I don’t remember how it all started. 🌅 Maybe from one morning when I just didn’t want to turn on my phone. For the first time in a long time, I woke up not with a news feed, but with myself. And it was… different. Calm. Since then, I’ve developed a habit: the first ten minutes of the day are mine alone. ⏳ No calls, no notifications, no tasks. Just me, under the covers, with the noise of the street outside the window.

This habit came by chance. Like many others that have remained.

For example, putting a glass of water by the bed before going to bed. 💧 I once read that it was good for me — and I tried it. Then I forgot. And a week later I scolded myself for being thirsty at night. Now it’s a ritual. It’s not about water. It’s about care. About the fact that I know that I’ll feel better in the morning if I take care of myself in the evening.

Another habit is listening to old music while I’m cooking. 🎶 Not turning on a playlist based on my mood, but old music. With a hoarse sound, like from a radio. There’s no algorithm in this music. But there’s nostalgia. And the taste of something real.

I also have a habit of writing down three things I’m grateful for in the evening. ✍️ Not every day. Not out of obligation. Just when I feel like I want to slow down. Sometimes it’s something simple: “the coffee was delicious,” “I made it on the green light,” “the smile of my neighbor in the elevator.” And every time I am surprised how many pleasant things I can remember if I want to.

I accidentally learned to wrap the blanket in a special way - so that it resembles a hug. 🛌 It's funny. But now I can't fall asleep any other way. Because this fold is my evening comfort. My way of telling myself: everything is fine. Today I can be soft.

Sometimes habits are born from a lack of choice. For example, I once found myself without an elevator - and I started walking up. 🏙️ At first I was angry. Then I got used to it. And now I do it even when the elevator is working. Simply because on the way up I have time to think. Calm down. Return to myself.

Many habits are not so obvious. For example, before an important conversation - sit down, put your hands on your knees and take three deep breaths. 🌬️ I don't meditate. I just throw off the excitement. It has become an anchor. A small, personal salvation.

Or, say, the habit of hiding a small chocolate bar in a cupboard — and then accidentally "finding" it a couple of days later. 🍫 It's a game. But it makes me happier.

Sometimes I think that it's from such little things that the feeling of home is built. 🏡 Not from furniture. Not from plans. But from habits. Your own. Not imposed by anyone. Only yours.

And the more I live, the more I understand: habits are the language of self-love. 💌 Even if they are funny. Even if no one understands. The main thing is that you smile when you do it again.

And that means it works.