We all know that our lives have become busier, more demanding, faster paced, and to a certain degree, more exhausting. The expectations that we feel we must live up to – whether real or not – are often in direct competition with our desire for deeper meaning, connection, contentment, and enjoyment.
When you’re flying through our hours and days at breakneck speed just trying to keep up, it’s difficult to appreciate and be present to the things in life that are most important to you.
There are a handful of things that you can do to intentionally pull back from the constant buzz of responsibilities and to-do lists. Here are 7 simple things you can do tonight to reclaim your time and energy tomorrow.
Note that these are all things to do in advance – usually the day or night before – so that you can be more present to enjoy the simple and precious moments that can easily pass you by if you aren’t present enough to notice.
- Take a moment to check your schedule to see what tomorrow is going to bring. How many appointments do you have? How much energy will your day require? How much time has been set aside for your own well-being and care? Pre-pave the next day by imagining it from start to finish. Take a moment to envision what will make the day run more smoothly for you and feel into all the wonderful things that get to happen. Pay extra attention to where you can create moments of beauty, connection, and joy for yourself, and where you can make time for the things that fill you up and make your life feel like poetry. Anticipate it, then live into it with gusto.
- Be intentional about tidying up your space. It’s astonishing how much a tidy space, a clean slate if you will, can impact your present moment experience. If you’re looking at dishes from last night, or laundry from the past 4 days, or dirty counters from yesterday, it can seriously detract from the moment you get to enjoy now. Make your bed in the morning, wash dishes as you prep and cook, put laundry into its proper bin, beautify the dining table for next time, quickly wipe countertops and appliances after you’re finished in the kitchen or bath. A tidy space makes each moment more beautiful. It’s easier to relax into gratitude and even a sense of wonder when we can sink into the moment that we’re in and let it fill us.
- Plan for YOU time and follow through on it. Look at your day tomorrow and find time and space that’s just for you. Maybe it’s some extra sleep-in time that your body is craving, or a quick 5-minute dance break between Zoom meetings. A brisk morning walk with a neighbor or friend is a wonderful thing to do for yourself, or maybe a candlelit bath at the end of the day is more of what you’re yearning for. Whether it’s an online yoga class before dinner, an hour of reading before bed, a 2-hour binge of your favorite show, or 30-minutes of hot sex with your lover… get it penciled into your day and give yourself something to look forward to tomorrow. Make it something that you know will boost your happy hormones and watch how this makes your life feel delicious. Notice the energy boost you get as you anticipate the next yummy thing you’ve planned for yourself.
- Lay out your clothes for tomorrow. This includes your workout gear AND your work wear. Make it a no-brainer for you to get up, get dressed, and be ready for whatever activity you have planned for the day. It’s amazing how many excuses like to pop up last minute to tell you that you don’t really have to work out, or that getting dressed for the day isn’t that important… Remember, you always feel better when you follow through on what you say you’re going to do. So do the workout, then get dressed – even if no one is going to see you but you. Put on some mascara and lip gloss, and maybe even don some pretty jewelry or do something other than a messy bun with your hair. Do this for YOU and watch how much better you feel and how much easier your energy flows.
- Do some simple prep to nourish and fuel yourself well tomorrow. The night before, lay out your vitamins, figure out what you’re going to eat for breakfast, and set out any appliances, ingredients, or dishes you know you’re going to use ahead of time. This will save you time in the morning and make it far more likely that you’ll get a good meal into your belly first thing in the morning, especially if you’re usually crunched for time. The less you’re running around trying to figure out what to eat while trying to pull things together, the more time you’ll have for enjoying yourself for that first meal of the day. This little tweak reduces stress significantly, and it allows you to be more present for the life you’re living. This tip gets exponentially better when you plan out your lunch and dinner for the next day, too!
- Avoid getting on social media or tuning into the news at the end of the day. Aim to shut down all screens at least 30-minutes before you close your eyes. Even if you use social media for work, or you need to stay up to date on the news for a variety of very important reasons, give yourself some much needed space for YOU at the end of the day. The last thing you want to be doing is dialing into work mode when it’s time to unwind. And even if you’re just getting on social media for entertainment, or a sense of connection, try not doing so for a week and see how much better you feel. Consider reading a book, or journaling about what’s on your heart, or listening to an audio book, or sharing some intimate time with a loved one. Take a hot shower or bath, set your intentions for tomorrow, and tune into the things on this list. You’ll be amazed by how much it feels like you are reclaiming your time, energy, and life for you.
- Take a few moments to recognize the joy and beauty that’s in your life. Revisit the colors and scents and sounds and scenes that you took in. Recall the way your body felt after that 20-minute stretch routine, or that amazing orgasm you had, or the sound of your kiddo laughing. Take a moment to feel it all again. Over time this practice will condition you to notice and more deeply drop into the moments of positivity and beauty that are in your life. Sometimes these instances are fleeting. They might not even be the majority of what you experience in your day. So, take a moment at the end of your day to focus on and accept the good that was there. Notice how this simple practice can fill you up and orient you to look for and expect more of the same.
The amount of time and energy that we expend in any given day is incredible. But how much of that time and energy is going into really feeling and enjoying your life? Take a little time the day or night before to get yourself ready for an amazing day. The little bit of preparation you do in advance will pay incredible dividends to you tomorrow.
It will not only save you oodles time and energy, but it will dramatically increase how much you appreciate and savor your life.
Sometimes the days and weeks can feel long. But if you’re not present for them, the months and years can fly by, and you can feel like you’re missing all the good stuff. Make the little moments count.
It’s your life, after all. Savor and enjoy what you can, whenever you can, while you can.
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