Tips to a Better Day

  

  It's so often that we find everyday is just like the last and we feel like we're in a fog of sorts. The calculated risk of change sounds too great to commit to but staying the same just won't cut it anymore. So here we are, stuck in a fog afraid of change left clueless of what to do. 

    Luckily for you, I'm here to help! I'm going to give you a few tips that help me have a good, fogless day that feels somewhat above average. These are just some quick things that I do almost everyday and they really help me out, so I hope they can help you out as well.

1. Move Your Body 

    Personally, I do a less than ten minute workout. I try to do this everyday, but sometimes skip three or more days. I get my workouts off of an app and I participate in a "Daily 7" program. Exercising raises your endorphins which is your body's "feel good" neurotransmitters, so it's like an instant mood booster. 

    Try yoga, a short workout program, or even just concentrated or directed stretching. Any type of focused body movement will help wake up your mind and body and get you ready for a happy, productive day. There are plenty of other amazing benefits to adding movement to your day that make this tip more of a necessity than anything else.

2. Eat Breakfast 

    We all have skipped breakfast plenty. For the entirety of my life I have skipped breakfast, but in my recovery from eating disorders I decided that I was going to start eating three meals a day. If you think about eating at 10 P.M and then waking up and not eating until lunch at 12 P.M, that's fourteen hours of using your mind and body with no additional fuel. In a more likely situation, we eat dinner between 5 P.M and 8 P.M  which is nineteen to sixteen hours of our body working off of nothing.

    When we add in a breakfast between 7 and 9 A.M, that limits your body's fasting time and provides you with energy to start your day and fuel to power through until lunch without hitting a mental wall somewhere in the mid morning. In order for our body to take care of us, we have to take care of it first and that includes providing it with plenty of nutrition and fuel.

3. Drink Lots Of Water 

    Water is amazing and all water tastes different. There are certain water brands that I hate and don't get me started on Florida water. Yuck! Otherwise, most faucet or filtered water is perfectly fine and before you say, "I need something with flavor," grab a pack of herbal teas bags, flavor drops, or a flavoring packet.

    Overall, water is just really good for you. It can detox and clean out your body better than anything else, doesn't leave a film or aftertaste in your mouth, and has absolutely zero contribution to break outs, stomach issues, or anything of the sorts. 

    On a little bit of the icky side, if you change from sodas and sugary drinks to just water, your body will clean itself out to an extent which can make you feel a whole lot better. You could also possibly loose weight, boost your energy, and clear up your skin.

4. Something Other Than Social Media 

    If you're like majority of others, you wake up and grab your phone. A lot of us go straight to social media when we wake up and if your mindset isn't perfect, the morning will start with comparing yourself to others and feeling bad for yourself. What a sucky way to start the day.

    Try waking up and reading a little bit of a book instead or go onto Pinterest instead of Instagram. The first part of your morning sets the mood for your entire day, so if you start by focusing on others, your entire day will be that way. 

    Maybe try limiting social media in general. Set a daily limit for yourself in the apps and use your phone restriction settings to enforce it. Maybe even set a 'bedtime' where the apps are inaccessible. Just take a moment to look at these apps on your phone and ask, "is this really good for me?" and if not, limit it!

5. Read 

    For most of us, we didn't read unless absolutely necessary after elementary school. Books became assignments instead of enjoyable and personal time. Reading can actually be fairly enjoyable and there are a lot of self help books that I really like. I personally have two self help books that I'm currently working through along with the first book of my favorite series, a devotional, and I'm working through a personal growth journal. 

    Reading can give you information, ideas, motivation, and really help you in a lot of areas that you may feel as though you're lacking in. It may not be an immediate fix, but diligently reading and writing will help you out of your mental fog. 

6. Journal 

    My mom told me to journal since I was a little girl and I never ever listened. If I did, it was only for a day or two. Now, almost everyday that I log onto my computer I write in my digital journal. Journaling is an amazing way to release emotions, say exactly what you want to say, and fully be you without hurting or upsetting anyone else. 

    I really like guided journals but just writing things down is really good for you as well. You can find guided journals for just about any goal and most of them are pretty cute too. I usually take care of personal journaling before I leave work and then guided journaling before bed. It gives me the ability to take care of all my thoughts and emotions before bed so that I don't carry them into the next day.

7. Smile 

    There was this post that I once saw that claimed smiling would trick your brain into thinking all is well and cheer you up. I don't know how accurate that is, but I do know that smiling at myself and my less than favorite parts in the mirror sure does make me feel a lot better about myself and my day. If I'm ever feeling a little down, I just find something good to smile about and even if nothing is fixed, I feel better about the situation.

    Smiling is good for us and everyone around us. If you have nothing better to do or there's a moment where your mouth is able to move, move it into a smile and see if that helps your day or mood in any way. 

8. Affirmations 

    This was another theory that I hesitated on before reveling in the amazing results of it. Now, every morning, I stand in my mirror after I'm ready for the day but before I put on my makeup and say 10-20 affirmation. They have to be positive, helpful, and at least mostly true. 

    Doing your daily affirmations helps change the way you view yourself and in turn changes the way you treat yourself and how you allow others to treat you. It's a small task that takes less than five minutes and has major long term effects that you don't want to miss out on. 

9. Stop Hitting Snooze 

    It's so easy to snooze the alarm clock and get another ten or so minutes of partial sleep, but what I've found is those ten minutes can have gross repercussions. Staying in bed can cause a groggy, sleepy, and unproductive day. In the end, your entire day was not really worth those ten minutes. Try going to bed a little earlier and waking up with your first alarm instead of hitting snooze. 

    Imagine what you could have done with those ten minutes. Worked out? Eaten breakfast? Packed a lunch? Hugged someone you love? Probably two or more of those tasks could've easily been completed if we hadn't slept in for that extra time and you would feel much more lively throughout the day.

10. Stop Allowing Others to Control Your Day

    Super duper difficult one here. I really struggled to have a good day when things are going wrong. If my work best friend is grumpy, I most likely will be as well. If someone says something rude, mean, or unnecessary to me, I will probably be kind of upset about it for the rest of the day. And if you argue with me, fuss at me, or God forbid yell at me? The entire day might be ruined. 

    With these habits, I'm allowing other people and their emotions to control my entire mood and day. What right do they have to take my whole day and ruin it when they probably won't even care about it in five minutes?  They don't! And they aren't allowed to anymore. 

    I try my best to mentally tell myself, "don't let them bother you," or, "they can't have today," in the midst or right after something that has tragically not gone my way, and often it helps. Sometimes, as un fun as it is, I have to just tell myself, "it is absolutely stupid and irresponsible of you to let that person affect you in anyway whatsoever," and a lot of times, that statement is correct. 

    Sometimes days will just be difficult to get through, and sometimes our only goal is to get through the day. Deep down, we know that we're better than that and more than capable of living up to a higher potential. Hopefully, these tips will help you get there like they've helped me and you can move up in life. 

I love you :)