A creature of habit

I’m not what I would consider to be a particularly high-maintenance kinda gal. My hair is short and takes about two minutes to dry. Most days I can be found wearing no make-up and dressed in combat trousers, a t-shirt and a fleece. When I do wear make-up, I go for a very natural look and, even when I’m really dressed up to the nines, the only jewellery I wear is a watch and a pair of earrings.

However, I do have several routines or ‘habits’ that I have developed over the years to keep me looking and feeling as good as I possibly can, and which I would never dream of abandoning now. For example, once a month, every month since I was about 16, I have had my hair cut. As I said earlier, my hair is short and easy to maintain, but it only stays that way because I get it trimmed regularly.

Five mornings a week, I get up at 6 am and exercise for an hour and 15 minutes. Before I shower, I always use a foot file on the soles and heels of my feet. Whilst I’m in the shower, I use a moisturising soap or shower gel and exfoliating ‘scrubber gloves’ to remove dead skin cells and, when I get out, I slather on a moisturising body lotion.

Although I generally don’t wear make-up on weekdays (unless I’m doing a workshop or presentation), I cleanse, tone and moisturise my skin twice a day and I wouldn’t dream of wearing a moisturiser with an SPF of less than 15 (and when I was on holiday a couple of weeks ago, I wore a SPF of 55 on my face!).

I took a manicure course, years ago, and I buff the nails and push the cuticles back on both my hands and feet several times a week. And don’t even get me started about my teeth – cleaned 3 times a day, flossed twice a day followed by interdental brushing, whitening toothpaste, floss picks for those hard-to-reach areas behind the back teeth… Now I think about it, I’m glad I’m not high maintenance – by the time I finished my morning routine, it’d be time to start my going-to-bed routine.

Seriously though, what ‘routines’ do you have to keep yourself feeling and looking as good as you possibly can? What additional routines do you know you need to put into place? Regular flossing? Taking your make-up off before you fall into bed at night? Regular pedicures (at home or in a salon) so that you can slip into sandals at the first sight of a sunny day in the knowledge that your feet always look presentable?

You only need to do something 21 times before it becomes a habit. What habits can you adopt now that will pay off in years to come?

Make a list of 10 things that you are willing to do every single day to really take care of yourself. Make up a little chart, so that you can monitor your progress by ticking off the activities you have completed each day. Don't give up if you miss a couple of days. Just start again. The good habits you form now will last you a lifetime and will ensure that you stay healthy, fit and looking good.