This is something I’ve been thinking about lately as the weather gets warmer. Meaning, I’ve noticed what a huge change the nicer, warmer weather has on my mood. So I started thinking of other things that can help us have a better, more positive day that are actually within our control. I’ve noticed that so much of your day is dictated about how you spend it initially. So today I wanted to share some things I’ve found that get me started on the right foot.

Making your bed – Okay, I know this seems small but I swear it sets the whole tone for the day and it only takes 2 minutes. You’re accomplishing something as soon as you wake up, and I feel like it just starts your day off with a “clean slate.” Seriously, try it for a week and see how you feel!

Movement – This can be a workout, a walk, taking the dogs out in your neighborhood, etc. It doesn’t have to be intense, but anything to get your blood flowing! It can be as short as 15 minutes (my workouts are only 20-30 minutes each day) but you’re doing something for yourself and you always feel better after despite how much you didn’t want to workout/move in the first place. No one ever regretted a workout!

Having something to look forward to – Some of y’all have asked what are things that helped me start waking up earlier, and I think this definitely plays a role in that as well. But it’s nice to have something that you look forward to when you first wake up as it helps you get out of bed and starts the day off on a more positive note. This could be your favorite coffee drink, a walk outside, meditation, 15 minutes of reading, listening to a podcast etc.

Know what makes you physically feel good – So I feel like we all have things that we know instantly boost our confidence. For me, it’s being tan. I swear, if I self-tan the night before, I wake up and instantly feel more confident and it just helps start the day off the right way. I know it may sound silly but look good, feel good!

Know what makes you emotionally/mentally feel good – Your mental healthy is just as important as your physical health, and it’s important to “protect” it especially when you first wake up. Again, we don’t need to do anything that is going to put us in a negative headspace. So maybe it’s not looking at social media right away, or maybe it’s taking just 5 minutes to meditate, etc.

Write down or say aloud 3 things you’re grateful for – I feel like this can fall into doing something that mentally makes you feel good, but I think it’s so important to acknowledge daily what you do have. So often we tend to focus on what we don’t have and what we can do to get more vs. been content. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t reach for more, but it’s also about acknowledging what we’ve accomplished and what we do have in the moment. For me, one of the things I always find gratitude in is my health. After working as an ICU nurse, having a healthy and able body is something I will never take for granted!

Do one thing that helps you work towards a future goal – If you’re feeling down or frustrated about where you currently are, I encourage you to try this! Really get clear on what you want to change and then do something each day to work towards that. Something that I’ve always loved about the future is that it is unknown. That means that anything is possible. When you look at it with this mindset, I feel like it can be really encouraging vs. just feeling frustrated with your current situation. Your current situation does not need to indicate your future. It only will if you let it.

Alright guys, I think that’s all I got! Any other tips feel free to leave them below