Anytime I'm feeling bogged down, stressed, or just down right out by anything from work to personal problems to just "I forgot to do my laundry again and now I'm out of clean underwear" (sorry, mom), I try to find ways to reboot, start fresh, and not let the little things get me down.
1. Clean out your closet (and do that laundry!) - I have to admit, a decent amount of stress for me comes from my closet and not having it organized. I usually try to go through it once every season and purge what I no longer wear and re-organize it all. It always makes me feel so much better to not look at a hot mess of clothes when I open up my closet in the morning.
2. Clean up your diet - This is a hard one for me. I'm definitely not one to say "no" to any kind of food I want. I try to only eat when I'm hungry, but I usually eat what I want. I am definitely guilty of over doing it on the diet sodas and Starbucks drinks, so one way I start over in that area is to drink a glass of water before bed and first thing in the morning, choose unsweet tea over a diet drink when I'm out to eat, or order that burger - but get a vegetable in place of the fries. #babysteps
3. Go for a walk - Elle Woods said it best, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." Aside from the not shooting their husbands thing, Elle has a point. When I'm feeling particularly crabby, I love to go for a walk. I would love to say I workout every day and get in those 10,000 steps a day, but I don't. Sometimes all I can manage is a walk around my neighborhood or at a near by park - and it always makes me feel better!
4. Go to bed early and wake up early - I don't know about you, but when I don't get enough sleep, I am not the most pleasant person to be around. An easy fix for me is to get enough sleep and wake up in enough time for breakfast and coffee.
5. Set up a savings plan - Getting your finances in order is so important not only for your own health, but your life in general! If you don't already have a savings account set up, drive to the bank now! Maybe you're not at a point in life where you think you can save "enough" to matter, but it does matter. It doesn't matter how small you start, it's that you start! Want to stop living pay check to pay check or go on that trip you've been dreaming about? Go get yourself a brand new piggy bank!
6. Praying/Journaling - Journaling is something I've found to make me really happy. I journal everyday and love every minute of it. I journal my thoughts, prayers, aspirations, feelings, you name it - I've probably written it down before. Sometimes it's good to see on paper what you're thinking to put things in the proper perspective.
7. Take a relaxing weekend trip - If you're able, take a weekend and focus on you. Call up an old friend to visit or book a night at a B&B. Maybe you can't afford a weekend getaway at the moment - try a day at the spa at home or read that book you've been putting off. Which leads me to #8...
8. Read a book - That book you've been putting on the back burner...read it! Take a day and just sit and read. Turn off your tv, computer, and phone and take a break.
9. Organize something small - A lot of New Year Resolutions are to be more or get organized..then it's overwhelming and you're back again the next year with the same resolution that may or may not ever be fulfilled. One way to start is to start small. Pick a bookshelf, a room, a closet, and start there. Maybe you want your entire house to be organized but there's a particular place that just bugs you? Start there! Instead of trying for the entire house or apartment in one weekend, doing a little at a time will be a lot less overwhelming and you will probably be able to make better decisions on what to keep and throw out.
10. Take a break from social media - Boy, I can't stress this enough. So much of my time and energy is focused toward what's going on, who said what, or the latest news story that day. Sometimes it's good to (temporarily) delete the apps and not look at it.
What are some ways you like to start fresh?
Stay sunny,
Katie
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