View this post on Instagram
Elephant is not your doctor or hospital. Our lawyers would say “this website is not designed to, and should not be construed to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, or treatment to you or any other individual, and is not intended as a substitute for medical or professional care and treatment. Always consult a health professional before trying out new home therapies or changing your diet.” But we can’t afford lawyers, and you knew all that. ~ Ed.
~
You run around frazzled with a million and one things on your ongoing mental to-do list.
You try to figure out how you’re going to accomplish the tasks of the day alone—never mind listening to the ever-present thoughts of losing weight, eating less crap, and being a better parent, partner, or human being.
No matter what you do, your list only seems to get longer rather than shorter. You are barely making it through the day—anything that’s not under the “survival” category gets pushed to the side.
You wish there were some way to get rid of the constant mental and emotional overload of each day.
Well, look no further.
Here are 10 simple things you can do every single day to keep you from getting overwhelmed and start living your true potential.
1. Create a morning routine.
This is the single most important thing you can do to start organizing your mind immediately.
A morning routine, even if it’s 15 minutes long, will kick-start your day. It will give you the clarity you need and set you up for success.
Make sure you include:
>> Checking or writing in your planner and journal
>> Taking a mindful moment
>> Drinking a glass of water
>> Eating a healthy breakfast
2. Drink more water.
Speaking of drinking water, you need to do more of it. Science says that dehydration can lead to poor brain function, meaning you aren’t able to think as clearly and quickly.
The proper amount of daily water consumption should be half your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 160 pounds, you should be drinking at least 80 oz. of water per day.
3. Plan your meals.
If you take time to plan your meals once a week, not only will you decrease the stress of figuring out what to make for dinner each night—you will most likely be making healthier eating choices for yourself and your family.
Plan and preportion healthy snacks such as nuts, veggies, and fruits so you can grab and go when you are in a rush.
Do some research to find creative ways to prep meals for an entire week (or more). Whether you are single or have a family of four, there are countless meal prepping articles and blog posts on the internet for you to find a good fit for your allotted time and lifestyle.
4. Get a planner.
Just do it. Trust me, it will change your life.
Write your plans and goals for the next day as part of your nighttime routine, and read them when you wake up each morning.
You will be more aware of what needs to be done during the day, and refer back to it as the day goes on.
Even better, if you put checkboxes next to your goals and plans for the day or week, you’ll feel that sense of accomplishment every time you follow through.
5. Meditation and mindfulness.
Meditation has numerous benefits, including helping your brain function more efficiently. Even taking one mindful minute as part of your morning routine will help you calm down and re-center.
Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted (even if it’s your closet) and take 10 full deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Try and hyper-focus on the breaths only and let your mind be as silent as possible. If you find yourself focusing on a particular thought, simply acknowledge it and then let it melt away.
6. Stay active.
Staying active can give you the clarity and focus you need to accomplish the things that are important to you.
The recommended minimum of moderate aerobic exercise is 2.5 hours per week to maintain a healthy body and mind.
Even simple actions like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away from the storefront are easy ways to add activity into your day without having to schedule extra time in.
7. Listen to podcasts or audiobooks.
If you are reading this, it’s probably safe to assume you aren’t easily finding time to sit down and start that new book you’ve been dying to read. An easy fix is to listen to a podcast or audiobook.
You can learn new skills or be empowered to crush your goals by listening to a new podcast channel. You can finally enjoy that new book by listening to it instead.
And you can do this while you are doing things that are already in your schedule, like commuting to work, driving kids around in the car, or working out.
8. Take a break from social media.
Social media can be useful for many reasons. But if you are trying to be more productive and less stressed, sometimes it can do more harm than good.
I personally have taken a long-term break from social media and have found my quality of life to be astronomically improved. Having said that, setting time aside to find recipes, read articles and blogs that you love, and keep up with friends and family are good uses of social media.
But it can also be a huge waste of precious time. It’s important to have planned, uninterrupted time each day to stay productive. Make sure that you have a set amount of time to allow yourself to spend on social media each day and then close it down.
9. Create a nighttime routine.
After you have an awesome day, keep the momentum going. Develop a nightly routine that doesn’t involve watching four hours of Netflix. Wind down and ponder the activities, thoughts, and feelings of the day you just had.
Using your planner, write down the plans and goals you have for the next day and get to bed so you can get the beauty sleep you need.
10. Get more sleep.
Getting the proper amount of sleep is so important. The recommended amount of sleep needed per night is seven to nine hours.
Make sure you plan your nights and mornings so you can get at least seven hours of quality sleep. Not only will it boost your mood, but you will have more energy and clarity to help you stress less and accomplish more.
That’s it!
Make these 10 tasks part of your daily routine and watch your productivity, quality of life, and overall happiness improve. With any new habits you introduce into your life, the key is to be consistent and to not give up. Have faith in yourself.
Take some deep breaths and go crush your goals.
Read 2 Comments and Reply
Read 2 comments and reply