HOW TO START YOUR WEEK

When our weekend hits, the last thing we want to do is work. Whether you’re a Monday-Friday traditionalist or in a more modern, non-traditional working lifestyle, everyone needs and deserves a great start to the week.

Here’s a kick-start with 10 ways you can make the most out of a new week:

1. Be Thankful

Look at everything that has gone on in the last seven days. Find gratitude for small and large accomplishments, and be mindful of overcoming a seemingly impossible obstacle at home or work. You can also a quiet moment to reflect on all the good things you’ve got in life.

2. Make Time for Someone that Matters

Take time as a new week begins to reach out to someone you’ve been meaning to call or email. Whether it’s a family member, friend or even a colleague that has moved on to new opportunities, they may appreciate it more than you know.

3. Create

Whether making a healthy meal, a seasonal craft, or another endeavor of choice, make something that matters in your life that you can feel good about. A little creativity will help you stave off the monotony of your everyday endeavors.

4. Be Good to Yourself

Get in the habit of doing something good for you. Whether it’s prepping healthy meals for a week, taking a walk outside, or making sure you get to the gym or your favorite yoga class, you definitely deserve it.

5. Be Inspired by Something

Check out a documentary on a subject that interests you, or double up on the above by reading something about it. Inspiration comes in so many forms; make sure to take time to find yours and allow it to influence your week.

6. Do Something Good

Spend a few minutes learning about an important social issue going on right now or donate your time to a worthy cause in your town. Little steps make big impacts in our lives and our world; helping others in need can also give us a deeper appreciation of our own lives.

7. Prepare

Make your days easier by having yourself ready in advance. If you know you need a particular outfit or item, don’t leave the details of it for the last minute. Experience a more stress-free existence by giving yourself the luxury of time later on.

8. Read

We all love lists these days, and ones like this are great for quick tips. Remember, too, however, how important a long-form work of literature can be for our language skills, education and imagination. From a magazine article to a brand new book, give a few minutes of reading a week a try.

9. Free Your Mind

It’s easy to get wrapped up in what’s going on before it even happens. Let yourself be free of worrying before things transpire; take life as it comes instead of attempting to pre-emptively tackle life’s ‘what may be’ situations.

10. Allow Enough Rest

A few days off can wreak havoc on our sleeping patterns. Getting enough sleep is imperative to performance; give your body the downtime it deserves during your time off.

Taking on all ten tasks above is a noble feat, and not necessary to begin. Don’t get overwhelmed by thinking you have to do all of them at once. Think about each individually and begin to weave each one into the way you design your weekly routine, one or a few at a time. Before you know it, you may very well be incorporating more than you had anticipated you could. It’s just one more way to feel better and more confident about the days ahead.