Don’t let the Monday blues rule your week! I think it’s probably safe to say that we all want to feel our best, be our best and be overall happy in life … or at least I hope so! One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my life is that happiness is a choice. Regardless of what is happening in your life, you can feel happy and healthy when you decide to make a start. I’m talking little choices we make each day that help shape our attitude, health and overall feeling of well being.
Below I’ve listed a few things that have helped me along the way:
Eyewear: Kingsley Eyewear
Style: Oxford in Crystal
Audit your life: take a moment to think about what and who brings you joy and happiness .. and keep doing that! Then, think about the people in your life who are always complaining or who are super negative and make some adjustments. You can’t expect to feel happy and positive if you are always in the company of people who are negative and who bring you down. Shift who you give your time to and only invest in people and things that make you feel good.
Read: I love reading, especially on vacation when I can just lay on the beach and get lost in a good book. I’m working on carving out more time to read each night before bed, but usually I’m so tired by the time we curl into bed we go right to sleep. You can learn so much by reading and when I do read, I love reading inspiring books written by people I admire. Here are a few I love: You’re a Badass, Girl boss and I Am That Girl, google them!
Get some fresh air: I usually walk Xavi down the boardwalk to Starbucks on Monday mornings so we can both get outside and ease into our week on a positive note. This gives me time to think about my week, what I’ve got on my plate and how I want it all to go. Think about setting your intentions for the day/week at the beginning of each day when you are fresh and alert and then make the little steps needed to be in action and make them happen.
Make time for inspiration: most Mondays (while at Starbucks) I love to bring a stack of fresh magazines — yes I still read those — to flip through for inspiration. I have a whole wall dedicated to my vision board directly above my desk so I’m always referring back to it and keeping my goals and intentions fresh in my mind. It helps keep me inspired to write new content for my channels but also keeps me on track for the bigger picture of how I want my life to be, feel and look.
Keep active: I’ve gone into depth on this one and all the benefits I feel daily by keeping active. And no, I’m not meaning you need to get crazy or even that you should go to the gym everyday. I mean, find a couple activities that either get you outside or moving everyday. Not only will you feel good about yourself, knowing you are putting your health first but you will have more energy and your general wellbeing will become elevated. I do kickboxing regular but when I’m feeling a little more fragile or tire I’ll roll out my yoga mat and do a quick 30-minute dvd in our living room. Make it work for you and your lifestyle.
Make lists: between work, family, dog-walking and everything else going on it’s so easy for me to feel scattered or disorganized so lists are my best friends. I take time on Sundays to make my lists for the week; groceries/meal prep, people I need to reach, errands to run – there’s no better feeling than crossing things off as you go!
Stay hydrated: it can feel like such a task to drink water, but once you make it a daily habit you won’t even think twice. A trick I learned to keep me hydrated is to pre-fill a few glass bottles and store in the fridge so that they’re always cold and ready to go when I am. Keep your water bottle at your desk and refill often. Not only is water essential, but it’s the best kept beauty secret!
Eat (or drink) your greens: even if veggies aren’t your thing, you have to find a way to get them into your diet, daily. I made the switch years ago when I started blending my glowing green smoothies and since then I’ve just increased my intake more and more because now I’ve learned to love them and notice a huge difference if I don’t get them in. I love having big, delicious salads for lunch and lots of steamed veg with our protein at dinner. In between, I love grabbing cold pressed juices to go from my local juicery here in Steveston, The Juice Truck.
Start/end each day with gratitude: I realize how corny this one sounds but it couldn’t be more crucial. No matter what is going on in your life, try to think of three things each morning to be grateful for. When we shift our thinking to gratitude, for even the smallest seemingly insignificant things, it automatically shifts your attitude. Instead of focusing on what’s not working, try shifting your focus to what is.
Spend time with your faves: above all else, soak up as much time as possible with the ones you love. Isn’t that what life is about?
Any others you can think of that I should add to my list??
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