I want to tell you something that took me longer than it should have to figure out.
I used to think that taking care of myself meant doing something significant. A real workout. A proper morning routine. An hour of quiet before the house woke up. And when I couldn’t make any of that happen, which was most days, I just didn’t do anything at all.
I told myself I’d start when things settled down. I’m sure you know how that goes.
What I didn’t understand then is that small things count. Not as a consolation prize for when you can’t do the real thing. They count because they work, and more importantly, because they’re actually doable in the life you already have. That’s the first Ginhawa Principle: Start Small.
When my daughter came into our lives, loving her was effortless. Thinking about myself was not.
Before my eyes were fully open each morning, I was already running through what she needed. What to feed her, what she had that day, whether she was okay. And slowly, without noticing, I stopped turning that same attention toward myself. I kept saying I’d take care of me later. Later rarely came.
Eventually I stopped waiting for the perfect conditions and started with one small thing. Every morning I took my supplement and drank a glass of water. That was it. No curated routine, no quiet hour. Just something small enough that even my most exhausted self could say yes.
What surprised me wasn’t the habit itself. It was what happened in those few quiet moments. I slowed down. I checked in with myself. I remembered there was still a person here who needed care too. Two small things became my way of asking, how am I doing today?
I call this an anchor ritual. The test for finding yours is simple: can your worst-day self still do it? Not your motivated self. Your exhausted, running-behind, already-needed-by-everyone self. If she can say yes, you’ve found the right place to start.
And here’s what I’ve seen happen, in my own life and in the lives of women I know. One small act, done consistently, quietly opens the door for other things to follow. More movement. More balanced meals. A breath before reacting instead of after. Not every day, but more often than before. One small anchor becomes the beginning of something bigger, not because you forced it, but because you showed up for it long enough.
It’s not lowering the bar. It’s building a floor.
And eventually, that floor becomes part of who you are.
It’s not lowering the bar. It’s building a floor.
So here’s what I want you to sit with today.
What is the smallest act of alaga you can offer yourself right now? Not tomorrow, not when things calm down. Today. Make it smaller than you think it needs to be, small enough that your most tired self can still say yes.
That small act is not nothing. Every time you follow through on it, you’re sending yourself a message: I am here too. And that’s where everything else begins.
With love,
Kristen
Start Your Daily Ginhawa
The Ginhawa Starter is a free guide that helps you take one healthy habit and shape it into a small ritual, something that fits your real day and is gentle enough to actually stay.
If you’re craving a little more ginhawa in your everyday, this is a gentle place to begin.
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Curious about my morning ritual?
A lot of moms ask me about the supplement that’s part of my morning ritual.
If you’re curious too, send me ALAGA on Instagram. I’d be happy to share. 💗
You’ll land in my DMs when you tap.