Have you ever had a day that started well, and then something happens that completely throws you off?

Last week I wrote about the power of morning rituals. But sometimes, despite our best intentions, the day still goes awry.

Without strategies to deal with unexpected events, when something stressful happens, our whole day can get caught in a downward spiral, our stress levels go through the roof and we’re not much fun to be around…

Maybe your boss delivers bad news, or your partner is acting strangely. It could be a badly timed fire alarm at work, or interacting with a negative person.

Imagine knowing even when things go completely belly up, you have the skills to re-centre, regain your composure and feel better, even if not great (depending on what it was that derailed you).

Here are 3 of the fastest and simplest ways I know of to get your equilibrium back when something has thrown you off. If they seem obvious, ask yourself, ‘do I do them?’

Three Ways To Feel Better Fast

Move – get outside and go for a walk around the block or run up and down some stairs. If you have some privacy you can put on a song you love and dance for a few minutes. Do some sun salutes or jumping jacks. Move that energy through.

Breath – it’s so simple it’s easy to overlook but simply taking 10 slow, deep breaths can make a big difference. Another favourite is Lion’s Breath. Repeat 3 – 5 times for super stress relief!

Shift your focus – find a positive thought, even if it’s as small as a daisy in the grass and focus on it. A great trick is to do a quick gratitude list (at least 5 things and be as specific as you can), or think of three things you appreciate about yourself (again, the more detailed the better). Hold positive thought for a good 20 seconds to half minute. It’s literally impossible for your brain to go back into the exact same state as it was in before. This is a trick that you can sprinkle throughout your day, and you might be surprised how much impact it has. Try it once a day before bed, for a week, and let me know what you notice!

Warmly,

Ruth

Do you ever feel like something going wrong at the start of the day meant the whole day went downhill from there?

When we don’t have a solid routine we leave it to chance what direction the day will go in, especially when things get hectic (hello, holiday season). Maybe we hit snooze a few more times than we meant to and end up rushing out the door without breakfast. Possibly the thing that makes our morning tolerable is a large coffee when we get in to work. Potentially, our mornings are wildly various – and could be brilliant or terrible based on the first two or three things that happen to us.

Imagine waking up each morning feeling calm and rested and knowing you had more than enough time to get ready. Picture yourself feeling happy you have already got in some exercise and a healthy breakfast before most people are even out of bed. Imagine knowing that while every day isn’t perfect, you haven’t had a total train-wreck start for many years and have almost forgotten that feeling…

So morning routines are a big deal in terms of the impact they have on our lives. They're powerful. And most of us have one, whether we deliberately chose it or not.

But isn’t it really hard work, getting up and doing morning routine stuff? I hear you cry.

Well, yes and no. Like anything in life you can do it the hard way or the easy way. When I work with clients, the first thing to ascertain is what gives you satisfaction… or, are you a quick band aid person or a slow band aid person?

If you’re a quick band aid person you’ll get kick out of setting your alarm early and throwing yourself in the deep end with as much as you have time for. For you, marking your progress on a tracker will float your boat and you’ll feel proud of your achievements in a short amount of time.

If you’re more of a slow band aid person, you’ll prefer to start with small steps. You might begin with doing a 10 min meditation each morning in bed, and then gradually add on. You

What you actually decide to do for your rituals is where the fun and personality come in. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, something physical will support and balance you. If you’re exhausted, practices that build energy will help you face the day with more in the tank, and if you struggle with focus and mood then there some wonderfully simple ways you can develop mindfulness and cultivate more positivity and joy.

When you get it right, you’ll look forward to it because it will leave you feeling so amazing!

Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing a few ideas for starting the day off to be fabulous, and also what do when, despite your best efforts, the morning does go to sh*t.

If you're interested in working with me to develop your own ideal morning routine, yoga practice, meditation practice or life balance, drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you.

Warmly

Ruth