As February draws on, it is a hard time of the year to feel positive. Quite a few people recently have told me that this is the month that they feel down, poorly and well, just a bit bleugh! As the daffodils are now blooming and the days are getting lighter I say, don’t feel the February blues, spring is around the corner! Here are a few things I do daily, to help me feel more positive.
Start the day well
I start every day with hot water with a slice of lemon in. There are so many health benefits for this such as lemons are filled with vitamin C to help ward off colds, it flushes out toxins, aids digestion, and benefits the skin, eyes and liver. The brain and body needs at least half a litre first thing but we all tend to reach for the coffee. I quit all caffeine four years ago and have never looked back. Make sure you drink your lemon water in a pretty vintage tea cup as that’s good for the soul too!
Make your bed
Sounds so silly, but make your bed when you get up. Plump up the pillows, shake out the duvet and lay our your cushions perfectly! When you are tired at the end of the day, you will truly appreciate falling into a lovely bed I assure you! This is the kind of thing our grandmas would have done but somehow we seem to have forgotten this simple routine.
Get moving
Stretch! I am not a great exerciser, I don’t really run or go to the gym but I do some yoga stretches and also my weights most days. Just enough to wake my muscles up and to keep me moving. On a good day we will walk to school too, or ride my Pashley but this all depends on how late we are (wearing my vintage trainers of course!)
Listen to music
I cannot go through a day without music as not only does it make me happy, but it also relaxes me and energises me at the same time. I turn it on first thing and listen throughout the day. I share a tune every day on social media, something I only started this year but even this makes me happy.
Make a plan
When I get back from taking the children to school, I sit down with my porridge and plan my day. Yes there’s a To Do list for work and the house, but I also take the time to think about what I want to achieve today that will make a difference, over and above the day to day list. So it may be about reflecting about what went wrong yesterday and how to change that, what I would do differently next time, how I could create revenue through a new project…or even how I could jazz up a tired cushion sitting on the sofa over there. Sometimes it is about my work or sometimes about the family. This time really helps me to focus on the bigger picture which isn’t always easy when you are on the treadmill.
Wear something you love
It is so easy to drag on your old jeans and sweatshirt, and when I do, I always feel less productive throughout the day. So everyday I try to wear at least one vintage item that makes me smile. It may be as small as a bangle or a whole outfit, but either way it’s great to make an effort. I feel it also gives out an air of confidence and sets a great example for your children (wearing pjs on the school run is a huge no no in my book!)
What do you do to kickstart your day?
Kate x
