In my last week’s birthday post I shared a few personal things that I want to work on in the year before my next birthday. I have started implementing some of them in my daily life right away and wanted to share my progress with you.
Here are the five things worth incorporating into your routine:
1. Meditating. One of the first things I started doing this week is meditating or at least attempting to. I am using Headspace app. I am doing a free Take 10 meditation course which is 10 min guided meditations for 10 days. So far I have been enjoying it. I do it after I wake up and to be honest I am not hundred percent sure if I am awake for the whole 10 minutes or if I am still sleeping in between the deep breaths but I feel good afterwards.
2. Acknowledging negative thoughts and refocusing on the positive ones. This week I really made an effort to notice when my mind starts to get into negative thinking or complain and focus on something more positive instead. I think it’s been working. A lot of the times I kind of put myself in a bad mood by having internal debates but this week I’ve been catching myself and refocusing and that helped me feel pretty positive all week.
3. Making better food choices. I started using MyFitnessPal again to keep track of my eating. I’ve mentioned this app before in this post. I usually go through cycles of using it for a while and then stopping and starting over again in a few months. I’ve noticed that by keeping track of what I eat and by making better choices I’ve actually had more energy because I wasn’t snacking too much or overeating. Usually the time after lunch is the hardest because I am literally falling asleep at my desk but this week I’ve been feeling energized and productive the whole day.
4. Reading. Another thing from my list that I started doing this week is reading. I packed up my e-reader with new books as well as downloaded some on Audible so I can listen on the way home and I’ve been really loving it. The one that I am actually reading before bed helps me wind down and settle for the night whereas the audiobook makes my way home extra beneficial because besides the workout I am also getting some good information. In case you are curious, the book that I am reading right now is “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle and the one I am listening to is “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office” by Lois P. Frankel.
5. Writing Five Minute Journal. I started using my Five Minute Journal again. Originally I bought it as a gift for myself and my husband for our wedding anniversary (great gift idea, btw!). I’ve used it for a long time before life got in a way but now I am back to it!
It is a simple journal that helps you put things into perspective and feel better every day. Every morning when you wake up you write down 3 things you are grateful for, 3 things that would make today great and a daily affirmation. By doing this you focus your attention on the good things in your life and learn to appreciate them. Every evening before you go to bed you write down 3 amazing things that happened today and what could you have done to make this day better. The Journal is very easy to use and really takes no more than 5 minutes to fill out. Besides the daily psychological benefits it helps you keep memories of sweet simple things your life is filled with. It’s great to do it together with your partner, it brings you closer and helps you share and communicate better especially if you had an argument that day.
It’s kind of funny that 80% of the things on this list is something I used to do before, but I lost my way at some point which happens but it’s great to get back on track and keep going.
Hope you found this post interesting and I’d love to hear about your week or things you do daily to make you feel great.
