If you’re looking for a way to minimize or eliminate stressful days you may want to try tackling your mornings first. Trust me, life as a wife, mom to a little one along with a full-time job as an educator can get extremely hectic at times. Between feeling rushed to get out of my house on time and commuting, I would feel utterly exhausted by the time I would reach work. That exhaustion would be met by even more exhaustion commuting home, preparing dinner and spending quality time with my little guy without dozing off..lol.
In an effort to gain better control this crazy thing called life and minimize my stress levels, I started taking little steps that ended up making a HUGE difference. My days are a lot less stressful and I feel like I can handle just about anything that is thrown my way:
1) Wake up 30 minutes to 1 hour before your normal time. I used to wake up at 5am and hit the ground running. I’m now up at 4-4:30am and I use that time to workout, read, answer emails, and/or anything else I feel I would normally not have time for. Having and using that extra time can work wonders for your mind and day. You’ll feel accomplished before your day even starts and that extra clarity may be just what you need to get the ball rolling. Sometimes I just have a nice hot cup of my favorite tea, pull up my favorite throw and bask in the silence before my guys wake up..lol.
2) Pray or meditate. As I’ve embarked on my spiritual journey I have found that the power of prayer is simply an AMAZING thing. Sometimes a simple thank you to God is all that is needed. I sometimes just simply thank Him for allowing me to see another day. Think about it, you’re alive, breathing and in great enough health to do so. I do this as soon as I wake up. It helps to put everything into perspective and put to bed the worries or negative thoughts I may have had the night before. If you don’t pray then meditate. Either way, you’re carving out time to relax. Meditation allows you to strengthen your focusing skills, concentrate on your breathing and ground yourself. You’ll feel like you can handle just about anything after doing either.
3) Try not to wallow or bask in negative thoughts. Look at each day as a new slate to get it right again. What’s done is done. Yesterday is in the past. You have no control over what has already happened. The moment you start taking control of the way you see things and allow for only positive energy to enter your mind you will allow positive things to start happening to and for you. If you’ve never read “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne I highly recommend doing so ASAP. It will change your life. Byrne states, “Your life is in your hands. No matter where you are now, no matter what has happened in your life, you can begin to consciously choose your thoughts, and you can change your life. There is no such thing as a hopeless situation. Every single circumstance of your life can change!” – Rhonda Byrne. It all starts with you and how you see your circumstances. Just take a second to think about that.
4) Eat a clean & healthy breakfast. My journey in becoming a vegetarian has opened up my eyes to a variety of foods. It has also forced me to be more conscious about what I put into my body. If I eat junk food or something unhealthy, both my body and mind feel bogged down (garbage in, garbage out). I’ll feel lethargic which causes me to not feel like myself therefore I don’t operate to my full potential. Fresh fruits, high fiber/protein foods as well as water are all part of my daily breakfast. You should feel rejuvenated after breakfast and not feel like you’re ready to go back to bed.
5) Don’t check social media or news until mid morning. Yes, that’s right! Catching up on your newsfeed and the news can be fun and informative way to catch up with the days or previous nights stories and events. However, try not to do it 1st thing in the morning. With the exception of the weather (there’s an app for that too) , try to reserve that check-up time for mid morning or afternoon. Let’s face it, bad news sells and it tends to keeps viewers captivated. Most news is also more negative than positive anyway. Why would you want to start your day off that way?
6) Reserve your commute for you. Again, it’s all about making time for yourself. Turn on your favorite radio station, listen to an inspiring podcast or just enjoy the silence before starting another hectic day at work. If you work with children or have children you already know that silence is golden! (Unless you have a toddler like I do, then silence can be very suspicious…lol.) I used to just listen to my favorite music and make phone calls on my way to work. I now reserve my car rides as my special time to pray and talk to God. I know I said in step 2 to pray or meditate but I actually pray when I wake and then talk to God my entire way to work. I may turn the radio to an uplifting and positive station intermittently but for the most part I usually just talk to God. It keeps me centered, calm and I feel I’m able to handle just about anything and everything that comes my way….including crazy NYC traffic!!..lol. Do whatever works best for you. ❤️
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Healthy Hair To Toe ❤️
