If you are like many, your alarm goes off and you jolt out of bed. You rush through showering, brushing your teeth, making breakfast, unloading the dishwasher. You have school lunches started, maybe you have taken a sip of your coffee, if you are lucky, you are plating breakfast, feeding the dog, remembering who has what that particular day – are the library books in the backpack for library, etc. The entire morning is a whirlwind. Somehow the kids are dropped off at school and you make your way wherever you are headed and possibly breathe at a regular pace for the first time all morning.
It’s okay – you are not alone. Most of us rush through life and really are not able to be present and pay attention to what is going on. Living a more present and mindful life is another article for another day but let’s start simple. How do we want to start our day?
So you are not a morning person – that’s okay, but try waking up 2-5 minutes earlier than you usually do. Don’t jump out of bed. Lay there for a moment. Stretch, breathe. You may want to keep a notebook or journal by your bed, or you can use an app or the notes on your phone. Grab whatever it is you want to use and write down your intention for the day. If you are scratching your head and wondering what the heck I am talking about, that’s okay. You can simply write today is going to be a good day. This is where we set the tone for the day. I typically always write today is going to be a good day. I then follow it up by what I plan to do to make it a good day. I am going to be present with my clients, present with my children, drink plenty of water, and eat healthy foods that are good for my body. If something goes wrong, I am not going to let that ruin my day. I will use it as a chance to reset. If there is a task you are avoiding you can write I am going to make that phone call today. Short and sweet is fine!
As you begin your morning try to do it just a tiny bit slower than you usually do. Just brush your teeth. You do not need to brush your teeth while going to the bathroom and choosing your clothes. As you go about your day, if something upsets you or throws you off course reset. Go back to that intention from the morning, it’s okay if your day did not go according to plan. You can choose to let that ruin your day or you can say okay, not what I had planned, but I can still have a good day.
At the end of your day, before bed, pull out that same journal or notebook. Write down what went right! What were all the good things that happened that day. Do not overthink this. It is usually the simplest, smallest moments that matter most. My end of the day comments are often filled with bullet points such as: reading books with my youngest, walking and playing with the dog, making a random stranger smile by complimenting them, being kind to the cashier at the grocery store, fitting in a workout, organizing my closet, family dinner.
We have a choice. We can see all the good in the day to day or all the bad and ugly. This exercise helps shift our mindset. The more you do it, the easier it becomes!
