Wouldn’t it be nice if every day was a good day? If everything went, our way and the sun was shining, and the birds were singing? If the kids were well-behaved and grateful for everything that you do for them, and you didn’t run across any problems at all? Well, as nice as it sounds it’s probably not going to happen like this. As unfortunately, not every day can be totally good. But there’s probably some good in every day if we take the time to find it. Read on to find out how.
Mindfulness
One of the best ways to get the best out of every day is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a very popular concept at the moment in the mental health and wellness area. But in case you haven’t heard of it; is it about directing your attention to something in particular, like your breath, and just letting your thoughts come and go as they please. Without interacting with them or judging them.
While it sounds easy, it actually can take quite a bit of getting used to, because we are so fused with the idea that the voice that is our thoughts in our mind is us. But mindfulness suggests that we take a step back from that and see the brain like any other organ. For example, just as the heart pumps blood around our system without us having to ask it to, the brain creates thoughts without us having to ask it to.
That means that thoughts are not necessarily a true reflection of what we should do, but just content that the brain is creating. Doing this allows people to gain some distance from their thoughts and give them the chance to choose how they act. So they can break negative cycles such as gossiping, negative self-talk, or being self-deprecating.
In this way being mindfulness allows us to get the best out of every day, because our experience depends less and less on what we have no control over (our thought and feelings). But more on what we do have control over, which is how we choose to act in this moment.
Sleep
Obviously, something else that can really help you get the best out of every day in your life is having good sleep hygiene. That means that you get the right amount of sleep regularly, that you have a consistent bedtime routine, and you sleep in a room and bed that is conducive to relaxing.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But of course, getting all of these factors spot on can take a bit of work in the beginning.
For example, setting yourself a regular bedtime isn’t always easy when Netflix automatically puts on the next episode of your favourite show. Or if you have had a busy day and you just want a bit more extra time to yourself before you have to start it all over again. But it does help to be disciplined with yourself, as sleep is very important.
It is also important that you have a comfortable mattress to be able to sleep well. You might not be aware of it, but there are different mattress types that are best suited to different ways of sleeping. You can try finding out at Mattress-Guides.net, the type of mattress that will be better for the way that you sleep. For example, if you keep on you back you can usually rock a nice soft mattress. But if you sleep on your side it’s quite different.
Remember without the right amount of good quality sleep, it’s easy to just grind your way through the day. Not stopping to appreciate the good or making the best of what is happening.
Goal setting
Something else that can help you to get the best from every day is goal setting. Setting goals can be really useful as it helps you to make progress on the things that are important to you. As well as giving you that sense of achievement when you have completed things.
There is a different way of setting goals, bet the best one. That is the one that will help you achieve what you want to do is what is known as SMART goals.
The S in SMART stands for specific. So set aims like being able to run 5K, rather than get fitter are what you are looking for. The M stands for measurable. This means you now how you will keep track of your progress every day and you will know when you have your current goal. So you may do a 10-week training program and note down every time you go out to run. Then you may set you goal as achieved the first time you run 5K, or when you come in a 5K race. It’s up to you.
The A stand for achievable, which is very important in goal setting. Setting unachievable aims is just a waste of time. This is because not only will you not get them done, but you will also demotivate yourself in the process. Making it much more unlikely that you will push yourself towards any aim at all, not just that particular one.
If you have a big goal, you are working on, it can help to break into down into achievable chunks and do them one at a time. Which you can learn more about by visiting http://accelerateme.net.
The R in SMART stands for relevant. This is also vital because if you aren’t motivated to achieve the goal because it something that is relevant to your life it will be harder to do. For example, if you set the goal so running 5K but you don’t actually care about that, and much prefer dancing instead, then you aren’t putting yourself in the best position to be successful.
The T is for timed. There is nothing like a deadline to get you motivated in this life and actually achieving things. It also means that after a certain amount of time you can review your progress and see whether you need to change your approach to any of your aims.
Of course, if your entire day is only about chasing down goals, then it can become a bit joyless. Which really isn’t consistent with the idea of making the best out of the everyday day. So it’s important that you have a balanced approach to this and set some fun goals as well as the thing that are mentally and physically challenging. As well as some time off completely for goal-related activities.
Gratitude
Something else that can be a useful trick to getting the best of our every day is being grateful.
This can be both particularly hard and partially beneficial on days that have been especially challenging. This is because it’s easy to get into all or nothing thinking. Which tell us a day is either good or bad. But in reality, most days are a combination of the two; at different points.
For example, you may have had a terrible row with a loved one that leaves you feeling drained and despondent. But that doesn’t mean that the entire house clean that you did earlier, or the lunch out with friends was a negative experience.
In this way, being grateful is partly about not letting the negative overshadow the positive in your life, and partly about being able to see the good things even when you aren’t feeling so great.
A lot of people use gratitude diary to record this, on paper or on their phones. As even listing three positive things that happened in your day can help shift your perspective from doom and gloom to a more balanced attitude. Which of course can really help you appreciate the best in every day.
Go outside
How much time you do actually spend out of doors? If you work in an office or spend a lot of time in the car, then it may be not that much. But a trip out of doors is something that can help you get the most from each day.
This is because going outside provides you with a lot of fresh oxygenated air, which can make your mind clearer and make you feel better. It also exposes you to natural sunlight which is essential for the body to create D vitamins which can also have a positive effect on our mood.
That means too much time indoors can leave us feeling groggy and down. Which is no way to have a great day!
You time
Lastly, something else that can help you get the best from every day is to set aside some time that is just for you.
Now, when you have a big family, or a busy job this can be easier said than done. But it is important to do.
As it can help you recharge your batteries, as well as process your thoughts and feelings. Which can stop you being reactive and getting into heated, stressful situations that are unnecessary.
It’s also just good sense to have some time alone each day as the pressures of being mum, wife, daughter, or employee are lifted for a bit. So we can experience a clarity and freedom that isn’t always easy to achieve, allowing us to both put our best into and get the best out of each and every day we have on this earth!
XOXO
Debbie
