As mentioned in my New Year’s post, self-care is a top priority in my life this year, so, each month, we’ll be taking a look at ways to stay on top of taking care of yourself, & the great tips I find along the way.

How we start & end each day is extremely important to our overall well-being. Many of the things we know we should be doing often seem easier said than done, yet, if we intentionally MAKE the time to do them, we’ll find that we truly will feel much better & as a result, begin to be able to accomplish much more with the time we have each day.

Start & end each day right:

1. Get enough sleep- duh, right? I’m not going to tell you you NEED 8 hours, honestly we are all different, & I’ve read studies that showed 4 hours should be enough. I’m NOT one of those people, but you know how much sleep your body needs to function, make sure you’re getting it!
2. Skip the snooze- it’s just counter-productive to start your day with multiple alarms & hitting the snooze every day- it actually leaves you feeling more tired than if you just got up with the first alarm- then racing to get ready & beat the time clock. It’s not a positive start to the day at all. Know what time you want to get up, & set yourself ONE alarm for that time. If you really need help making yourself get up the first time, try this alarm clock that makes you get up to turn it off.
3. Start & end each day by spending time with God- the best way to start & end your days is on a positive note, & what could be more positive than spending time with your Creator? He desires time with you, & when you make Him a priority first thing every morning & last thing before you lie down, all the other things tend to start falling into place a little better 😉 Check out these devotional books for those quiet times each day:

4. Do some gentle stretching when you wake up & before you go to bed- it will help you wake your body up & prepare it for a good night’s sleep. I love doing these simple 5-10 minute routines.

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5. Eat Breakfast- eating breakfast will help you to have more energy & also help you not to stop at the vending machine before lunch, or overeat at lunch. Skipping breakfast will increase your likelihood of clogged arteries, & is also linked to other bad habits that lead to obesity, high cholesterol, & hypertension- which increases risk for more serious health problems. If you’re on a tight schedule as it is, you can meal prep overnight oats ahead of time & keep some berries, fruit, almonds, or any topping you choose handy. Just fully cover 1 cup of regular oats with your favorite milk in a glass bowl or mug, cover & refrigerate overnight or even prep yourself enough to have a weeks worth of breakfast ready to go. Not really wild about oats? You’re sure to find plenty of options in this breakfast cookbook designed for people with busy mornings.

6. Stay hydrated- start your day with water, not coffee. We often wake up slightly dehydrated, which means starting the day off not feeling so great. Put a water bottle like this one bedside before you lay down, to help you start the day drinking water & encourage you to stay hydrated throughout the day. You’ll be amazed the difference you notice in how you feel when you’re making sure your body is getting enough water!

7. Set aside time each night to decompress- have some screen free time! Set the phone aside, turn off ALL the electronics, & spend some quiet time alone, even if it’s just 5-10 minutes before or after those bedtime stretches. Use this time for your evening devotional book, spend time in the Word or just worshiping & praising God. After that, take a minute to journal- write down 5 good things from the day- something good that happened or things you are grateful for. Or maybe use some of this time to journal about your goals, & make a short list of what you will accomplish the next day to work towards one or more of those goals. Here’s a few journals to help with these ideas:

-Keeping First Things First & Finding the Blessings, Gerri

Cover Photo Cred: @annoespratt on @unsplash 

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