6 Tips to Make the Most of Every Day
Time is one of the most valuable resources that we have as it is something that we can never get back but yet, we need time to accomplish everything that we want and have to do throughout the day.
Think about it. Each day we all wake up, go about the day working, use our free time for other activities and then go back to bed. It’s the 24 hours we all experience, but how you experience it and what you do will differ from person to person. It’s about how you use your own 24 hours to make the most of your day. It doesn’t mean that every waking second needs to be used for something, rather reflect on the time that you are awake and how you are going about your day, are you making the most of it? Is it getting you toward your goals? Is it on path with your health?
I’m going to take a moment and share some tips that I’ve built into my days that have allowed me to make the most of my days. Remember to always go about finding what works best for you based on where you are in life and who you are surrounded by.
1. Morning Routines
A good part of my morning routine involves movement in the morning. More specifically, a run in the morning, which I look forward to as well! Why? Because when I’m home, I run on a treadmill and it allows me to slowly wake up, get my body moving and it’s an opportunity to watch some Netflix. It’s also usually the only time that I do end up watching a show or a movie, because, by the end of the day when I would sit down on the couch, I tend to fall right asleep.
If I do happen to be running outside (usually while traveling), I like to call these my sightseeing runs. These are always in new locations and it’s more about getting my body moving and seeing the things that are there to see before tourists or locals start their day. There’s something calming about seeing areas of the world empty that would otherwise be filled with crowds.
Although a big chunk of my morning routine involves movement, some other things that are part of my morning routine that have improved my mental health enormously are both journaling and reading for 15 minutes in the morning. I do one or the other in the morning and the stillness in the morning allows me to either get my thoughts out on paper or dive into a book a little bit rather than jumping right into emails.
Finding a morning routine that makes you excited for the day is a great place to begin as it sets the tone for the rest of the day as well.
2. Human Interaction Outside of Home
The pandemic really opened our eyes to what is valuable and what we need to make the most of the day. One of which was realizing how much we need human interaction from a mix of people.
Working from home can actually bring challenges from time to time because you need to be your own motivation to accomplish the tasks that you have set out to do. However, since we’re all human and we do need human interaction, I make sure to do something to get that daily.
I have made it part of my routine to go back to the gym and work out with an old personal trainer of mine. It’s the first thing that I do 3x a week and it gets my day going with conversations that I need. On the days that I don’t go to the gym, I make it a habit to go to busier coffee shops to work as although I may not be talking to people but seeing the constant change of individuals coming and going or the “usuals” in the corners working, it still checks off the box of human interaction for me. It’s comforting to be out of the home and amongst other individuals.
3. Positive People
If there is anything that I can recommend is to surround yourself with positive people. We all have our bad days from time to time, but when you get caught up with people that are constantly dragging you down and only know how to be “negative Nancy” it’s time to shift our interactions.
Just recently I had a very negative encounter with a friend to the point where anytime you tried to say something positive, she’d refrain it to be negative. Unfortunately, we can’t go around helping everyone out and sharing our own positivity, so I quickly changed that situation around. I went ahead and surrounded myself with someone much more positive. Someone that made me smile and laugh where we could bounce that positivity from one another. Just a little bit later, my cup was filled more than I could have ever imagined.
It just takes one positive person to make an impact on your entire day. Whether that be a smile from a person on your way to work or even getting a compliment, etc., it’s just as important to reciprocate that. Take a moment and smile at a stranger, compliment the barista, or simply say thank you to the person that holds open the door for you. You don’t know what they are going through and we all deserve to receive and give some positivity.
4. Adequate Sleep
One thing that I cannot emphasize enough in the past few years is getting adequate sleep. Finding the right amount of sleep that my body needs can be life-changing! When you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go is unreal! It can be a drag to wake up and immediately think, “when can I go back to sleep”. Although we may need to be up early to get to certain places, we have the opportunity to focus on when we get to bed to be able to accommodate to the hours that we need.
There are many different sleep habits that can influence your day, and building a routine around your sleep can help to make the most of your day when you’re awake.
5. Fueling Foods
Food is fuel, but the right food for my own body can be golden! This is something that has become more and more eye-opening especially since I have food allergies and food intolerances. Knowing what foods make me feel my best and keep me going throughout the day has been a big difference to make the most of my days. Using the Ate app helps me see exactly that! What I ate, when I ate it, how it made me feel (because sometimes there are still foods that do upset my stomach), and my overnight fasting.
It’s important to keep in mind that the foods that keep me going through the day will differ for the next person. But, once you are able to find the foods that allow you to reach your health goals and also fit into your lifestyle the best, it can be a game changer!
6. Daily Movement
Although I prefer to work out and move my body the most in the morning and even make it part of my morning routine I still need a little additional movement throughout the day. After many hours of sitting at a laptop all day, I get myself outside into the fresh air to walk a little. It’s the simplest form of movement yet so beneficial. It’s easy, simple, and can be done just about anywhere.
Finding the right movement whether that be doing yoga, a spin class, or barre, find what makes you feel good and happy once you’re done! It’s ok to change it up as well, the main thing is that you’re getting up and moving!
These are just a few tips that can add to your day and allow you to make the most of it. Reflect and understand your own habits and what’s adding to your own day. Is there something that you should switch out for something else? Maybe try adding something new?
Only you can be the one that knows what works best for you!
