It's Monday, Now What?

Getting a Good Start to the Day

 Some mornings, it seems like you must have crawled out of bed on the wrong side.  Nothing is going right and you haven’t even left the house yet.

 If the morning is not going well, it’s a good idea to take a couple of minutes and regroup.  Often if you just continue the way things are going, you will wind up having a lousy day.  Pull out a chair, sit down and take a few deep breaths and consider the following ideas to help you get the day back on track.

Ø      Stop mentally berating yourself for the happenings of the morning.  Everyone has bad days.  Step back and find humor in your situation.

Ø      Take a short mental vacation.  Remember one of your “peak parent” moments (e.g. digging at the beach, dancing in the living room, cuddling at bedtime).  Or close your eyes and imagine you are relaxing on the beach, next to a mountain stream or at your favorite vacation spot.

Ø      Evaluate the remainder of your day.  Simplify as much as possible.  Eliminate bothersome tasks and focus if possible on completing a task that will give you a sense of accomplishment and control.

Ø      Reduce the noise, smells and the confusion around you.  Excess stimulus acts to intensify the stress.

Ø      Turn to written phrases and passages that provide you with meaning and inspiration.  Stand up and stretch your arms above your head.  Stretch left and hold 1-2-3-4.  Stretch right and hold.  Repeat several times.  After your stretch, wiggle your fingers and toes.

Ø      Go for a 10- to 15- minute walk.  Focus on the sights and sounds around you.

Ø      Eat a healthy lunch.  Skipping lunch because you’re behind will only make your mood and your problem solving ability worse.

Ø      Find a way to make someone else happy.  Doing for others has an amazing impact on our own sense of personal satisfaction.

Ø      Have a good laugh.  Pull out the latest comic page from the newspaper, look at a jokebook or visit a co-worker who is known for a fine sense of humor.

Ø      Avoid as much as possible negative people who will bring you down.  Instead seek out people with a positive outlook.

 Upon arriving home, focus your attention on relaxing and reconnecting with your family.

by Bev Peters - one of this county's best resources!  

picture by roy costello at flickr.com