Most of us have adapted to a new norm as this pandemic continues to drag on. If you’re a glass half full person, then you see the light at the end of the tunnel and are grateful as things start to feel normal again. Even if you are both of these things, odds are that our year of quarantine, schedule shifts, work from home, work-out from home and mask wearing have impacted us all in a way that can leave us feeling a little hollow even during our greatest days.
It’s on these days that we have to be intentional with the time we have and give ourselves the best shot at a successful day.
Below are some very basic tips you can employ when your days are starting to pull out of your control and the “hollow” is settling in.
1. Plan for the day ahead
Before going to bed, make a quick list, maybe only 3 items of things you KNOW you want to get done the next day. Sometimes just writing these down feels like a small win as you organize your thoughts.
Have an early morning? Set out your clothes for the next day. Relieve your early morning brain from having to make an extra decision by doing this step the evening before. Do you work from home? Even still… pick an outfit you feel comfortable and confident in to wear the next morning.
If you have a timer on your coffee maker, use it! Otherwise, prepare your coffee maker so that it can be brewed first thing when you’re up. A cup of tea/coffee that is made quickly always feels like a reward!
2. EXERCISE- this looks different for different people but FIND a way to move your body!
If you work in an office, use that lunch hour for a quick walk. Skip the elevator and take the steps. Take a 15 minute stretch break! Sitting at that desk for hours is no fun for your joints.
If you work from home this is sometimes more challenging because you may find it hard to set a definite “end of workday” time. It is best to be deliberate with break times and lunch times and put that time to good use! Maybe a quick 15 minute break is a good time to tackle one of your list items you made from the night before. Your lunch hour? You can spend half of that doing a fitness video from home at TotalbodyKnockOut.com! We got you!
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Take a walk and STRETCH
3. Try something NEW!
If your days have begun to all feel the same and you cannot break the cycle of monotony, TRY SOMETHING NEW. In fitness this can be as simple as logging into TotalBodyKnockOut.com and picking a workout from one of the 8 video catalogs of workouts. For $13.99 a month you have over 200 workouts to choose from and CKB Fitness is always just an email away from chatting with you about what would be a good fit for you! Sometimes inserting a new routine into your day can be exactly what you need to feel successful! Join us for a limited time for one month FREE by becoming a VIP Member.
4. Fill any empty space with something that feels uplifting
Sometimes we are not able to get to our list of items we wanted to tackle that day because when the day is winding down we may feel drawn to something else. Tending to your plants, cleaning out a junk drawer, coloring with your little ones! There are any number of random "non-priority but self-rewarding" tasks that you should ALWAYS feel free to allow yourself time for. Yes, sometimes folding the laundry gets neglected because dusting the leaves and watering your plant friends feels more appealing and that is a decision made in the moment because it feels uplifting...because you WANT to do it. Giving the "want" a space to breath is also key to having a successful day. THAT is also a win. We do not have to be slaves to our lists, but we can help ourselves throughout the day simply by giving a little bit of forward thought.
Even with our best intentions and after employing all of these tips to give ourselves the happiest and most successful day, we still may fall short and feel impacted by the heaviness of our world having been rocked by circumstance. It’s in these moments that we need to remember the biggest tip of all.
5. GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE.
Take care of yourself so that you can in turn take care of others and as the sun goes down, remind yourself that it DOES come up again in the morning. Life is a gift and we only have one!
Share your simple tips with us! We are all looking to grow by keeping the mindset of a student through this beautiful and challenging life!
In fitness, health, strength & love-
CKB
Love. 💙