Hey you! I dare you to try your best to follow this checklist tomorrow! But not so fast. Why not try it again the next day (and every day after that)? Sometimes, it’s the smaller changes that can help improve our health and well-being, especially when we think we’re short on time. Try a few little things here. Tick everything off, that you completed! Tell us how it goes for you!
Morning:
Wake up and make your bed! Open the blinds! Get out of bed and s t r e t c h – all the way from the very tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes. (Trust me, this feels good)
Set your intention for the day. This might be weird for some but try it. Example: Today I will be productive. I will be focused on my tasks and I will take the time to relax when needed. It doesn’t have to be as complicated – Example 2: I can do this. Remind yourself again.
Eat breakfast. A MUST. Try my favourite: eggs (poached, scrambled or fried) on toast with avocado or baked beans. Yes. We are on a roll today. Drink one full glass of water within the hour of waking (don’t down it all in one go though!). Add 1/8 of a lemon to this. Lemon is great to alkalise the body and getting that digestive system of yours going. This will flush out toxins in the body and support your immune system too!
Side note: Wait half an hour before brushing your teeth after this (or maybe do it before) because lemons are acidic after all and can probably do some damage to your shiny whites.
Try having a water bottle by your side throughout the day as a constant reminder to drink water as you see it. Trust me, this has helped improve my water intake a lot.
Organise your day. What are your plans? What is of priority and what is not? Try brain dumping this, and then organising each task/item into a list, categorised in importance. This will help decrease stress throughout the day and easy referral back to this list.
Dress in some lovely clothes! Your fave sweater and some cool black tights? 100%!! What about that pretty skirt you like with a nice top? HECK YEAH!!!
Midday:
Lunchtime! Eat again. Wholesome foods are an absolute must whenever you can eat. Aim for 3-4 cups of water by lunchtime (inclusive of the glass of lemon water you had this morning). Remember that intention you set this morning? Say it again.
Give a compliment to someone. Be genuine. This will have a butterfly effect. If someone throws one at you too – don’t disagree! Say thank you. You rock, don’t doubt that. Are there any ticks beside those tasks on your checklist from this morning? I hope so!
Throw in a random burst of exercise! In public too – who cares! Pick one of these: 50 star jumps, 3 sets of 10 squats, a quick walk around outdoors.
Afternoon:
Hit that 3pm slump? Here are a few ideas to get you going, especially coming home from a long day: NAP! 15-20 mins. No longer. No less. Be strict here or your sleep pattern might go funny and we don’t want that (and groggy headaches are gross).
Exercise! This is so fundamental to our health and wellbeing. Try out short pilates videos (no equipment) that as living proof, work) or some really cool yoga videos. Yoga is great. Try this daily. Or take a brisk walk for 30 minutes = waking up your brain, picking up your mood AND burning some fat. C’mon, go get your shoes!
Have a healthy snack. Get your brain and bod going, my friends. Write down your to-do list for any work, study or event related things that you need to complete this afternoon. Set out all your equipment, sort out your papers from the day and get organised!
Clear your (bedroom/bed/desk/floor/work/closet) space for 5 minutes every day. I’m guessing that you’ve started to pile a few things here like we all do. This will save you time and help maintain cleanliness staying away from the complicated stress that comes from having to reorganise just about everything, which we all know to hate when we’re busy with other things.
Have you had your 5th to 6th cups of water of the day yet? Get to it! Sit up straighter and you’ll look more confident and feel more confident. Your back will also be very grateful for this.
Night:
Continue all your extra to-dos. Get this done. You can do it! Make sure to put something in your body. This is especially important for those of you probably thinking “I’ll just eat later” or “I’m not hungry”. Eat. EAT NOW. PLEASE.
Spend some quality time with your family. How’s their day been? Tell them about yours too. Glasses of water no. 7, 8 and beyond should be here. Prep your meals, lists, notes, outfits, etc. for the next day. Getting these things sorted now will help you get it out of the way and save you time. Settle down a little. It’s time to wind down. Read a book. Scroll through Tumblr (aaayeee!) – but not too deep into the pits okay? Watch a little TV.
I know a lot of posts say to switch off 1-2 hours before bed. If you’re literally glued to your electronics, try switching off 5 minutes earlier every day and replace that with something else. What about doing your prep items for the next day? Or, do get those pesky chores out the way.
Side note: Cleaning your room often will help freshen it, get rid of itchy dust and decrease the chances of bugs and other small random things that might be crawling around your room. (If that’s not a little motivation then I’m not sure what is). It’ll also keep your space maintained so you don’t have to do it all at once. *Shudders* Plus the likelihood of those gross germs from the world hanging around and building up in there is a no-no.
Sleep! 7-8 hours. Your body will thank you for it. CRUCIAL for healthy brain and body function. Plus your mood and skin will improve (i.e. goodbye eye bags and hello glowing skin).
Side note: I see you reading this at 12 am when you should be sleeping. I see you.
I hope this has helped you guys a little or at least inspired you to make a small change to your daily routine. Try doing a few items here (e.g. a glass of lemon water, sitting up straighter, 8+ cups of water) and record this on a habit tracker. The smallest changes often have the greatest effects!