all meaning if you cannot celebrate your wins and achievements, especially the smallest ones. Using her personal experience, Meghan says it best;
“It wasn’t long ago that I only had $40 in my bank account, I could barely book an audition, and my circle of friends was even smaller. But even then, without all the pomp and circumstance, I made time to celebrate my life. Maybe it was a pizza and a bottle of Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s with a couple of girlfriends tucked in for the night, sitting on my living room floor. Or maybe it was a dance party in my tiny apartment or a sobbing session to purge all of those feels with my nearest and dearest… Being present. Being vulnerable. The act of celebrating and really truly enjoying your life.”
