Wednesday, September 2, 2015
What are some of your best tips for getting your day off to a good start?
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My "X" Best Morning Hacks
1. Power down well before bedtime the night before. That means as little electronic stimuli as possible. Phones, televisions, computers. (I know, just thinking about this is raising my blood pressure!) Get enough sleep.
2. Lay out your outfit for the next day. This saves you from staring bleary-eyed at the closet in the morning, trying to decide what to wear for the day. If you fix lunches for family members, get as much together the night before as possible.
3. Spend some time alone with your thoughts. Waking up to chaos is jarring. Having some quiet time, without having to respond to the needs or wants of others (even those we love and would do anything for) is necessary to develop your battle plan for the day.
4. Read something inspirational. Whether you are religious and read a spiritual text, or something that stirs or comforts you, it's all good. It's a little 'fuel booster' for your personal gas tank first thing in the morning.
5. Do something physical. Walk, garden, play with your dog in the yard. Think of your body as your transportation. If you want to go places during your day, you want your vehicle to be in as good a shape as possible.
6. Eat a nourishing first meal. For me, that means something other than sugared cereal (which I love - I have a HUGE sweet tooth).
7. Get the crud out. In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron suggest writing "morning pages" long hand. Four pages of uncensored, hand-written stream-of-conciousness writing. So if your spouse said something hurtful the day before, put it down. If your child took his or her first step, and you think they are the best thing since someone decided to slice bread, put it down. Good, bad, ugly - it doesn't matter. Get the pebble out of your shoe before you begin the race.
~~~oOo~~~
Do any of these resonate with you? Tell me one of your 'get up and go' tips in the comments. I need all the help I can get!
Wonderful! Love all of them and, strangely, make sure I do all. Except choosing my clothes for the next day. I've tried that, but usually my mood has changed by the time I need to get dressed in the morning, so I have to choose a whole new outfit.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my back porch, Kalpanaa! With me, it's usually my plans that change, so I need a different outfit than the one I had planned.
DeleteGreat tips. #1 is really hard to do. I usually listen to some music before I fall asleep. Dropping by from the September Challenge.
ReplyDeleteGood thing, Suzy! I should have discounted music in the first tip. Certain types of music can actually relax me enough to be able to fall asleep, which is sometimes a challenge!
DeleteLuAnn, in my effort to improve the quality of my days, I've started doing all this and the results are so much better. Can I add one more? Don't turn on any devices until you get those Morning Pages done! :)
ReplyDeleteI so agree, Corinne! (And /that/ will be the one that I work on next, because I've been online twice, cursed at the dogs for tearing apart my journal, made breakfast, done a laundry, etc. etc. etc....and not a morning page in sight. *sigh*)
DeleteI usually fall asleep to Mother Angelica on YouTube. :) Then I wake and meditate and read scripture. Once I give it all to God, I'm good to go! :)
ReplyDeleteI used to come across her program on television sometimes, MiMi! I'm not Catholic, but she has a rather compelling personality!
DeleteShe does, doesn't she? She's 97 now and doesn't do the shows anymore since her stroke but she still answers emails! :) She's definitely a unique spirit. <3
DeleteIronically, I wrote about how my perfect day should be! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. Thanks for sharing.
I like these tips and I am sure a lot of people could use them. I try to read before I sleep so I am winding down and it is relaxing because I do like a good nights sleep! I am horrible at planning my outfit the day before, I always end up changing it in the morning!
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