7 Ways to Kick Start Your Day
The alarm sounds and you roll out of bed…and then what? I know I can lose a couple of hours if I do not have a plan for the day at starts the minute my feet hit the floor. My brain needs a nudge; well a kick is more like it. Here are my top 7 ways that I kick start my day.
Meditation
Start your day off with some time in the Word and prayer. Spend time being thankful for the things and people around you. Clear your brain of yesterday and let go of the past wrongs.
Exercise
If your season in life allows you to be morning gym rat, go for it. For the rest of us, or if an intense wok out is not possible first thing in the morning, do something to get your heart rate up. Go up and down the stairs a couple of times, drop and do some sit ups. Run in place or do jumping jacks. Exercises that get your heart pounding cause your body to release the endorphin chemicals that our body needs to “feel good”.
Get Dressed
There is something about being dressed to the shoes that tells our brain it is time to get busy. Depending on your schedule for the day, the outfit may only be a pair of flats and a sundress but get dressed to the point that you can grab your purse and in out the door in less than five minutes.
Fuel Your Tank
Caffeine from coffee, tea, or a soda are sure ways to kick-start your body but in order to maintain until lunch you need to fuel your body. Make a protein smoothie or grab a couple of hard boiled eggs if you are in a hurry.
Affirmations
Remember those notes that your mom used to slip in your lunch box? “You can do this”, “Smile, God loves you!”, “You are beautiful”, and my favorite that was reserved just for those tough days, “You Prepared, You Got This!” Find the encouraging words that motivate you and have them in plain site. Encouraging yourself with positive, uplifting words and phrases will keep you going and helps to maintain the positive direction of your day. Try actually saying them out loud to yourself. Purchase a little tear off calendar that has the encouraging phrase for the day. Print out your favorite ones and hang them on the wall in a framed collage. As long as you will see them throughout the day.
Music
Put on your favorite type of music and let it uplift and encourage you. It may be classical, jazz, spiritual or that good old rock and roll. If it makes you smile and gets you moving – let it rip! I created several playlists that have my favorite songs all ready to key up with an app on my phone. Depending on the tasks on my TODO list, I can easily select a playlist and have several hours worth of music streaming.
Work Your TODO List
My mantra for life is: “If it has to happen, then it has to happen first!” Start your day with a TODO list made the day before. By having a prioritized list of what needs to be done, you will be able to jump right in on the most important rather than the easiest. If you plan your day and work your plan, then you will see results. Yes, you will always have interruptions; but having a list will allow you to jump right back on task quickly.
I found these tips work whether you are in an office ten hours a day or managing your home.
What kick starts your day?
Leave a Reply