In the Morning
Start your day the right way with these great habits that will promote health and less stress.
*. Wake early. Give yourself time to shake the sleep from your head as well as provide a little extra time to do the things that are important. Read the news, email friends, or take care of other personal business without feeling rushed or guilty.
.* Don’t snooze. Snoozing guarantees that you will not be getting quality sleep during those last few minutes or hours of the morning. Make a change for a better start to your morning and skip the snooze.
* Get a pleasant alarm. Instead of waking up startled, try an alarm that wakes you up gently such as the Zen alarm clock and start your morning off peacefully.
*. Just sleep enough. Whether you need six hours or nine, find out how much sleep you really need and stick with it.
* Eat breakfast. Not only will morning fuel from breakfast get your body going, you will eat less at lunch too.
* Slow down. Give yourself time to do what has to be done in the morning rather than frantically rushing around to get everything done in time to leave the house.
In the Evening
Evening routines set the stage for a calm before bed and eliminate some of the stress of a hurried morning. Use these suggestions for less stress in your life.
* Go to bed at the same time. A consistent bedtime schedule will ensure you get necessary sleep and you will wake up feeling rested, refreshed, and ready for your day.
* Lay out clothes. Make sure everything is ironed and ready to go for the next morning so you aren’t rushing around or trying to select something to wear while half asleep.
* Pack lunches. Prepare lunches for yourself and anyone else in the family the night before using a lunch-packing system like the Japanese bento box or Laptop Lunches.
*Straighten up. Clean up the clutter that gets left behind each day to avoid having a bigger mess to clean later down the road.
*Wash dishes. Take care of this task in the evening so you will have a kitchen clean ready for breakfast the next morning.
* Shower. Not only will a shower save you time in the morning, but washing off the dirt, pollen, and toxins from the day leaves you cleaner, and you may even get a better night’s sleep.
* Shower. Not only will a shower save you time in the morning, but washing off the dirt, pollen, and toxins from the day leaves you cleaner, and you may even get a better night’s sleep.
* Relax. Take some time to do something you enjoy such as read a magazine, watch a little TV, or talk with a friend on the phone.
* Get a good night’s rest. Just before bed, it’s best to avoid caffeine and alcohol, leave your worries behind you, and sip some chamomile tea to ensure you get a great night’s sleep.
* Be ready to go. Put bags, keys, backpacks, and whatever else you need to take with you in the morning in the same place each evening so you will not spend wasted time and stress looking for them in the morning.
