How to Have a Better Day: Simple Strategies for a More Positive Outlook

So many people get out of the shower each morning, walk by the mirror and are disturbed by what they see looking back at them.

"When the hell did I start looking like this?!?" they say to themselves.

They get dressed and button their pants and feel the snugness around their waist, and with a feeling of defeat, retreat into the kitchen to make breakfast and start their day.

Already in a place of shame and guilt (for not looking and feeling better) they opt for the bagel with cream cheese, a cup of coffee and off to work they go.

The day goes on, and its lunch time.

Turns out someone at work bought lunch so looks like you're having pizza...again. Easy choice though, because you are still reeling (even on the smallest level) from that brief feeling you had in the morning when you saw yourself in the mirror. That feeling of failure, disgust and shame.

You tell yourself just a piece or two...but you already know how that goes.

Food coma after lunch and you might as well be done for the day.

But its still a few more hours before you can close up the computer and retreat back home. 

Finally, you're home to see your family and comfort yourself with dinner and cocktail after a long day. After all, you are exhausted (who wouldn't be after eating like this?)

A little dessert to cap the night off and up to bed you go at 9:15pm

You lay in bed for a couple hours scrolling through your phone comparing yourself to everybody's "dream body" and "dream life" before you actually fall asleep sad, frustrated and now in a wired but tired trance.
 
Rinse and repeat the next day.

It's a wild ride that you are on. 

I know you want to look and feel your best, or at least better than you do right now.

So many are so overwhelmed with where to start that they...well, don't ever start.

They are caught in this cycle of shame, guilt and self-loathing that nothing ever gets done.

Today I want to outline a handful of simple tasks, that if you can work into your day as a framework, you will see everything regarding your health, energy, mindset and bodyfat get better in every way. 

Before jumping in, I want to be sympathetic that many reading this have very different days and the order and time in which you do these things may vary significantly. I wont pretend everyone has the same luxuries of time, resources to make these things work exactly as outlined. Your job will be to figure out how to fit these into your day. I promise you though, they work.

Also, I wont go into the research and data here on why these things are useful. I will instead tag links you can check out for yourself.

Second, I am going to keep what to eat, how much to eat and how to eat it off this. You can check out how to calculate how much protein, carbs and fat you should be having each day HERE

Lastly, I personally can vouch for all of these things. I do them all in some form or fashion in my day, in fact, my day often times revolves around doing them. Not the other way around. I teach my clients how to actually implement these things, or a variation of these things, into their life. Again, we are all different. 

The key here is that you must be willing to do it, and make it work. A good idea is only as good as its execution.

Lets start at the beginning of your day.

4 things you can do tomorrow that will improve your morning. 
6am-8am

1. 16 ounces of spring water within 20 minutes of waking up. Water before coffee.
2. Open the blinds and find the sunlight (if possible)
3. Cold shower.
4. Breakfast. 

Example: 
Wake Up: 6am
Sunlight: 6:16am
Shower: 6:30am
Breakfast: 7am
Work: 8am

At 8am, your off to work or upstairs for your first meeting. 

But before you go, be sure to bring your water bottle with you. Aim to drink half your bodyweight in ounces throughout the day. Keep it near by. Aim for spring water. 

4 ways to improve your afternoon.
11am-5pm

1. Get up and move. If you've been sitting around all morning, now is the time to get up and move. Its noon, how many steps do you have? if you can give yourself an hour to move around or break away, great! if not, even 5-10 minutes will help you recalibrate and get ready for the afternoon.
2. Check in with water intake. Its halftime of the day. Have you drank much water?
3. Assess the morning and Re-Assess the afternoon. Make notes for what didn't get done and needs to move around for the afternoon, if anything. 
4. Breathwork. Take 5 minutes and get some focused breathing in. Maybe its been a stressful morning. Breathwork is another way to recalibrate the nervous system and get back to neutral or supercharge your afternoon. You can check out a quick breathing exercise HERE

Example:
8am-11am: Work, housework, errands 
12pm: lunch
12:30pm: Walk, movement, breathwork
1:15pm: Notes on morning and afternoon
1:15-5pm: Work

Next you have the "second half" of the day.

4 Ways to Improve the Evening

1. Workout. This may be ideal time to workout. You've had some food, and its the perfect way to pillar a work day before coming home. You can get access to some good workouts in my Facebook group. You will just have to scroll around for them a the bottom of the feed. You can join that for free HERE
2. Boundaries around technology. I'm not saying don't watch TV or scroll on your phone, but if you are wanting to build some better habits then you must know where you are leaking time and energy. At a certain point these things may have diminishing returns. 
3. Gratitude. Take some time in the evening to reflect on your day as a whole. List 3 things you are grateful for and why. Take some time to also journal on this question; " Will the way I showed up today give me the life and health that I dream of?" it is a pretty simple yes or no. Your body knows if you're lying to yourself.
4. Warm. Taking a warm shower is a great way to relax for the night. There is good info on both a cold and warm shower/bath but I personally prefer warm/hot as it helps calm rather than stimulate.

Example:
5:30pm: Workout
7:00pm: Dinner
8:00pm: Journal
8:15pm-9:45pm: TV, Read, Family time
10:00pm: Shower/Bath, Tech put away.

Again, this is by no means a one size fits all approach. Don't get hung up on the times and specifics. You likely know what you could be doing different. My hope here is to shine a light on how you are spending your time and highlight some ways that you can get your time back and prioritize it better based on what you say is important.

What you do and say are different things.

If you aren't seeing the results in your life, it is crucial you do something different.

I hope this was able to walk you through on how.

Until next week...