Why does it seem like some people are always having a good day while your day seems not to be going so well?

Is there some secret to always – or at least usually – having a good day? Is it the luck of the draw? Is it in your personality make up? You can use any one of those as a reason for why you may not be having a good day. The reality is that some things can be done at the start of your day to help you have a good day.

I want to suggest five things you can do that just might help you have a good day.

1. Get enough rest. This is key to having a good day. If you are tired, nothing you do will make you have a nice day. Tiredness makes you grumpy, short tempered, low on energy and unable to focus. It is important you get to bed at decent time so you can get 7 – 8 hours of sleep. Getting enough sleep gives you a fresh start to the day.
2. Focus your mind. Start your day with some time set aside to focus your mind on what is important to you. You may call it quiet time, devotions, time with God, or me time. Whatever you may call it, it is most important that you set time aside at the start of your day.
3. Get some physical exercise. I could hear the sigh, thinking you don’t have time, or you just don’t want to exercise. In reality, you feel better, more energetic, more focused and emotionally positive after 20 to 30 minutes of physical exercise. According to US News & World Report just a 20-minute workout can boost your mood for hours.In Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, co-authors Tom Rath and Jim Harter tell us, “It is so easy to put things off, but when people exercise in the morning, in many cases they did so because over time they realized that working out in the morning puts you in a better mood and you’re more productive and you have more energy throughout the workday.”
4. Eat a healthy breakfast. This a challenge for most of us because we don’t plan for it. Through the years I have made it a habit to have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. This is not instant but old fashion oatmeal, which is more nutritious though more time-consuming to prepare. Each morning I give myself enough time.Avoid high-calorie, high-sugar breakfasts that give you the quick energy boost. Those boosts are usually short lived and tend to lead to obesity. This is because high-calorie, high-sugar foods burn off more quickly, leading to energy loss and feelings of hunger. This then can lead to eating the high-calorie, high-sugar foods or snacks in order to get another energy boost. . . . and the cycle continues.

   A healthy, high protein breakfast provides sustained energy and you are less likely to feel hungry soon after the meal.

5. Decide to help at least one person during your day. When you focus on helping at least person during your day, you will find yourself taking on a more positive attitude toward those around you.Have you ever noticed that if you feel sad, depressed, or low on energy but you help someone else, your mood is lifted? Helping others has the power to push the negative energy aside.

   Paul reminds us in Acts 20:35 that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Helping others nearly always helps us have a good day.

We all strive for and want to have good days. Some of us just do not know how to make good days happen for ourselves. Your days can be good if you intentionally work on making these five steps a regular part of your daily routine at the start of your day.

Why not set yourself a one-week challenge: Make the five steps a part of your daily routine and see if your days don’t get better.

If you would like help in achieving your goals in any area of your life, call us at 208-880-0307 or email us at errol@errolcarrim.com to schedule a complimentary coaching session. To read Errol’s other posts, visit Christ-Centered Life Coaching.

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