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In this day of chaos, inconsistency, and unknown futures, it is so easy to get overwhelmed. When we don’t feel in control of our day-to-day lives, it can make dealing with a global pandemic, or any other major life change (moving, marriage, pregnancy, divorce, job changes, etc) feel astronomically more difficult to navigate. If you’re feeling this way, I encourage you to reach out to a friend, confidant, or counselor to express your feelings of overwhelm.

Never underestimate the power of tiny resets throughout your day. Here are some of my best tips to feeling like you are conquering life, not the other way around:

1. Reset Your Kitchen Before Bed (2-5 min)

Do NOT let this task take more than 5 minutes. That’s the trick to the reset. Don’t anticipate it taking 30 minutes to clean your kitchen from top to bottom. Set a timer if you have to. But when the timer goes off, be okay with the status. Know that you did the best you could with the time you allowed for this task, move on to your bedtime routine.

Your future, tomorrow morning self will thank you for doing this!

Things you can easily get done in 2-5 minutes (examples, don’t do ALL of these):

Put all the dishes in the sink to soak

Fill your coffee pot for tomorrow

Sweep the floor

Wipe down the stovetop

Wipe down the counters

Clean the outside of the microwave

Load the dishwasher and start it

Fill reusable water bottles for tomorrow (I like these ones affiliate link)

Set out breakfast items that are non-perishable

Make school lunches or at least part of them

—> Read my post about using timers and manipulating time to your advantage HERE <—

2. Pick Your Outfit for Tomorrow

If you’re like me, getting dressed for the next day can sometimes take the better part of your morning. If you decide the night before what you will wear - from the shirt down to the underwear and socks - it keeps you from making the decision the next morning, and it keeps you from having to scramble for matching socks. If you have kids, have them do this, also. Even if you only do this on Sunday nights, or the night before you have to go back to work/school/etc, it kicks off your week on a positive note.

3. Meditation Can Be Life Changing

The benefits of meditation far surpass the 3+ minutes it takes to get in the “zone”. Building skill for stress management, reducing negative emotions, increasing self-awareness, and focussing on the present are only a few of the benefits.

Meditation doesn’t have to take a long time. I like the Headspace app (you can get it for free in the app store) that gives you options to meditate for 3 minutes all the way up to 20 minutes. It doesn’t have to be hard and doesn’t have to take a long time. Meditate in the morning, before bed or at lunchtime. Or all three. Or when you’re sitting on the toilet. Just a few minutes of meditation can seriously be life changing, but you have to put in the work and do it!

4. Journal Writing for The Time Limited Person

Along the same lines as meditation, journaling can help you become more self-aware. It can also help you get all those overwhelming thoughts swirling around in your genius brain. I recommend writing with a physical pen and notebook, but if you prefer digital, you can work that way as well. There’s just a neural connection that happens when you physically write things down by stimulating the Reticular Activating System (Read about that here)

Even writing down 1-2 sentences can have amazing results. Here are a few prompts to get you started:

Today I was really good at _________

Today I struggled with ____________

Something I want to learn is __________

A place I’d love to visit is _________

I like _______ because _____________

It’s seriously that simple! Just write something down every day. You can get a guided journal or a blank one like this one (affiliate link).

5. Go Outside For a 1 Mile Walk (or 15 minutes)

Our family loves going on walks together. We aren’t usually this fancy, though!

Outdoor time has been transformational for me during this past year. There’s no doubt that spending time outside has positive impacts on mental health.

Read about that HERE

Pair outdoor time with some physical activity and you have a match made in reset heaven! The next time you are feeling grumpy or depressed, try this reset tip. Even if the weather is bad, you can do anything for 15 minutes, especially if it has a positive effect on your mental health and your entire day.

6. Drink Water

There’s no question that severe dehydration can kill you. But did you know that even mild dehydration can be detrimental to your overall well being? This is one of those things you can prep the night before, fill a cup (I like these Affiliate) with 24-30 ounces of water and challenge yourself to drink the entire thing when you wake up in the morning. Refill it and make sure you drink another full cup before lunch. Being hydrated with clean water is something so many of us take for granted, but is an easy tip we can use to reset our physical health.

Go one step further and calculate how much water you should be drinking each day. You can download my water tracker HERE.

These tips are not meant to change your life, but to add a few easy, actionable steps to your daily routine to help you feel more in control. Once you feel more in control and less overwhelmed, you can focus on the things that truly matter to you.

Do you already do these tips? Have you learned anything new? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I can’t wait to cheer you on!

XO,

Shannon