⏰ It’s Monday morning and it’s way too early. The alarm on your cell phone is ringing. It’s still dark outside, which really doesn’t make you feel like getting up. Yet this is how most people start their week. If this is you, welcome to the club!
In this moment, what are the first things that come to mind (other than turning off your alarm and going back to sleep until later)? Are you:
- Behind in your studies and have an exam coming up?
- Thinking about the workday ahead of you?
- Letting your household chores pile up?
- Wondering if you forgot any schoolwork?
There’s definitely a lot going on in your head before you even get out of bed. Instead of engaging in all those stressful thoughts, how about just thinking about how you’re going to have a great day? Often, just a few simple actions are all it takes to see life in a better light.
To help you take better care of yourself, here are five things that are easy to integrate into your daily routine that have huge benefits when it comes to refocusing on your well-being. To encourage you to start right away, let’s start with the tips you enjoy the most. Incorporate new items one at a time, every week.
⏱ ENJOY TEN MINUTES OF “ME TIME”
Set aside a minimum of ten minutes per day that is just for you! Don’t think about work or your “to-do lists.” I repeat, think of nothing else but YOURSELF. Most importantly, this absolutely does not mean spending ten minutes on Instagram looking at other people's lives and comparing them to yours. During this ten-minute session, do something that makes you happy, something makes you feel good.
The ten minutes can also be spent doing physical activity. It can also be a reward after a workout, like treating yourself to ten minutes in a
hydromassage bed or
a massage chair at Econofitness. You can also take the opportunity to explore a new hobby:
- Yoga or meditation
- Recreational reading
- Mandala or Diamond Painting
- Intuitive dance
- Making jewelry or knitting. You may even come away with a new scarf, why not?
🙏 BE GRATEFUL
Take a moment each day to recognize three things that you’re grateful for. Feeling gratitude for the small pleasures in life shouldn’t be just a passing fad. It should be a way of life. It may be difficult at first, but it can become a pure pleasure after a few days!
Above all, don’t try to find wonderful or even exceptional situations. For example, you may be grateful for:
- The beautiful weather outside
- That you only hit the snooze button once this morning, which gave you more time to prepare
- That you made your favourite meal without burning it
- That you found the perfect outfit on your first visit to the store
- Spending time with someone you love!
The goal is simply to stop focusing on the negative and realize that each day is made up of many positive elements. You can even make a gratitude journal where you write down your lovely reflections each night to end the day on a high note! It’s also so much fun to read all those great thoughts afterwards!
🤸♀ MOVE EVERY DAY
Whether it’s a trip to your favourite
Econofitness gym , a workout from home on
our YouTube channel, a walk outside at lunchtime, or just walking back and forth around your house (including up and down the stairs!), take the time to move. You don’t have to be active for 60 minutes to feel the benefits. An easy five minutes of activity a few times a day can also be very effective.
Walking is often underestimated or even avoided by many. However, it’s one of the most accessible and easiest physical activities to maintain over the long term. Regular walking provides both physical and mental benefits. Spending time outdoors is also great for the body and the mind! To discover the many benefits that movement has on your body, take a few minutes to check out
25 good reasons to go to the gym.
📝 WRITE DOWN WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND
One trick to slow down our “little mental hamster wheel” is to write down everything that is bothering us and the things we can’t shake from our mind. Regardless of whether it’s work-related, school-related, or home-related, write it all down.
Your brain will soon understand that it can rely on these notes when the time comes to deal with them, and the information will stop incessantly flowing through your head. However, you have to remember to put those lists aside when it’s your “me time!”
😊SMILE OFTEN
This last tip going to make you smile, and that’s the point. This is an activity that is often taught in breathing workshops. It consists in closing your eyes, smiling, and taking a deep breath.
Smiling sends a signal to your brain that you’re okay. A feeling of joy comes over you almost instantly. So, when you feel stress rising, or you feel like you’re slipping into a dark mood, take a few seconds to take some “smiling breaths.”
Why not take the exercise a step further by smiling at others? Whether you’re meeting people in person or virtually, remember to smile at them. Also, smile at strangers you meet on the street. Without knowing it, that smile could make a big difference in their day too!
So, when you wake up tomorrow morning, what will be your first thought? Throughout this journey of self-care, remember to treat yourself with kindness… the same way you treat others, after all. And most importantly, don’t forget that “wellness” is not a destination, it’s a path we take every day!
CONTINUE YOUR "WELLNESS" READING:
🌱 LET’S PRIORITIZE SELF-ESTEEM OVER WEIGHT LOSS!
🌱 MORNING ROUTINE FOR A HEALTHY, BALANCED DAY!
