Day 7: #BlogLikeCrazy – Tools to Start and End Your Day
Are y’all tired of me yet because if I were you, I think I would be? Hahaha.
I know I’ve texted and tagged several of you DAILY with my ongoing #BlogLikeCrazy posts and I must admit, it’s getting a little exhausting.
Not in a “I want to quit” type of way but in a “I hope so and so isn’t getting tired of me sending these everyday” kind of way.
I mean, we are officially ONE WEEK into #BLOGLIKECRAZY (YAY!!) which means, I’ve probably texted or tagged you for SEVEN DAYS straight, requesting that you read my latest post.
I do not take your support of me for granted and I would be remised if I did not acknowledge how much your support means to me.
It’s borderline like getting a daily spam text and my goodness, I cannot thank you enough for putting up with it all!
Again, this is probably NOT the last time you will read those words but nonetheless, THANK YOU!
Thank you for your read, your share, your encouragement, and your comments, THANK YOU for it ALL! They really do HELP INSPIRE ME to KEEP GOING!
Now let’s get into today’s topic!
For Day 6 of #BlogLikeCrazy, we discussed the importance of taking time to prep for the week ahead.
I covered how monumental Sundays were for me in transitioning into the next week and today, I’d like to take things one step further in providing a few tools to start and end your day.
Just as Sundays are important for a smooth Monday – Friday, how you begin and end each day matters too.
Ironically enough, I don’t believe I’ll share anything super profound, only very practical tips, and tricks to disconnect to start and end your day well.
If you’re anything like me, you probably roll over and check your notifications each morning and in that same vain, you may also go to bed scrolling down your favorite social media platform or even playing your favorite game.
All in all, you are SUPER connected to your phone which can be a HUGE deterrent in getting a good night’s rest or a smooth start to your morning.
I won’t state the obvious just YET but let’s kick off with a few tips to start your day (these items are not listed by order of importance).
Avoid checking phone notifications until your morning routine is complete. If you are always pressed for time when getting ready to start your day, do NOT add an unnecessary distraction that will surely to slow you down. Trust me, IT CAN WAIT.
Drink a bottle of water, take a shower, or both. I’ve personally found that drinking a bottle of water plus taking a shower help “wake me up” faster than walking around the house causally trying not to run into anything. Also, there are quite a few health benefits to drinking a bottle of water when you first get up but don’t ask me what they are, talk to Google. haha
Turn on some music. Do you have a genre, song, or artist that you enjoy? If so, turn them on to help boost your mood and shift your mindset when getting ready for the day. Personally, 85% of the time, Christian music is the thing for me. It flows directly into my morning prayer and devotional time.
Establish a morning schedule or routine. It’s a little difficult to have a smooth start to your day if you are unsure of how long it will take you to complete a task before getting your morning started. IF morning showers ARE your thing but you’ve committed to an early gym time of 6:30 am, hopping out of bed at 6:00 am, with a 20-min drive to the gym, isn’t very efficient for your schedule.
There are so many tips that we could discuss but I feel as though the items above are all fair STARTERS.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we must start small and add on from there. The tips listed above can all SEEM like easy tasks, until it’s time to implement.
Now, let’s talk about a few things to do that can help not only end your day well BUT also, help prepare you for a good night’s rest (again not listed in order of importance).
If you have not read my blog, “8 Ways to Decompress After a Stressful Day”, my first tip is to start there. I am sure there is at least one daily takeaway that can help you find a calm center after you’ve “adulted” for a full 8 hours or more.
Establish a night routine. Sounds simple right but truly it really is. My nightly routine, on a good day, starts between 8-9 o’clock. During this time, I wrap up any pending items, shows, etc. that need to be completed before bedtime. My “DO NOT DISTURB” feature is automatically set to turn on at 9:00pm. The goal is ALWAYS to be in bed by 10:00 at the LATEST. From 8:00-10:00, I am getting ready for bed because I understand that sometimes, it really does take two hours to do.
Establish a bedtime. If you are a person who endlessly fights with snooze every morning, that means you are NOT getting sufficient rest and therefore should be going to bed EARLIER. REST is such an important element for the body but again, you’ll have to ask Google and not me for the specifics. But know this, it is ideal for your body to receive at least 6-8 hours of sleep to be fully rested.
Use the silent or do not disturb feature on your phone. It is a game changer! Personally, the use of DND cuts down my nightly distractions tremendously. It is scheduled to activate the same time each night, Sunday – Thursday (workdays).
Put the phone down or turn the tv off. If you are fully aware that the tv or your cell phone provide nightly distractions, REMOVE the distraction. It’s that simple. Recently, I’ve eased myself into listening to rain sounds before bed. I don’t know why it works, but it does, I sleep like a baby! This might not work for you, BUT I encourage you to find something that does. Preferably something that doesn’t pose as a distraction from settling down to rest.
Much like I stated earlier, the goal is to start small. Small realistic goals help achieve and conquer the bigger ones.
Start with determining what time you need to arise each morning to provide efficient time to start your day. After you’ve determined your morning start time, then consider how much rest you will need to set an efficient bedtime each night.
I’ve provided a few small things that can make a large difference but at the end of the day, you must do what works for you.
If you arise each morning feeling tired and unrested, what you’re doing isn’t working.
If you’re always behind and never ahead, also known as being late, what you’re doing is not working.
75% of the time, you have full control over how your schedule and your day will transpire. It’s the little things that make a big difference.
But preparation and proper time allocation will help you succeed in it all.
Until Next Time, #KeyInspires
