It’s easy to wake up in the morning, grab your phone, & doom scroll for hours on end resulting in:
1. Setting your day back.
2. An annoying headache.
3. A nagging guilty feeling hanging over your head for the rest of the day.
doom scroll:
Spending copious amounts of hours scrolling through social media on your phone.
I am no expert when it comes to having the perfect day or boosting your mental health. Below are simply a few small steps I changed to my daily routine to help me feel better about myself & have a more successful day!
It’s easy to fall into bad habits for a reason.
Bad habits are more convenient, less time consuming & take a h*ll of a lot less effort. For example – it is more convenient to lay on the couch and watch tv all day than it is to get ready & go run errands. It is less time consuming to microwave a cup of Easy Mac than it is to chop up & wash vegetables to make a nutritious meal. It takes less effort to lay on your phone for hours on end than it is to get up and go to the gym.
I am not going to sit here and preach that vegetables & exercise are the holy grail to living a better and more successful life. If they were the key to the perfect life, well then I would be living somewhere right above the gates of h*ll. Although I am sure that they will also help to make you feel better.
Don’t worry.. the 5 steps below have nothing to do with vegetables or a daily gym regiment. They are (for the most part) free & so simple you can put them into play tomorrow morning.
1. Set a screen time limit.
This small step has drastically changed the outlook of my days. If I had no plans or nothing going on in my day, I would lay in bed on my phone for at least an hour every morning. I didn’t realize how big of a problem this was until my eyes started to burn/dry out once I did eventually peel myself out of bed. After the 3rd time of my eyes feeling like they were about to burn out of my skull, I finally decided I needed to make a change.
I started out by setting a 30 minute screen time limit for myself in the mornings. Now that I have been in the routine of having that screen time limit, I typically just quickly sift through my notifications & get up to do something more productive.
This has helped me to accomplish more in my day and has made me feel eons better about myself. It won’t be the only time you read this throughout the remainder of the post but this small step has truly boosted my serotonin levels like crazy. I am no scientist but I feel like the reward portion of my brain has gotten used to and likes the feeling of being productive much more than the feeling of doom scrolling so it’s also made getting up in the morning more motivating.. and easier.
serotonin:
Natural body chemicals that control your mood. The more serotonin your body produces the happier you feel. So basically, they’re your happy chemicals!
2. Wash your face with cold water.
This step in the process may be something the common person already does daily, but this is something I also recently picked up that I will now be doing every day for the rest of my life.
I am not now nor have I ever really been a big fan of face washes or face products – although I do love a good moisturizer. I suck at remembering to use them, am very lazy, and really don’t care that much. On top of that – I feel like good facial products are extremely expensive, I have never noticed results from them, and I don’t really trust that the companies are putting non toxic chemicals in them and in turn will eventually give me cancer one day down the road. This unfortunately means I will be getting wrinkles very early on in life but whatever- I will cross that bridge when I get there.
Basically, what I am trying to say is that this step didn’t start out with a facial product. So, if you don’t use facial products already, you don’t have to go out and buy one just to complete this step. Splashing cold water on my face actually fell into play one lovely morning when I was deathly hung over. As I was hanging on to life by a thread, I remembered my college roommate used to wake up and splash water on her face every morning so I decided to give it a try. It’s a good thing I was too impatient to wait for the water to warm up.
This is so corny, and a tad dramatic, but I am not kidding when I say it was riveting and continues to be riveting every morning. The water has to be FREEZING cold. Start out by using a water temp that you can handle and then gradually make it colder and colder. It instantly wakes you up, like taking 7 shots of espresso to the veins, and leaves you feeling refreshed. If you don’t do this already, you have to start now. It truly is wonderful.
If this is something you’re interested in, I recommend purchasing couple of packs of plain face towels to dry off with and NEVER reuse one without throwing it in the laundry first.
I don’t remember who I heard this tip from but using the same cloth multiple times in a row or using the same cloth you use to dry your body/hands with, actually clogs your pores and gives you acne.
I keep a couple of stacks of the ones in the picture (linked to purchase) in my make up drawer and only use them once, then wash them.
3. Wait 45 minutes before drinking coffee/tea, instead drink water!
If you’re an avid caffeine drinker, this may take a couple of days and some weaning into before you get up to 45 minutes.
I heard this tip from my husband, Keaton, who read it in an article (aka heard it in a youtube video). I personally don’t know the actual facts behind this statement but it proves true to me when I wait 45 minutes to drink coffee in the morning.
Basically, your body naturally produces “wake up” hormones (cortisol) in the morning. BUT, if the first thing you do is drink a cup of coffee/tea, you take that opportunity away from your body. As soon as the caffeine hits your body, it instantly stops producing those ‘wake up’ hormones. Why is this a problem you may be thinking to yourself?? Well… this may not be that big of a deal WHILE you’re drinking caffeine but once that drink is gone – you crash and struggle to feel ‘awake’ the rest of the day. If you are constantly yawning, drinking a steady stream of caffeine throughout the day, feel like you’re in a zombie haze, or are always thinking to yourself that you simply didn’t get enough sleep the night before.. well then this tip is for you!
I supplement my morning cup of jo with a tall glass of water. There are a couple of reasons why drinking water first thing in the morning is important.
1. The first thing we are about to discuss isn’t very fresh of me but it’s important, especially if you struggle with constipation. Think of water as lubricant for your bowels. If the first thing you give your body is water well then .. let’s just say you will have more successful trips to the bathroom!
2. Your body naturally dehydrates itself while you sleep, so replenishing that in the morning is critical to keeping your body healthy and hydrated – especially if you live in hot or dry climates. This will also help your body naturally keep your skin hydrated and healthy as well.
3. It is incredibly important to drink water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning because it balances your lymphatic system (organ system that is part of the immune system). A healthy lymphatic system helps to build a strong immune system, which will prevent you from getting sick as often!
Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment for herself!
If you haven’t read Lesson’s In Chemistry yet, you’re not going to get that tag line. Basically the main character, Elizabeth Zott, is an amazing chemist who isn’t given a fair opportunity due to her being a women in the 60’s. So, when she gets offered a television slot for a cooking show – she finds a way to incorporate her true passion (chemistry) and becomes a huge hit on the air & with giving women the inspiration to chase after their dreams as well. That above, is her tag line after she says a bunch of sciency things about how food effects your body so… get it?? ;))
IMO, it is a must read for every women – it is incredibly empowering and inspirational.
4. Get fresh air
Fresh air is proven to naturally wake up the body and give you energy! Getting some fresh air first thing in the morning could be a great way to distract your mind from drinking caffeine as well. It will obviously be easier to go outside in the mornings in warm weather climates but if you do live in a cold weather climate, I feel like the cold fresh air will be similar to that of splashing cold water on your face.
I personally like to sit on our patio and read a book in the morning to get my morning dose of fresh air but I know that reading isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If you do want to start to get in the habit of reading, the book above is a great first book to pick up. Colleen Hoover is another phenomenal author that I, and all of TikTok, has been obsessed with for the past year. Her books are full of love and twisty mysteries that keep you captivated and make it impossible to put the book down. My last author recommendation is for my crime junkie lovers!! Jodi (clap) Picloult (clap). I cannot say enough good things about her as an author. All of her books that I have read have had love and some type of jaw dropping drama that brings the members of the book to the court room. My personal favorite attribute of her books is that every chapter is told by a different person in the book so you get to hear all sides of the story. If you’re going to start with her, I highly recommend My Sister’s Keeper (it is way different and better that the movie although I do have a deep love for Cameron Diaz), or 19 Minutes.
Other options to get your morning fresh air besides reading would be taking yourself or your pup for a long walk, watching the sun rise, or save this step last and enjoy your cup of coffee outside.
5. Do something productive.
Studies prove that productivity, like completing a task or doing something good for yourself, boosts your serotonin levels aka will make you feel happy/feel good about yourself.
You don’t have to clean your entire house from top to bottom, write a novel, or do something crazy extravagant to be productive. Even doing one simple thing in the morning is going to make you feel good about yourself and in turn, set you up for success for the rest of your day. Below are a few simple random things that I do in the mornings before heading off to work or sitting on the couch on the weekends. Note… I do not do all of them, most of the time it’s one-two things and it typically takes anywhere from 1 – 10 minutes!
1. make your bed
2. load/unload the dishwasher
3. throw in or fold a load of laundry
4. go for a walk (this would get you your fresh air too;))
5. clean your counter tops
6. meditate/yoga/pilates/go to the gym
7. schedule out your day/journal
Clearly.. you don’t have to do any or all of these tips to be successful – like I said I am not an expert. This is simply a small list of things that have helped to increase my mindset, mood, the way I feel/think about myself and in turn helped me to have a more successful day!
XOXO – Kaitlyn
