Quick Tips to Start Your Monday

Originally Posted on September 24, 2012 by BJ Howell.

Today’s blog is not a planned blog, but one of necessity, so please work with me. I had another sleepless night due to the remnants of a cold. As I lay here (coughing) thinking what a terrible Monday I’m going to have, it dawned on me that I was probably right. I will think my way into a bad Monday. After all, our thoughts help form our reality. So, that got me thinking, how can I steer myself into a good day? Will I be tired?  Yes.  Will my mind be stressed?  Yes.  Will I anticipate getting home so I can try this sleep thing again? Uh, Yes. Will I have an awful day because of it?  Nope!  I’ve just decided to make it a good day.

If I plan appropriately, I can have a good day. So, what’s my plan? Take it in chunks. Taking it in stride is for someone who had 6-8 hours of sleep. I had a combined 2 (and that’s a generous approximation). So I’m going to need to plan my day and break it up into workable chunks of time.  That, in addition to the steps below will help me achieve my goal.

Steps to making it a great Monday

1. Realize that if my mind is relaxed, my body will be relaxed and vice versa.

2. Coffee. This is a given. I believe I have a challenge coming up to leave caffeine alone, however, that’s not happening today.

3. Write out my “to do” list.  I already know I won’t get everything done, however having a list will allow me to know what’s ahead of me so I can be prepared.  Also, so I can pick and choose what tasks I can get done (with my limited sleep). Make sure to add step 4 & 5 on my “to do” list.

4. Take a 5-10 minute walk. It’s not much, but it will get my body moving which should energize my mind.  I might need to do this 2-3 times during the day.

5. Take a 2-5 minute “centering break”. Breathe, mini-meditate, or just fully be in the moment without demands.

6. Connect with someone positive.

These steps can be altered to whatever works for you. To help you with step 5, click on the menu above for a short relaxation exercise.

Make it a Great Day…and Be Empowered!