Hello lovelies. When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you do? A few months ago, I realized that the way we start our morning sets the tone and mood for the day. Ultimately we cannot control what the day has in store for us, but we can be deliberate in our actions and start the day on the right tone. So how do I start my day? I wake up, meditate, say 3 things I am grateful for, read and dance. By following these simple steps, I start the day in the right frame of mind, which really helps me stay focused and calm throughout the course of the day.

1. Meditate

10 minutes of meditation does wonders for my soul and sets the tone for my day. I use a guided meditation APP called Meditation Oasis on CastBox. Meditation has helped tremendously with my anxiety levels and keeps it at a manageable level. Meditation also helps to keep me focused and present. If I become stressed out, I focus all my energy on my breathe and harness the power of now.

2. Gratitude

Give thanks! Here I thank the Divine for 3 things that I am grateful for. It could be the smell of coffee, my warm cozy bed, laughter, my loved ones, my functional and healthy body (I could write 1000 things that I am grateful for).

3. Read

I read books or magazines that feature inspiring, creative and motivational stories. Its much better than waking up and reading rants on Twitter, depressing news or seeing an annoying comment on social media. Remember lovelies, where attention goes, energy flows.

4. Dance

Gurrlllllll, put some movement in your body! I think of as a mini morning party. Using a mini portable sneaker (that plays music from my phone) I play some upbeat music and dance in my room. Music is an instant mood changer for me, and always lifts my spirits.

Sleeping, reading, meditating and dancing requires a special pajamas. All of this is done in my tailor made Nusha Sleepwear cotton pajamas. I love the how comfortable, functional and elegant my pajamas are. Nusha Sleepwear is handmade and customized sleepwear by a cooperation in Soweto south of Johannesburg. They offer short and long pajamas, night skirts, hand crafted slippers and bridal dressing gowns. You have the option of customising your sleepwear, by adding your initials or name. I ordered the long black leopard print PJs with my initials customized on the pocket. It’s such an elegant pajamas that I really want to wear to the office sometimes. The black leopard print pajamas is made from cotton, which is lightweight and soft to the touch. When I wake up, I need a pajamas that is comfortable for me to meditate and move in. Most importantly, cotton is breathable, therefore it allows for air circulation, and it doesn’t irritate or cause any itchiness on my skin. The service at Nusha Sleepwear is exceptional, I received my order after 4 days after placing my order.

You could win your very own Nusha Sleepwear short or long pajamas worth R650!

Follow the 2 simple steps to enter:

1. Comment on the blog post below telling me which pajamas you’d pick. (view the various pajamas here)

2. Follow The Authentic Girl on Instagram (username: @theauthenticgirl or click here) and enter your IG username in the comments section below. 

Terms and Conditions

The winner will be chosen randomly. You have to follow both steps for a valid entry. The competition is open to all South Africans and will run from 25 July 2017 – 6 August 2017. The winner will be announced on Monday, 7 August 2017. The winner will be announced on Facebook and will be contacted via email on this stated date. The Authentic Girl reserves the right to disqualify a winner if he/she does not respond to the email within one week of winner selection and will randomly select a replacement winner from the competition entries. Once the winner is chosen, the decision is final.

Winner: Izalia Ockhuis

Good luck!

Love and light,

Megan