January 31, 2021

I don’t know about you but between the house, kids and work I am very easily overwhelmed and when that happens I becomes easier for me to avoid things which only makes it worse. I’ve recently begun to try and implement these 7 steps into my morning to help start my day off on the right foot. These have helped to decrease my stress and anxiety, decrease my brain chatter and overall make me feel better. They may seem like obvious tips but sometimes seeing things written out in a list helps to reinforce their importance.

1. Start your day with a glass of water – experts say you should drink 1/2 oz to 1 oz of water per lb of weight. For me that would be 60-120oz of water. I don’t know about you but I definitely don’t drink that much. Getting that first glass in helps set the tone for the day. Mask wearing also can be very drying and staying hydrated is extremely important to help keep your body functioning at its peak ability.

2. Have your work/school items prepped prior to the morning – I struggle with this. As obvious as it seems I often choose to go to sleep instead of prepping for the next day. Lately I’ve been making all of my lunches on Sunday so now I just have to grab and go. It’s made my mornings so much easier to get out the door on time.

3. Complete a task – I set my alarm for 5:15 every morning so that I can have an hour to myself before my daughter wakes up. Previously I would get up, make coffee and sit on the couch watching the news. While it was definitely relaxing it was a waste of time. Day to day tasks tend to build up and the become a huge reason for my feelings of stress and anxiety. Recently I’ve forced myself to complete a task while I was for the coffee to brew. Whether it’s empty the dishwasher, start laundry, fold laundry etc. it ticks off a task off my list and I’m starting my day feeling a sense of accomplishment. Getting over the first hurdle is always the hardest so once one thing is completed I find I’m more motivated to tackle more items on my list.

4. Workout – I’ve started to use the Peloton app and I find that following my friends and seeing what classes they’ve taken and their workout streak motivates me to workout too. If I put it off for later in the day I tend to skip it. What I do now is make it a priority. I’ll get up, have my water, start my coffee and complete a task, then take a 10-20 minute class on the app. I still have plenty of time to sit and have coffee in peace afterwards and I now have set the tone for the day as well as feel better about my fitness journey.

5. Let the light in- I don’t know about you but I love being able to spend a day off being able to sit on the couch, watch a movie snuggled up in the dark. However, the darkness does not motivate me to get up and move. Open the blinds. Open the windows (if it’s not freezing out) and let the light and fresh air in. It’s amazing how much the sunlight and fresh are improve my mood.

6. Set your goals and tasks for the day – whether you like to write them out in a list, put them in your phone or just mentally file through what you’d like to accomplish for the day, I find that this helps me stay on task. I saw a meme once about how a moms brain works. It went something like; I went to start coffee and then saw a dish rag out so I went to the laundry room where I found jacket from high school which reminded me of my old friend and how much we loved coffee so I went back to the coffee maker to finish making my coffee but forgot to grab a spoon so I went to the draw and that’s how I ended up reorganizing my kitchen. I can totally relate to this. I often start something only to be sidetracked by something else and everything ends up partially complete. Writing a list and being able to cross items off helps to visualize my end goal.

7. Make your bed- I have this last because I definitely do not always do this. However, the days that I do I feel much less brain chatter throughout the day. Every time I step into our room and the bed is made, the throw pillows are off the floor and the blankets are folded neatly I feel so much calmer. It’s crazy how a messy room = a messy brain for me.

Anywho, I hope that these help you if even it’s only slightly. These are just some things that I’ve found through trial and error that help me fee better throughout the day. Are there things that you do to set the tone for the day? I’d love to hear about them. Leave them in the comments so I can try them out.

xxMJB

January 31, 2021 – Lifestyle

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