Life… can be crazy and chaotic and fast and uncertain. It can be a race from the moment the alarm goes off to quickly gathering all the many things you need for the day to jump in your car to speed on down the road just to emerge yourself in longer to-do lists and crazier hustle and bustle. Within it all it can be so crazy and yet so easy to let the circumstances define us. However, one thing that is most definitely certain and that we should remember at the very tops of our minds, is that our attitude can determine our entire posture of our heart and mind for the entire day. And if we can figure out just how to spend our moments to where they matter the most and carry fruitful impact, then maybe we can overcome the stress and anxiety and learn to truly love and appreciate each day. I say this to my students all the time and I often repeat this to myself… will we ever look back later in life and wish that we had let something bother us or worry about something more?! I am pretty sure our answer would be absolutely NOT. However, we don’t have that hindsight, we just have the hope and faith that along the way we can truly learn how to make the most out of each day.

Just the other day, I read this quote, “Life is too short. Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t change. Love deeply and forgive quickly. Take chances. Give everything and have no regrets. Life is to short to be unhappy. You have to take the good with the bad, smile when you should, love what you got and always remember what you had. Always forgive but never forget. Learn from your mistakes but never regret. People change and things go wrong. But always remember life goes on.”

It didn’t have an author on it, but it made me think about the fact that it is so easy to go through the motions of life, instead of really soaking it in and making the most of each day. Work-filled days can be revolved around many things that we do not want to do, but if we push past the thoughts of negativity, I think you will find many beautiful things in your day (and life) that you would not have seen while focusing on the not so great aspects of the day. And even for the things that we truly love doing, it can be easy then as well to get caught up with trying to knock another something off the list that we forget about the moments, the little moments that matter AND the little moments that count. 

So let’s make sure we make ALL of these moments count. Here are a few hacks or tricks to help be sure you are making the most out of your every day, every day!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored and while the views represented are in favor of Ray of Hope Counseling Services, I strongly support them and what they stand for, compensation was received for this post. 

Wake Up Early

“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.”

– Aristotle.

I know rising earlier than you have to sounds pretty painful, but once you get in a routine, it’s really not so bad. I’ve found that my days are much better when I wake up 30 minutes to an hour earlier than I need to, in order to have a slow morning. Do a few morning stretches, in order to get your blood flowing, drink a glass of water, make yourself breakfast, and maybe even take a minute to do a few devotionals, or write down a few things that you are grateful for. Of course, this can look different for each individual person – if you don’t want to stretch, maybe do a few jumping jacks, or take a walk. If you don’t want to write down things you are grateful for, find some other way to be intentional with your time, ensuring that you are starting the day on a positive note. Over the past few months I have found my morning peace at Pure Barre. Even if your mornings are crazy, you can always find an extra few minutes to put yourself first and start your day right. 

Steve Pavlina says, “Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made. In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I’d almost always sleep in late. I usually didn’t start hitting my stride each day until late afternoon. But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high correlation between success and rising early, even in my own life. On those rare occasions where I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity was almost always higher, not just in the morning but all throughout the day. And I also noticed a significant feeling of well-being. So being the proactive goal-achiever I was, I set out to become a habitual early riser.”

 

Exercise

No matter if you exercise in the morning, in the middle of the day, or in the evenings, it will definitely improve your day. There are many benefits to getting in a workout each day such as promoting healthy eating, weight loss, and an overall healthy lifestyle, as well as feeling greater satisfaction in your life, and feeling more confident in yourself. There are many other benefits of working out, but these few reasons alone are enough for me! Feeling satisfied and confident will help you go into each day with a great mindset. I find my exercise zen through my morning Pure Barre classes and my afternoon runs with my cross country team. Nothing like challenging myself in the morning at the barre and pushing myself among the trees and alongside the river in the afternoon. Plus, nothing can beat the rush of endorphins that exercise creates. Definitely worth it. Mood boost and sore muscles and all. 

A Healthy Mindset

Let’s dive deeper into what I mean by having a healthy mindset. We already know that working out can help with creating a great, positive mindset, but that’s definitely not all that goes into it. Quite a few people struggle with different conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma, just to name a few, and simple measures such as working out or just thinking positive will not help them get to a completely healthy mindset. If you are struggling with any of these issues, do not think that you did anything wrong at all – there is a way to get help, in order for you to get in a positive mindset and really thrive and feel good each day. A great place to start is by seeing a counselor, such as Ray of Hope Counseling Services. They have seven locations all over Georgia and their counselors and psychotherapists are committed to helping individuals feel better. In addition to their seven locations, they also offer online counseling, which is great for people that are extremely busy, or do not want to take the time to sit in a waiting room. Ray of Hope Counseling Services is there to help you understand the challenges in your life and will help you find the most effective approach or treatment for you. If you are struggling in your day to day life, I would highly recommend talking with someone at Ray of Hope Counseling Services to see if they can help you.

Relax and Prepare

After a long day, take time to relax and prepare for the next day. Relaxing and giving yourself much needed time for self-care is essential. Try taking a bubble bath, or curling up with a favorite book, your favorite oils in the diffuser and a blanket. Or try taking a journal and writing down all that is on your mind OR even ending your day expressing your gratitude. I also find that if you prepare for the next day (the night before), it will help you save time and frustration in the morning. So maybe try writing the next day’s to-do list as well. That can definitely help you be prepared and fully ready for the next day’s adventure and to help you continue to make the most of each and every day. 

Give yourself Grace

All of these things are truly great and all, but it is just as important to be sure that within each day, you extend yourself some grace. Feel the freedom to love yourself and allow yourself room to mess up and room to overcompensate. We all are no stranger to the fact that life can beat us down and bruise us along the way and a lot of the times we are our own worst critic. But maybe, just maybe we can give our own hearts grace, the freedom to just truly be and live in all of our own imperfections. So next time you are feeling like you are less than or are failing, remember to take a deep breath…. and give yourself grace, freely.

Do you have any other tips to help make the most out of each day? We only have a short time on this Earth and I believe that we need to live every single moment to the fullest – even on the hardest days!

xo. Haley