Become a Member for as little as $4/mo and enjoy unlimited reading of TSLL blog.
Whether it’s Monday morning or Saturday morning, jump starting the day so as to ensure a positive tone is set for the duration of the next 24 hours, is as simple as being mindful of basic physiology, the power of your mind and setting the stage for success. From what you eat, to what you wear, simple decisions that you make before walking out the door can have a powerful effect on the mood you are in when you walk back across the threshold at the end of the day.
Today, discover 12 simple ways to create an ideal day whether you are going to work or hitting the road for a weekend getaway.
1. Give Your Body A Stretch
Softly nudging your body to wake up with a simple routine of stretches is a morning routine that only takes 5-10 minutes and is free. Choose to run through a few yoga poses or pilates’ movements and punctuate with a few minutes of quiet meditation. Click here to learn more about how to mediate and the here for the benefits of yoga.
2. Read Something Inspiring
Depending on your preferences, you may want to get caught up with the news in the morning, or perhaps you prefer to refrain from the morning updates. Either way, do find something to read or listen to that is uplifting. Whether you choose to stop by your favorite blogs or read a daily passage in a motivational book, choose to purposefully read something that puts your mind in a positive state and sends you out the door with hope in your step.
3. Drink a Glass of Water
After eight hours of sleeping, the body has become parched and dehydrated which is why having a bottle or glass of water (at least 8 ounces) next to you bed is a simple habit to get into before going to bed each night. Upon waking up, drink the water and not only will your body be hydrated, it will also jolted awake.
4. A Quality Dose of Caffeine
Coffee or tea, whether you need a lot or a little of caffeine, don’t just grab any cup of coffee or a generic bag of tea. Treat yourself to a simple luxury each day by making a rich cup of java that has been freshly brewed, or a cup of steaming hot tea from your favorite tea house. Not only will it quench your morning caffeine craving, it will leave you something to look forward to each day of the week. (Click here to discover the benefits of drinking tea and a few of my favorite brands.)
5. Preview the Day’s Agenda
The best way to ensure success in the day that awaits is to know what you wish to accomplish. Take a moment either while enjoying your breakfast or before walking out the door to take a look at your planner and the day’s events. Crystalize where you have to be when and whether or not anything needs to be moved to another day. Once you know what you have to do, you can focus and eliminate the stress of the unknown.
6. Eat to Thrive
A well-fed body is a body that performs at its best and that includes you mind. Fuel your day with a touch of protein (eggs, for example), fiber and just a few carbs. The protein and fiber will keep your energy levels up far longer than sugary Danish, and your brain will be fed and highly functioning in order to make clear decisions as you move throughout your morning.
7. Have a Moment with Nature
To live near the ocean and smell the sea-salt air would be ideal each morning, but not everybody has such a luxury. However, whether you live in a cement jungle or next to an open field, take a moment to step out side, feel the air and remind yourself of your priorities. Often we become so consumed with minute tasks that we forget the bigger picture. Even if just for a moment, each day, find some time to before the day begins to feel the breeze of the outdoors.
8. Focus and Zone Out
Many athletes when asked what they were thinking about during a successful play, pitch, putt or pass, often answer – nothing. In other words, their entire focus was on that particular moment and nothing else. No distractions, no over-analysis of previous attempts and no worries about what might be. As your day begins, become clear about what you want to accomplish, focus and let go of the unnecessary. The date that didn’t go so well last night, let it go. Don’t let it ruin your “today”. The job interview you hope you get, relax in knowing you did everything to the best of your ability while applying for the job and focus on the work that is expected of you today. In other words, be present, focus on what you need to accomplish today, so that at the end of it, you will feel productive.
9. Sincere Engagement with Others
Grab a few more moments of cuddling with your significant other, say a few encouraging words to your children, give your dog a much-deserved rub of the belly. When we connect sincerely with those we love, we not only improve our own mood, we boost theirs as well.
10. A Restful Night’s Sleep
Perhaps this item should have been mentioned first, but either way, having awoken from a restful night’s sleep is the beginning of a potentially amazing day. Keep the technology out of your boudoir, sleep in luxuriously soft Egyptian cotton sheets and make sure the thermostat is dialed down. In so doing, you are that much closer to a blissful night’s sleep.
11. Choose a Confidence Boosting Outfit
Nearly the last decision for heading out the door, but certainly very important, choose an outfit that makes you feel beautiful, strong, confident, professional – whatever you need to feel, style the appropriate tone with the clothes from your closet. After all, first impressions matter, and that begins with what you see in the mirror.
12. A Spritz of Your Signature Scent
A small detail, but ever so powerful. A woman’s scent is something not to forget. The simple act of applying perfume is a ritual in and of itself that conveys an air of elegance, sophistication and a person who believes she deserves to be treated well.
With simple, morning routines, we have the power to set the tone for the remainder of the day. While we may not have control of what we will encounter, we can at least walk out the door with a positive, determined mindset that helps to make way for even more positive encounters.
~SIMILAR POSTS FROM THE ARCHIVES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
~4 Ways to Guarantee A Great Monday
~Why Not . . . Accessorize the Work Week?
Lovely post – great practical tips that are easy to incorporate and have plenty of benefits
Great post…so clear….so simple.
Great post! I will note, though, for #6: beware of not eating enough carbs. Seems like a good idea short-term, but is not a good idea long-term. We need carbs for energy and brain power, and when you don’t eat enough your stress hormones rise as your body tries to make up the deficit (which feels great in the short-term, and causes short-term weight loss, but is murder for the metabolism and overall health long-term). The balanced meal is best (such as eggs, toast and fruit) – our grandmas knew what they were doing with the “square” meal!
I loved this post. I already drink the glass of water, have a healthy breakfast, dress with an outfit that makes me feel good and spritz my favorite fragance. But now I want to try “have a moment with nature” and “Sincere engagement with others”.
ps: About the glass of water… I am very interested in energy and I read once that if you have a glass of water in your night table, that liquid absorbs all of your energy while you’re sleeping. If you are having a nightmare, for instance, or are restless about something, it will suck it in. That is why is not such a good idea to drink of that water. It is better to go to the kitchen and serve yourself some fresh one in the morning 🙂
A stretch for me is a great way to start your day or a great outfit. Luv the styles and pics on this site. Good quality.