The other day, I had the opportunity to do something that doesn’t happen very often… I had the opportunity to slow down.
It was a rare weekday when I didn’t have to be anywhere first thing in the morning. No alarm to set. No rushing from the bed directly into the shower where I normally try to mentally prepare for the day ahead by thinking through everything I have to do that day. No hurrying through the fast-paced 35 minute routine of doing my hair and make-up, getting dressed, making my lunch for the day, and getting my breakfast smoothie and coffee ready for the road. How do I even do that in 35 minutes? I have no clue!!
Nope. Instead, I got to slow. the F. down. I got to take my time, relaxing in bed for a bit before eventually getting up and about. I got to take a longer shower and actually enjoy the hot water. I got to shave my legs! Instead of damaging my hair by blow drying it for a longer amount of time, because I normally do it right after I hop out of the shower and its soaking wet, I let it air dry for a bit as I made and ate a real breakfast of eggs, potatoes and toast. And juice! No scarfing down my smoothie while fighting morning traffic! I got to enjoy my coffee while watching a bit of my DVR’d shows that have been piling up in my queue because I just haven’t had the time to get to them. And then I got to go back upstairs and jam out to Pandora while I took my sweet-ass time getting ready.
I didn’t realize how much of a toll my fast-paced morning routine takes on me, and how much I miss out on by rushing through my mornings like I do.
Rather than showing up to work at 7:30 and still feeling half asleep but trying my best to be fully prepared for my 8 AM appointment, I got to show up to the office feeling refreshed, relaxed, calm, and completely present. I didn’t realize how much more relaxed my days could be until I didn’t have to be ready and out the door in about an hour. Or how much better prepared I felt for my clients… Until I was able to slow down and take my time.
It definitely made me think more about how I set myself up for failure or success just by the way I start my day. By taking my time, I was able to actually enjoy the things that I need to do in order to get ready… instead of being just a boost of caffeine and energy, I got to taste my coffee (and it tasted so good! ). I can still remember the feeling of calm and peace as I drove to the office, listening to my audiobook, completely mindful, present and in the moment, and prepared for the day ahead of me.
While the things I had to do that day weren’t much different from an ordinary day, it was the way I got to do them that made all the difference. My whole outlook on the day had been changed from a scatterbrained, “okay, I need to X, then Y, and maybe I’ll get to Z, but not before I get to A , B and C because I totally forgot about those!” to a more confident feeling that I could handle whatever I needed to do without feeling overwhelmed and anxious, constantly picturing my to do list hanging over my head.
How we approach and how we begin our days matter, and it impacts our ability to handle stress and how we move through the rest of our day – from the easier tasks to the bigger ones on our to-do lists.
For me, it took that one day where I didn’t have to go-go-go to realize this. And while I may not have completely changed my morning routine since that day (because honestly, I can’t do this everyday, as much as I wish I could), I have decided to give myself just a few more minutes in the morning. Yes, I may be losing glorious, sweet, sweet sleep, and trust me, that part isn’t so easy to do. I still cringe when I set my alarm the night before. But the upside is that I am giving myself a little extra time to feel a little less rushed. I’m trying to set the tone for my day to where I am more in control, which not only helps me, but it also helps my clients, because I am able to do better work for them when I take better care of me.
I’d love to hear how you try to set yourself up for success.
What do you do at the start of your day that helps decrease that feeling of being rushed, anxious and on edge, and instead increases your feelings of being calm, confident and in control? If you’re thinking it through and finding that you can’t come up with an answer, then I’d encourage you to do this: think about what you could do to help you closer to that.
Just one thing.
Maybe its doing what I did, and you decide to wake up 5 to 10 minutes earlier to give yourself a little more cushion. Maybe it’s fixing lunches or laying out your clothes the night before, or setting up the coffee maker so that the only thing you need to do in the morning is press start. It could be taking your dog for a short walk or doing a small workout before you leave for work. Adding a 15 minute meditation, guided or unguided, to the start of your day could completely change your frame of mind and help you deal with the daily grind a little easier.
There’s a lot of different ways to create more positivity and less stress in your day… all you have to do is pick one. You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference it can make.