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25 Easy Ways To Look Rich Without Breaking The Bank
Life comes with a burst of events where looking good matters even more than feeling good (although it really shouldn’t!). More often than not, looking like a millionaire will give you an advantage over someone who looks homeless, unless you’re Kanye West of course. And if you’re looking for cheap ways to look rich and classy without breaking the bank, you’ve come to the right place.

Basically, when you look well-to-do, people tend to respect you. Just because you don’t play the part doesn’t mean you can’t look it right? Looking rich helps attract a whole lot of good fortune. In a world where money has become the master of men, looking like the master of the master will certainly improve your level of respect and give you a streak of good luck.

Most people usually go for comfort so they put on whatever they feel most relaxed in and head out irrespective of the venue or event. But trust me, there’s a reason those clothes are called stay-at-home clothes.

If you want to look like a millionaire but fear blowing your budget, well you’re at the right place! I’ve got you covered. These easy steps will teach you cheap and basic ways to look rich without breaking the bank.

1. Wear fitted clothes

The clothes you put on don’t necessarily have to be expensive but there’s a certain class that comes with wearing clothes that fit you perfectly, tight in the right places and loose in the right places! Clothes looking too big or too small make you look like you just threw on a couple of hand-me-downs from your siblings. Even if you did, must everyone know? I think not.

Most celebrities you know and love have personal fashion designers who make sure their clothes match their bodies almost perfectly. Getting a personal fashion designer might be too expensive so the cheaper alternative would be to take your clothes to a tailor to get them trimmed to your size; it’s preferable to stick to one tailor so there are no mistakes with your clothes. Try buying only clothes that fit you perfectly and see how high class you will look every time you step out.

2. You can never go wrong with black

Black easily has a mature and classic look; apart from the fact that this color goes with almost any other color, most black materials available at very convenient prices can still boast of their quality.

If you’re a t-shirt and jeans kind of person, then a black shirt on jeans should be your go-to outfit for casual outings. You can pair these with sneakers or even heels (you don’t have to wear a dress to look sexy!).

Of course, don’t make this an everyday thing though. I know someone who has a black t-shirt for each day of the week. Don’t be that person. Switch it up sometimes!

3. Lip accessories

Looking rich doesn’t stop at only the clothes you wear, your lips have a major role to play as well (shocking right? Bet you thought they were only good for smooching haha).

The moment a person looks directly at your face they can easily tell the nature of your lips. If they are well cared for, they would look clean and soft, and if not, well, the Sahara Desert is a good reference.

Now most people think the solution to this would be to lick their lips, on the contrary, using your saliva makes them dry up more. For women, the simple solution is to use lip balm, lip stick, or lip gloss. For men, lip balm will come in handy (a little lip gloss won’t hurt either).

But if you prefer natural remedies, applying some honey on your lips before going to bed actually helps a lot (let’s just hope you don’t lick it all off). So, always remember, lips are important!

4. Wear shades

Add shades to your outfits and thank me later. They always add some pizzazz, giving you that “Hey, check me out” look.

You could try this with different types of glasses such as aviators, sun glasses, semi-rimless or oval glasses—whichever one matches your dressing style and face.

5. Reduce quantity; increase quality

Let’s say you want to get some shirts and normally you go to a thrift shop and get 10 for about $10. My advice is to rethink that and try going to a quality store where you could spend that exact same amount on about 3 or 4 shirts. These shirts are sure to add a lot more style to your wardrobe and would definitely last for a longer period of time than the other ten you would have purchased at first. Try this step out and you’ll notice that over time you start adding quality products to your closet and soon the quantity you so desire would follow.

6. Apply some make up (ladies, get in here)

Yes, yes perhaps you’re a big fan of team natural but sometimes adding makeup actually gives you an edge. However, when trying out this step, please be sure to adhere to the following:
1. Never apply too much makeup, you’re trying to look good, not prepare for Halloween.
2. Use whatever color you feel comfortable with as long as it matches your skin.
3. You really don’t have to hire a makeup artist to get this done, there are a lot of YouTube videos out there to help you out.
7. Keep your clothes clean

You don’t see celebs wearing clothes with any signs of dirt on them, do you? Maybe because some celebs wear their clothes just once and throw them away after that (a bit extreme if you ask me!). Now you don’t have that luxury, so if you’re trying to look rich, avoiding stains is very necessary. Make sure your clothes are all washed and ironed neatly before putting them on and heading out.

Well ironed clothes always sit well on the body, making you look smart and presentable, besides making you look like you wear your clothes only once!

8. Put on a good pair of shoes

Putting on shoes that match with your dressing can never be a bad idea. They don’t have to be expensive but you do have to pay attention to the colors and quality to make sure they match with whatever you have on.

Do you know that your shoes are one of the first things people notice about you on first impressions? Weird but true. Plus, shoes have a huge impact on an outfit; they can either make or break that dress you’re unsure of wearing tonight.

9. Don’t be too flashy

I’m basically saying, tone down on the colors! You don’t want to be the topic of discussion during the whole event, do you? Don’t mix too many colors in one outfit; if you like the colors then try putting them on for different occasions not forcefully fitting them all into one outfit. Unless you’re trying to look like Lady Gaga, stick to colors that actually match please!

10. Pay attention to your nails

Clean nails make you more attractive. It’s as simple as that. Keep your nails in check by trimming them often so they don’t get too long and keep gathering dirt. This gives the impression that you go for mani’s and pedi’s often (even if you actually don’t), and hey, who says you can’t give yourself a mani or pedi every so often?

11. Reduce your eating pace

Don’t rush your meals especially while at an event or in a public area. This is a generally good eating habit you should start using. When out there, be sure you do this so it doesn’t look like you’re eating food you’re not used to!

12. Act like you have it all

Don’t act too surprised or shocked when you see or experience something new, just go with the flow and behave like it’s something you would normally see or do. You don’t want to be that person who looks like they’re not used to anything.

13. Read a variety of books

Read new books to get better knowledge and to update your vocabulary. When you’re knowledgeable of several things, it gives the impression that you got a good education and know what you’re doing. Hence, you can easily have quality conversations with almost anyone.

14. Practice good oral hygiene

Do this so you can get yourself a million-dollar smile! Having sparkling white teeth is a necessity because it gives off elegance and class, because honestly, not everyone takes good care of their teeth. Brush twice a day, floss and visit the dentist often. Don’t be shy to try out teeth-whitening either.

15. Talk slowly on purpose

Reduce the speed of your speech. For some reason, rich people don’t rush their words! In fact, some talk quite annoyingly slowly. You don’t have to be like them though, just don’t talk too fast. Make sure you get your point across well.

16. Don’t neglect your hair

Get frequent haircuts so you always appear sophisticated and clean. You rarely see celebrities with messy hair (unless paparazzi catches them drunk or high). Even while drinking, be sure not to drink too much so you don’t make a fool of yourself, I mean, you’re a very important person—remember that.

17. Take care of your facial hair

If you have a lot of facial hair, be sure to get it trimmed from time to time, doing this would make you look well-groomed…just like the rich should.

18. No bragging

If you’re rich, you’re rich; you rarely see a person with a yacht shouting everywhere, “Did you know I own a yacht?” Other people do the shouting for them. It’s even worse to brag of what you don’t have. So please, to look rich, don’t brag about being rich! Your carriage and appearance should do the work, not your mouth.

19. Smell awesome

Pulling off the rich look doesn’t just involve eating manners and appearance, there’s also the place of smell and believe me, it’s a very important place. Now, you don’t necessarily have to buy a perfume worth your monthly salary! There are several affordable perfumes you can try out that will have people asking what perfume you’re wearing. By affordable, I do not mean the extremely cheap ones that either fade too quickly or are too harsh that they never fade. Go for classy, but affordable.

20. Attend more events

If you’re seen at the right events, you give the impression that you have a healthy bank account and are willing to part with some cash. Besides, there’s no point in looking good if no one sees you.

21. Use social media effectively

Every aspect of you has to look good so be sure to put up great pictures of yourself as these days, people look at your pictures before reading anything about you!

22. Be gentle

When you have it all, you tend to stay calm, cool and collected and every move you make has to be calculated. Achieving this trait will make you seem a lot richer than you really are.

23. Table manners matter

While at an event, your dining etiquette may be closely monitored by those around you. If you can show top class manners at the dining table, you can trick everyone into thinking you’re damn rich and raised with class.

24. Good skin care

Practice a good skin care routine. Looking rich is not just about your clothes. Your skin has a crucial role to play. In order to have smooth and spotless skin, you need to get a good skin care routine which you will follow religiously, as if your life depends on it. Some things you could do are; drink enough water, moisturize your skin and exfoliate often.

25. Find yourself a rich person hobby

Rich people have certain hobbies which in truth aren’t too expensive; getting one for yourself is a great way to look high class. You could try tennis, golf or horse riding; these hobbies would be light on your pocket and would still open you up to a new kind of experience—a win-win if you ask me.

It may shock you to find that really rich people are not the ones with the most expensive clothes or gadgets, most of them just take really good care of their appearance.

You can easily blend in with the elite without spending too much, just follow these 25 easy ways to look rich and you’ll be surprised at the opportunities that will be opened up to you simply because you look good. And when you look good…you feel good.

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Don’t forget to pin these cheap ways to look rich and classy for later!

Hey, thanks for reading up to this point! I hope these tips answers your question about ways to look rich and classy without spending a ton. If you found this helpful, please take a moment to share it and pin it to Pinterest. Thank you!
May 14, 2020
15 Tips On How To Wake Up Earlier And Not Feel Tired
Do you always have issues with waking up early or feeling just too sleepy after you’re up that you simply go back to bed to get a bit more sleep? If you do, then you’re not alone because it is one issue almost every early riser experiences, or must have experienced and probably conquered. The truth is, waking up early is a difficult nut to crack open. But there are some tips on how to wake up earlier without feeling tired that you can start implementing today.

If waking up early is what you have been trying to adapt to, then I’m sure you must have adopted a lot of strategies already to no avail. The good news is, the game-changer is here (whoop whoop). By the time you finish reading this article, you will be amazed at how easy it could be to actually wake up very early, yet, so energized to carry out your daily tasks.

It all boils down to the quality of sleep you had the previous night: waking up early depends on what you did before, during and immediately after sleep. Are you still doubting the possibility of this early wake-up routine? Doubt no longer, friend, I will give you 15 easy tips on how to wake up earlier and fully energized.

Psst – Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for all your relationship, self growth and personal development tips!

1. Develop The Consciousness To Wake Up Early

I’m sure you’re wondering how consciousness made it to the top of the list, but what you may not have considered is the fact that the greatest philosophers and psychologists of all time postulate that every effort starts with consciousness.

Idealists maintain that for every action that takes place physically, it has already been processed mentally. Hence, the importance of developing the consciousness and willingness of waking up early is the first major step to take in order to actualize the goal. By developing the right consciousness, I am referring to having that zeal and calling it a duty to wake up early.

2. Endeavor To Sleep Early Enough

There is this popular saying that is attributed to Benjamin Franklin about how going to bed and waking up early makes man to be healthy, to be wealthy and then wise. And yes, it’s true. You can’t expect to wake up on time but keep sleeping late. Sleeping early is like a seed you sow in order to reap the reward of waking up on time.

Not only do you wake up early when you sleep early, but also, you wake up refreshed and fully energized, given the adequate number of hours you must have spent on sleeping, recovering your lost strength and rebuilding your worn out tissues.

Have you been keeping late nights? Now is the time to rethink that. Don’t you think it’s of greater benefit to your body to sleep early? I sure do!

3. Condition Yourself (Your body)

Give your body the best condition for it to sleep with the least distraction. It’s more like getting prepared for a sleeping mission. Have you ever seen a pilot who just enters an airplane and embarks on a journey without getting himself in the best state of mind and body? It’s impossible! That is exactly what sleep requires. In order to wake up refreshingly stronger the next morning, you have to condition the body with a lot of meticulous steps. Some of these steps are:
- Exercise: By exercising, you are getting your tissues and muscles worked up. Experts suggest that after vigorous exercise, your body would ultimately need some time to rest and recover. That’s when sleeping becomes necessary, hence, exercise conditions your body to get a good night’s sleep.
- Dress Comfortably: Your body needs to be clad with the most spacious and comfortable clothes. Have you wondered why some people sleep naked? That’s because they’re most comfortable sleeping naked (although I can’t say the same for myself, as I’d be too worried someone would break in and find me in all my glory!) When you sleep comfortably, there is every tendency of waking up comfortably. So, whatever floats your boat.
- Consume Less water before bedtime. This will help regulate your hydration level. Having too much water in your system at night, more often than not, will lead to a frequent need to pee. Frequent urination could be a major distraction to a free-flowing sleep. I’m sure you don’t want that.
4. Condition Your Environment

This is another important tip on how to wake up earlier. By conditioning your environment, I mean keeping your environment conducive enough for sleep to happen easily. Your sleeping environment, of course, includes: the bed, the bulb or lights, the room temperature, etc. The lighting shouldn’t be too bright, in fact, studies proved that it is better to sleep with the lights off. You don’t want to distract yourself with lights shining into your eyes. Even if you’re afraid of the monster under your bed, a bedside lamp will do.

Ensure your bed and duvet are very soft, mild and comfortable. When you do, falling asleep becomes swift and consequently, you’ll wake up without any feeling of tiredness. Also, you don’t want to sleep in a room that is either too hot or too cold. Make the room temperature moderate. When your environment is well conditioned, the potential distractions would be reduced, and then, sleeping and waking up early won’t be a problem.

5. You Have To Quit Those Habits

What habits exactly? Habits like smoking or drinking alcohol are not friendly to your body. Smoking just before bedtime can disrupt the functions of your brain cells and consequently hinder the full relaxation that good sleep brings. This could also result in restlessness even in your sleep.

On the other hand, do you drink alcohol? Have you wondered why you wake up very weak after being drunk the previous night? That feeling is popularly called a hangover—which you often get after a night of too much alcohol and partying. Taking alcohol at night is a no-no if you really want to know how to wake up earlier and stronger.

6. Eating Lighter Foods At Night

You might habitually wake up late and tired. You’ve probably tried all you can yet nothing changes. But I don’t know if you’ve considered your diet? What kind of food do you eat at night? If you consume heavily starchy foods, and not only that, you also eat to your breaking point, then it’s understandable why you wake up late and tired.The process of digesting that heavy meal is a big job for the body.

You might find it difficult to finally relax and fall asleep, and even when you do, by the time the body finally digests the food, you’ll definitely wake up very weak. That’s how it works. Therefore, eat less at night and avoid heavy meals too. You can drink beverages with no caffeine, or fruits, vegetables, and plant proteins like beans, etc.

7. Routinize Early Dinners

This is another important step you must take to wake up earlier and stronger. Make it a routine to eat at a particular time every night. This will subconsciously condition your body to sleep at a particular time and wake up at a particular time. Nothing works like magic more than routines. You don’t have to force it if it’s a routine, remember? That’s the key to making things easy!

8. Create An Everyday Bedtime

This is the same thing as Routinizing your bedtime. For instance, if you mark out 9 pm to be your time to sleep, then stick to it and repeat it day after day. Remember an average adult needs to sleep for at least 8 hours. Therefore, if you sleep by 9 pm everyday you’re expected to be up by 5 am.

Under normal circumstances, when you wake up as early as 5 am, having slept for 8 hours, you will definitely feel strong and refreshed too. Making this a routine will only make your body adapt to the procedure and boom, it becomes part of you.

9. If Possible, Say No To Caffeinated Drinks

Simply put, caffeinated drinks are beverages that contain caffeine as one of the key ingredients. Do you know exactly what caffeine does to your body? It stimulates your cells and nerves and increases consciousness. Some people use caffeine to ward off sleep and in order to stay awake. Since caffeine prevents sleep, don’t you think you probably shouldn’t be drinking it at night, when you actually want to sleep? Sounds about right to me.

10. Avoid Extended Use of Your Phone Till Late

This is something we’re all familiar with, because most of us are guilty. People often stay up busy with their phones and laptops. But have you wondered if it’s okay for you? As a matter of fact, it’s not. The light rays that are emitted from your gadgets are radioactive. And this radioactivity is not good for your sight or general health. But most importantly, it makes you alert and keeps your brain awake, which is not what you want if you need a good night’s rest.

11. Set a Wake-Up Alarm At a Realistic Time

It’s one thing to set alarms, but another thing entirely to set it at a realistic time. What do I mean by realistic time? It’s simply a time that is reasonable. A time which is possible for you to wake up and commence your daily tasks.

Setting alarms for let’s say, 2am, is not realistic because you can’t fully wake up and start your daily life by 2am. Don’t set alarms for 4am when you only went to bed at 12am. You’ll definitely feel uneasy when you wake up. Make sure your alarm is set at a time after which you’ve covered nothing less than 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

12. Resilience is Key

One of the most important virtues to acquire if you want to keep up with waking up early is resilience. You need that fighting spirit to force yourself out of that sleeping state, especially at the early stages of developing the early rising routine. Remember your WHY. Why you want to make this a habit and how it will improve your life.

13. Thou Shall Not Snooze

The 13^th commandment. There’s always that moment when you wake up with a feeling of dissatisfaction. You feel like you need to go back to sleep more than ever before. At that point, you can actually get infuriated by the sound of an alarm. That is when you’ll feel the urge to push the snooze button. But no, it’s the worst thing you could possibly do at that moment.

If you really want to wake up earlier and not feel tired, then you shouldn’t disrupt the routine your body is already adapting to by snoozing. Doing so will definitely mar the progress you’ve made so far.

14. Adopt Strategies To Stay Up After Waking Up

Waking up might be difficult but sometimes, staying up is the most difficult of all. For almost everyone who tries to wake up on time, staying up after waking up has been a major challenge at one point.

In order to overcome this challenge, you need to adopt strategies like washing your face or taking your bath immediately after you wake up. Minor exercises like walking around the house or stretching would be nice too.

15. Make The First Task Of The Day Your Favorite

It is quite normal to feel fascinated to start from where it is easier or fun and then proceed to where it is difficult and stressful. If you want to wake up early and in high spirits, it’s advisable to start your day with that particular activity that is most interesting. It will make you feel like you can’t wait to get started. That enthusiasm will get you out of your bed early.

Before I conclude, it will be a crime if I fail to acknowledge that a good night’s sleep, apart from its enormous health benefits, plays a decisive role in how early we wake up everyday, how energized we will be the next morning, and how the entire events of everyday life will turn out.

Waking up early might be difficult, feeling energized after waking up at that unusual time might even be more difficult, but with the aforementioned tips on how to wake up earlier, you’re covered for life!

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Hey if you found these 15 tips on how to wake up earlier without feeling tired, please take a moment to pin it to Pinterest. Or you can also share it to your favorite social media platform. Either way I would appreciate it immensely if you could share it with others. Thank you!

This post on how to wake up earlier without feeling tired originally appeared on MindHerWay.com and has been published with the author’s permission.
May 5, 2020
10 Things To Do Every Sunday For A Productive Week
For some people, Sunday is a day to relax, walk around the house in underwear (or even nothing at all), catch up on the latest TV series or simply…sleep. For others, it’s a day to do all the fun things they didn’t have time to do during the week. And then, there are workaholics, who will still find a way to work on Sundays. Which one are you? Do you prefer to chill with a tub of ice cream and tissues, watching Titanic for the hundredth time, or go jogging? Or, do you prefer to pretend Sunday is just another Monday but without having to leave the house?

Whichever category you fall into, there is always room for improvement. Sunday doesn’t have to be basic, boring or stressful. In fact, it can be the most important day of the week, depending on how you spend it.

Being the day before a new week starts, Sunday has a major influence on how the entire week will go. If you can spend a part of your Sunday planning for the week ahead, you’d be surprised at how much of a difference it would make. The truth is, many of us waste Sunday, either lazing about or worrying about the coming week.

It’s easy to dread Mondays because you have to go from relaxing for just two days, to working 9-5 for five days straight. Poor Monday, everybody just hates him. But do you know it’s possible to look forward to Monday? I promise, it’s no magic trick. All it takes is proper strategizing and the right mindset.

Now, I know “strategizing” sounds like work—relax, I’m not suggesting you work on Sundays too. However, spending some time out of your Sunday to plan the week ahead will not only save you the stress of squeezing your dozens of to-do tasks into the week but also help you take on these tasks with a positive mindset.

In essence, a productive Sunday translates to a productive week. By productive, I am referring to proper organization and generally doing things that bring you closer to achieving your goals. We all have short and long-term goals we’d like to achieve, but if you keep moving from one week to the other, dreading the week and the work you have to put in, you are less likely to achieve any of those goals anytime soon.

There are several problems you can avoid by planning your week ahead of time. In fact, you can prevent work spilling over to the weekend just by taking an hour or two out of your Sunday to organize your tasks for the week into a comprehensive spreadsheet (oh no, this is starting to sound like work, sorry!). But truly, if you want to see actual progress, start from Sunday, so that your life will not just be the typical routine:
- Go to work
- Hate your boss
- Spill coffee on your computer
- Hate your job
- Stress through 8 hours of the day
- Countdown to 5pm
- Worry because you couldn’t finish the day’s tasks before 5pm
- Cry and go home
- Eat boring food
- Sleep
- Wake up
- Repeat
Well, using your Sunday strategically may not change the fact that your boss sucks, but it will help you be more productive so that you can achieve that goal of actually being your own boss, or at least doing what you love. Here are 10 things you should do every Sunday for a productive week. You might like to call them…the rules of life (okay, maybe it’s not that deep). Nonetheless! Let’s go.

1. Chores, chores, chores

Now, I’m sure you didn’t think I’d let you off without cleaning the house under the guise of “planning and strategizing for the week.” Nah, fam. Pick up your cleaning tools, tie your hair into a messy bun, and scrub that house clean. If your environment is not clean and ready for the week then neither are you.

It’s way more stressful coming back tired from work and finding clutter on the floor or dishes in the sink. The best time to clean up is over the weekend. You can do this on Saturday actually, but supposing you were out with friends or went partying, then Sunday remains the only day to get things in order. Before you sit down to plan your week, do all your chores so you have nothing holding you down in the background.

2. Sleep is for the weak

Okay, this is an exaggeration (phew). However, there is nothing more unproductive than sleeping all through your Sunday. Yes, the week was stressful and tiring. Yes, that party was fun and tiring. But sleeping the whole day away will only leave you unprepared for the week, resulting in another stress-filled week and another weekend where you just want to sleep and sleep – and behold, the cycle continues.

Break the cycle. Shatter it. I’m not suggesting you have to wake up early (why would you do that?). In fact, getting enough sleep is recommended, but when it stretches into the whole day, well, you’ll be missing out on a lot. So, on Sundays, sleep, yes, sleep well, but make sure you get up early enough to do all you need to do for the day.

3. Reflect on the past week

Often, we move on to the next week without assessing how the previous week went, what we did wrong, what we did right and what we should never do again (like calling your ex). Sundays are a great time to reflect on the past week and draw lessons from your experiences.

What could you have done better? Try and implement it in the coming week. What could you have avoided? Try and avoid it this week. Did you achieve your goals for last week? If yes, kudos! If not, re-strategize for the coming week.

4. Plan!!

This should be the highlight of your Sunday. Plan. Prepare. Strategize. List out your tasks for the week and organize them into time slots. There are several mobile apps you could use to help you plan your health, finances, calorie intake and workout schedule (if you have the time to workout during the week).

While some people can plan their lives down to the smallest detail, others simply plan the bigger things and let other things fall in place. Whichever you are, ensure you plan regardless. You don’t have to write down each and everything you will do, how many times you will go to the bathroom or which lipstick to wear on Wednesday. Focus on important things like getting to work on time, having the necessary documents ready for your first task, reading ahead for your next class or seminar, etc.

The purpose of organizing your week is so that everything does not overwhelm and choke you. When you know what you’ll be dealing with beforehand, it will be less tasking and less stressful for you to handle. Of course, unexpected tasks or circumstances may spring up, but that is all the more reason to be prepared. Imagine having so many things to do at once and then to top it off, your car breaks down. The frustration is enough to have you growing grey hair! If you have everything neatly planned out, minor setbacks will not set you back so much.

Depending on your occupation and how cluttered your week can get, you will need to spend an hour or so planning out your week. That one hour of planning can help the next 120 hours of the coming week be less cumbersome.

5. Set Priorities

When planning out your week, it is important to set priorities. So, spending 2 hours on your makeup and outfit everyday may not be worth it. Write out your goals for the week, and assign deadlines to each one. For this to be effective, you have to minimize procrastination as much as possible. If you set a task for 10:00 a.m. on Monday, do it at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, not 10:25 a.m. on Monday or 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, unless entirely necessary.

Put the most important goals at the top of your list and check them off as you accomplish them. That way, you track your progress (please note, it doesn’t have to be pen and paper, your smartphone is even much better to help with this).

6. Condition your mind for a productive week

They say mindset has a lot to do with how productive you are. Well, I don’t know who “they” are but “they” are right. If you go into the new week sad, anxious or worried, you are likely to have a bad week just as you imagined.

Now, breathe. Acknowledge that you will have a number of things to do. But also acknowledge that you will do them all on time and do them well.

Have a positive mindset about the coming week. Think of it as an opportunity to be productive, to meet and spend time with people, and to draw closer to achieving your goals. This way, you will not dread the week, but instead look forward to it, live in the moment and enjoy the moment.

7. Pick out outfits for the whole week

This might seem obvious but it actually isn’t. Many of us just wing it and pick the first thing we see in our closet on a Monday morning. Alas, I tell you – there is a better way. Supposing you followed the first thing on this list and did all your chores including laundry, you should have all your clothes clean and neatly ironed.

Now, select outfits for Monday to Friday, even down to the shoes that will go with each outfit. Believe it or not, picking the right shoes is a real crisis that people experience when getting ready for work.

If you’re going to wear a striped tie on Wednesday, do not pick out a dotted shirt for Wednesday. Knowing you look good will make you more confident to take on the week!

8. Eating habits

With busy schedules, it’s easy to lose track of eating healthy. You may not have time to cook during the week, but making an effort to plan your eating habits on Sunday will go a long way in helping you stay healthy.

While your meals may most often be take outs, try to fit in healthy meals you can quickly cook when you get home or order more healthy meals throughout the week.

You can even cook one or two meals on Sunday that you can store in the freezer and warm up after a long day at work. Of course, they may not last you the whole week, but it will give you a kick-start.

9. Do something that interests you

Make an effort to learn something that you find interesting and start practicing it every Sunday. By the end of the year, you would have mastered it and added value to yourself.

This could be playing an instrument, a sport, dancing, or even spending more time with your kid, dog or that special someone.

10. Finally, relax

After planning out your week and putting everything in order, you my friend, deserve to relax. Treat yourself, go for a massage, take a very long bubble bath – whatever you find relaxing, do it. Without proper rest and relaxation, all the above mentioned will be in vain.

You need to go into the week refreshed and ready to take on the world. You know what they say, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull dog,” or something like that. Similarly, all work and no play makes you an unproductive…you. Take care of you, I mean, all of you.

Make this week a great one!

So, you see, having a productive week has a lot to do with what your Sunday looks like.

If you ever felt like your week starts from Monday, well, it is clear that it should start from Sunday, with a plan, a positive mindset, priorities, and relaxation. You never know how much more you could accomplish if you weren’t always tired, anxious or stressed.

Make an effort to do these 10 things every Sunday so that you can enjoy a productive week. With consistency, you are sure to see progress. It may not be easy, and you may feel tempted to crawl into bed and stay there the whole day, but remember, a little goes a long way. A little time spent planning will go a long way in ensuring a productive week, and invariably, a productive lifestyle.

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Remember to pin this post to your personal development board on Pinterest so you can get back to it later. You can also follow my personal development board on Pinterest for more great personal development tips and ideas!

This post originally appeared on MindHerWay.com as 10 Things To Do Every Sunday For A Productive Week and has been republished with the permission of the author.
April 30, 2020
10 Easy Ways To Be More Active Without Going To Gym
It’s no news that being active and physically fit not only improves your well being, it also reduces the risk of developing diabetes and several other illnesses.

According to research, exercise has been found to lessen depression and also serve as a mood lifter. The saying “exercise not only changes your body, it changes your mind” seems to attest to that fact. In light of this, we’ll be looking at 10 easy ways to be more active and physically fit.

1. Its Run O’clock!

You don’t have to be Usain Bolt’s younger brother before you hit the tracks. Running in the morning on a regular comes with a lot of benefits. However, be sure not to overdo it, so you won’t end up with the doldrums and fatigue you were trying to do away with.

You could start with 2-4 miles per run, that would take about 20-30 mins. If you have a respiratory problem or you’re the type that gets fatigued quickly, you could try substituting the run for a walk.

Either way, you will be burning calories, improving your mood and getting a high energy boost.

2. Cleaning is an exercise

You won’t only be getting rid of dusty surfaces, dirty dishes and dirty laundries, but calories will also be discarded, self esteem will be boosted and you will be more productive during the day. Loads of goodness in one, whoop whoop! You will get to move around, be more flexible and do different activities at once.

Just as charity begins at home, multitasking usually begins here. You could be packing the laundry from the washer and moving to the rhythm of Shake it off by Taylor swift. Yes, everything’s better with music!

3. Ignore the elevator, meet the stairway

Of course, it’s okay to use the elevator. I mean, why was it made? What is not okay is making its use your hobby. Did you know that using the stairs reduces the risk of having cardiovascular diseases by 30%?

There are other advantages that come with using the stairs. They include increased stamina and energy, reduction of cholesterol level, increment of heart rate and control of weight gain.

Just in case you missed your early morning workout, you could make up for it by ignoring the elevator and using the stairs. Who knows, an idea might pop in before you get to the boardroom. So meet the stairway, burn some calories, and get active today.

4. Don’t be static

Sometimes, the office or classroom can be a hell of a sitting show. Nevertheless, take a minute and walk around. It will prevent the soreness that comes with tedious hours of work and cramps in your feet and joints. Making movements will also come in handy during school/working hours as it serves as a good stress relief and helps you calm your mind.

5. Get a pet

Owning a pet is not just about all the fancy scenes presented on reality shows! Having a companion animal around helps in increasing our chances of physical exercises and other outdoor activities.

Pets help us relax and help with lowering our stress levels.You can’t get static or stay in a place for long when there’s a pet around the house. You will either go looking for them or they come looking for you. They could tag along with you while you’re taking a walk and they learn pretty fast so it’s quite easy to play with them. The point is, they are very helpful when it comes to being active.

6.Play

In a life where work and seriousness is given much ado, playing as an activity should be accorded the same level of importance as well. Studies have shown that play is one of the major ways of being active.

Playing gives us a youthful and energetic feeling. It helps the brain to function well, and serves as a relief from stress. It’s not just about the physical health benefits, research has shown how much playing helps us to bond well with others and also improve our communication and cooperation with others.

7. Take a walk

Walking is probably the easiest of them all. All you have to do is stand up, put on your shoes and walk. It’s that simple. Also, it’s quite easy to fit in your schedule.

For instance, twice a week, you and your boyfriend can substitute your late night chats for a 15 min walk in the evening. It not only helps in exercising the body and burning calories, but fixing a schedule for taking a walk also gives you something to look forward to.

Instead of ordering for a cup of cappuccino from the coffee shop down the alley, why don’t you take a walk there? You could also sign up for voluntary walks and endurance treks, it’s going to be fun!

8. Stretch out/ flex those muscles

Who said you can’t be active while you’re busy with other things? Whether you are in the kitchen cooking or working on your computer or seeing your favorite show on the TV, create a space and take time out to stretch.

It improves your performance in physical activities, prevents stiffness in the joints and increases the circulation of blood to your muscles. In addition, it heals and prevents back pain.

9. Water is a necessity

Before you put down your glass of water, before you discard your water bottle, I’d like to give you a quick reminder, water is life!

Water helps lubricate our joints, prevent our body from dehydration, flushes the body wastes, regulates the body temperature and takes care of skin health and beauty (don’t you want to glow?). How do you expect to be more active if you’re going to miss out on all these amazing benefits? Choose water today!

10. Dance! Dance!! Dance!!!

Dancing is more than what meets the eye. Improved muscle tone and strength, increased aerobic fitness, flexibility, stronger bones and improved heart conditions are a few of the great benefits you get from moving your body to the rhythm of a song.

So when next your homies want you to hang out in the club or when you’re invited for a party next door, please don’t stay back home. However, if you are the shy type or you just don’t want to go out, it’s all good. Now is the perfect time to burst those speakers and vibe to that new jam that’s been trending since last Sunday. Party of one, party of fun!

Read it all? Great! Now, don’t forget it’s easier read than done. If you are a newbie, you could start by taking baby steps. If you begin with strenuous activities the first day, the thought of the next day’s activity could make you chicken out easily. So take it a step at a time.

Or maybe you’re not new this? Nice! It’s totally understandable if you can’t do all at once, but don’t be lazy about it. I know it’s easy for your mind to drift off because of busy schedules, heavy workload and tedious activities, but remember, you can do whatever you put your mind to!

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April 29, 2020
Journal Prompts For Self Discovery: 35 Questions To Ask Yourself
Oprah Winfrey once said, “I was once afraid of people saying, ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand up and say “This is who I am”. The question is WHO ARE YOU? Providing answers to this question is very important in life because if we are not careful, we could lose our true identity to situations and events around us or to what people think we are or want us to become. Journal prompts for self discovery can help you to get to know yourself better and prevent this from happening.

When we lose our identity or fail to get a hold of who we really are, we are less likely to live a fulfilled life and we’ll be more likely to be at conflict within our inner being, give in to social pressure a.k.a following the crowd, be poor in decision-making and ultimately make a mess of our life. Okay…enough of the gory imagery yeah?

But the question still stands, WHO ARE YOU?

Journal Prompts For Self Discovery

To answer the ultimate question of self discovery, all you have to do is create a quiet time and space (away from all forms of distraction), get a pen and book, and ask questions about yourself and note down the answers.

Don’t be scared to know who you are. It’s good to bear in mind that you are human and you’re allowed some flaws and mistakes, you can only strive to be a better person. So worry less about imperfect answers, this isn’t a fairy tale or Disney story line. Just let the words flow without stopping and without judgement.

The content of your journal is for your eyes alone, so you don’t have to worry about how people will feel or what they will say about you when they see it.

Don’t forget, “It takes courage to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives”.

The following are 35 journal prompts I’ve put together that would serve as a guide through your journey of self discovery.
1. Write down a description of how your ideal day would look like.
2. What are the 5 major decisions you’ve taken in the last 5 years and how have they shaped your life?
3. Write out 10 things that make you happy.
4. Write out your strengths and abilities. How do you leverage on them?
5. Note down your fears, phobias, limitations and obstacles. Take note of how they’ve hindered you in the past and write down how you want to overcome them.
6. What are the challenges you have faced in the last 10 years? How were you able overcome them?
7. Write down what your ideal type of life is like. Are there any similarities or differences between that and your present life? Note them.
8. Write down 5 risks you would like to take. Take note of their implications and benefits.
9. How often do you take risks? Note down the 5 major risks you have taken, and their implications.
10. List out 10 major things you have done in the past 5 years that you’re most proud of.
11. Write out the impact you have made among your friends and in your locality. Write down the impacts you’d like to make in 10 years.
12. What are the things you’ve done that you won’t like to talk about? Do you still feel guilty about those things?
13. Write down how you have helped someone in their time of need these past weeks and how you feel about it.
14. Write out your most toxic trait. Jot down how you’ve been able to manage it. Take note of it’s effects on you and others and write down how you want to do away with them.
15. If you’re given the chance to go back in time, what 5 things would you like to change 5 years earlier?
16. What are your desires? Are they in line with your short and long-term goals?
17. What important lessons have you learnt in the past 5 years? How did they shape your perspective about life?
18. What makes up your comfort zone? How often do you get out of your comfort zone?
19. Take note of who your greatest source of motivation comes from and why. Also, ask questions about what gets you on the edge, what’s your greatest drive?
20. Do you feel a sense of responsibility/belonging towards some things or someone? If yes, kindly take note of their names and why you feel such towards them.
21. What do you think about yourself? How do you see yourself right now? Write down your perspective about life and how it shaped your thought processes. What advice would you give to yourself right now?
22. Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years? Is that vision realistic?
23. Write down your short-term and long-term goals and how you want to achieve them. How well are you following the plans you laid out for your goals to be achieved?
24. What are your hobbies? Describe 5 things you like doing most and why you like doing them.
25. What skill(s) are you good at? How have you been utilizing this skill to make things better for yourself?
26. Make a list of the things you’re grateful for and why you appreciate them.
27. Write down how you handled past pain and discomfort and how you’d handle them now.
28. Who/what means the most to you and why? List out the names of the people you can count on and write a short note on how they have been there for you.
29. Write out 10 words of affirmation to yourself.
30. What do you love about life in general?
31. Take a moment and write about someone or a moment you will always treasure.
32. Write down how you felt and what you did when people let you down and how you will handle disappointment from people now.
33. Write a short note about a day you’ll never forget. What is the significance of that day to who you are now?
34. Take note of the things you usually anticipate. This may include days and special events you look forward to, what food you’d like to try out, places you’d love to visit, people you’d love to meet and things you’d like to learn.
35. Write down your biggest goal in life as well as your reasons for wanting to achieve it. What is holding you back? What are you afraid of in pursuing that goal?
Remember, self discovery helps us to understand our weakness and inabilities and how we can overcome them. It helps us identify our capabilities, our strengths, and how we can foster them and use them to our advantage. It’s a lifetime necessity, don’t lose sight of this fact.

Whether you are doing this for the first time or you’ve done this before, understand that knowing and expressing who you are will make you happier.

Having a mind of your own will make social pressure less effective on you, and knowing what’s best for you will assist you in making the right decisions. Self discovery helps us understand and tolerate others and also instill self-discipline in ourselves.

Also, note that this is not a once-and-for-all thing. As the years go by, we tend to get distracted by a lot of activities, forgetting who we are. Therefore, it is important and advisable you do this once in a while. It will not only give you a sense of direction, but it will also serve as a reminder of who you are.

Below are some quotes you can think upon during your quiet time. Always remember, be you!

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle
“When you know yourself you are empowered. When you accept yourself you are invincible.” – Tina Lifford
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Gandhi
“Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” – Buddha
“Discovering who you are today is the first step to being who you will be tomorrow.” -Destiny’s Odyssey
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” – Dolly Parton
“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realising who you are at the deepest level.” – Eckhart Tolle
“You have no need to travel anywhere. Journey within yourself, enter a mine of rubies and bathe in the splendour of your own light.” – Rumi
“The greatest discovery in life is self-discovery. Until you find yourself you will always be someone else. Become yourself.” – Myles Munroe
“Know thyself.” – Socrates

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Don’t forget to pin these journal prompts for self discovery!

If these journal prompts for self discovery are useful to you, remember to pin it to your personal development board on Pinterest so you can come back to it later!
April 17, 2020
20 Things To Stop Buying To Save Money Starting Today

Don’t know where all your money is going? Then it simply means you are using money in ways you shouldn’t! There are definitely some things you can stop buying to save money. Thinking about how you always become broke so fast, you almost believe that there is an unknown spirit somewhere that spends your money without your knowledge, but sorry to burst your bubble, there is no unknown spirit anywhere spending your money—you just have an extravagant lifestyle and a poor saving habit. Truth hurts!

Saving money should be the yin to the yang of your earning money. The truth is, you won’t always be broke if you save towards the rainy days. And an efficient way to help you save money is to create a budget, stick to it and stop buying certain things that you actually don’t need (like that new Gucci bag you’ll only use once!).

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission – at absolutely no extra cost to you – if you purchase something through one of my links. Please see my full affiliate disclaimer here.

A lot of people would argue that you can’t save your way out of poverty, and that’s true, but you also need to save towards having investments, starting a business and meeting your daily needs, which are ways to achieve financial freedom.

How you make use of the money you earn is as important as how you earn the money. You need to cultivate the habit of saving if you want to experience a positive turnaround in your financial life, and it takes discipline to make up your mind that you want to save.

Here are 20 things that hinder you from saving. Stop buying these things if you really want to save your money!

1. Fast foods

So, it’s okay to eat out once in a while because you are probably tired or need something quick, but you shouldn’t make it a habit.

Eating out can be very expensive and before you say Jack Robinson, you will realize that you have “eaten” half of your monthly income by spending it on food alone (can I get an Amen?).

It’s much more advisable to stock your house with groceries and natural food items, take your time to cook and store your food in the fridge for later, then you can just warm it in the microwave whenever you want to eat it.

Not only would you be saving your money, you would also save yourself from the fear of eating unhygienic food outside.

2. Online subscriptions services

Subscription to online services like magazines and apps can leave a very huge dent in your bank account because most of these things are automated and you have to pay for it whether or not you need it.

It is more reasonable to use free apps and unsubscribe from any unimportant online service you are subscribed to, by doing this you will be saving yourself a whole lot of moolah.

3. Data subscription

Data subscription is one service that takes a whole lot of money without you even realizing. We are in the age where everyone wants (needs) to use the internet, but in cases where you are just using your data to surf the internet aimlessly, without earning or benefiting from it in any way, or using it to learn something, it would be in your best interest to cut back on your data subscription.

When you’re bored at home in your free time, it’s easy to burn data for lack of anything better to do. Instead, use this time to learn a new skill, read a book, and generally be productive.

If you are using data for business or to learn a particular thing, then you need to find the cheapest plan that works for you and set a limit for yourself in order to prevent excessive and unnecessary spending.

4. New gadgets

Most people want to use the latest smartphones, laptops and tablets, not necessarily because they need it or because their old one has stopped serving them well, but simply because they want to show off.

It’s alright to get an upgrade from an old gadget to a new one especially if it is useful in your field of work and of course if you can afford it, but if that isn’t the case then you should continue to use the old one as long as it still works fine.

Don’t break the bank because you want to get a new gadget that you don’t even need, be wise about your spending—only then will you be able to save.

5. Expensive designer brands

It’s okay to buy a designer brand in order to make a fashion statement, but go for the brands within your budget range.

It can be hard sometimes because you want to spoil yourself and slay in a known designer brand, but you need to discipline yourself to be smarter with your spending.

Also, not all things designer actually make sense to spend your money on. For instance, there’s this designer paper bag that costs about $1100! Now tell me, why buy a paper bag for that amount when you can get a regular one and still use it for the same purpose? Oh well, I guess the rules of the rich are different.

There are lots of affordable designer brands out there with almost the same quality as the popular designer brands you want to purchase. It would be a wise choice to purchase one of those. As the saying goes, “Cut your coat according to your cloth.”

6. Buying on impulse

The major cause of impulse buying is not having a budget and a written list of items you need to buy when you go shopping.

Impulse buying is one of the things that take up all your money, because you eventually realize that you bought more of the things you don’t need and less of what you actually do need.

Creating a budget for yourself and a list of the important items you need to buy before you go shopping will save you from impulsively buying the things that you don’t need.

7. Unnecessary beauty products

It is true that looking good is good business, but you shouldn’t go broke simply because you want to look or smell good.

There are lots of DIY beauty products you can make by yourself to use. But if you can’t, then you should purchase the beauty products that are more affordable.

8. Junk, alcohol and soda

It’s very easy to buy ice-cream, chocolates, snacks, alcohol and soda drinks when we crave for them, but what we fail to realize is that a lot of money is gradually going into purchasing these items, thereby draining our account.

Sit down and calculate the amount you spent on junk food, alcohol and soda last month, then ask yourself how much more you would have saved up in your account if you went without those things.

Some people would argue that the money is very little or insignificant but we all know that it is little drops of water that make an ocean.

It’s absolutely fine to give yourself a treat sometimes, but it shouldn’t be all the time because the truth is that you can survive without taking these things. In fact, they do you more harm than good, both your pocket and your health.

9. Going to the cinema

Why go to the Cinema to see a movie twice every week, when there are platforms like Netflix to watch movies on?

Imagine how much you would save yourself if you stopped going to the cinema as often as you do. Until you take a conscious effort to save, you might never get to do it.

10. Buying in bits

It’s very advisable and economical to buy items you need in bulk rather than in bits because buying more items at once saves you a whole lot of money, time and stress compared to buying them one by one.

11. Expensive outings and vacations

Who doesn’t enjoy a good vacation and unwinding? It’s completely fine and fun to go on vacations and outings if you can afford to, what isn’t fine is exceeding your budget or borrowing money, simply because you want to have fun or look good in front of your friends.

Think about how much money you would be saving now if you decided to postpone your vacation to a later date when you are more financially capable.

12. Buying things for the purpose of impressing

Most people suffer from FOMO (“Fear of missing out”) and they are constantly trying to fit into a certain part of the society or buy certain things in order to impress their family and friends. You deserve to enjoy the good things of life, but that should not be at the expense of your ability to save.

Stick with what you can afford now, then work and save towards being able to comfortably afford better in the future.

13. Unimportant home appliances

Some of us buy home appliances that are not useful simply because it was on sale or a friend was selling it. Why not transfer the money you use on such things into increasing your savings?

Remember, appliances don’t increase in value, so even if you think you can re-sell them later, the truth is, by then it would have lost so much value that no one will want it!

14. Unnecessary event or concert tickets

Attending events and concerts are a very good way to entertain ourselves, no doubt, but you shouldn’t make it a priority or be in attendance at the expense of your savings.

If you can’t afford it without it affecting your savings, sit at home and entertain yourself (make a twerk video if you’re that bored. Who knows? You might just become rich and famous for it…but then again, who wants to be famous for that?).

15. Expensive Jewelry

Jewelry can be very fashionable but it is important that you settle for the ones within your budget range.

These items are luxuries and not a need that you can’t do without, therefore you need to choose the money you spend on purchasing them wisely.

16. Betting

There are people who believe that they will make a huge fortune from betting one day and these set of people don’t mind spending the little income they earn on it.

If that were really the case, then a lot of people should be billionaires from betting. Instead, the little money that people win from it sometimes, still goes back into playing in hopes of winning more. What a cycle!

Being addicted to betting and gambling is in itself a very dangerous and bad habit. Save the money you would normally use on betting and use it for a more profitable business or investment.

17. Clothes for occasions

Often, we break the bank to buy a new outfit for a one-day occasion and we end up not wearing the outfit after that day.

Instead, use the clothes you had before for the occasion and save the money you want to spend on buying a new one because you will eventually tuck it away deep in your closet anyway.

18. Cheap but low quality products

It is better to buy an expensive but durable product than a cheap one with a very low quality.

This doesn’t mean that all cheap products are of low quality and all expensive products are durable, but if you find out that a certain product is cheap but of low quality, go for a more durable alternative regardless of if it is more expensive.

In the end, you will realize that you would have spent more money on replacing the cheap low quality product several times than you would have spent on buying the expensive but durable one just once.

19. Cable TV subscription

With many online TV options to choose from that you can access on your mobile gadgets, it is more reasonable to opt for those options and save yourself the unnecessary cost of subscribing to cable TV. This is especially if you barely watch TV. It’s simply going to waste!

Or you could simply give up watching TV entirely, and see how your life changes for the better. With all that extra free time on your hands, who knows, you could finally start that business or write that book you’ve been meaning to!

20. Transportation

If you are going somewhere and you can reach the place comfortably by foot, then by all means do so.

The money spent on the public transportation you would have taken or the fuel you would have used in driving can be saved for a better use. Also, don’t be lazy. Use those legs, baby!

As Warren Buffet said, “Do not save what is left after spending; instead spend what is left after saving”.

Although we don’t ever wish for problems, they are an inevitable part of human life. So the next time you think of making that impulse purchase or buying an expensive item that you don’t need, think about what would happen if a money emergency came up suddenly and you don’t have any savings or anyone that could quickly come to your aid and help you solve the problem. You can definitely save money if you stop buying things you don’t really need.

If not for anything, it is paramount that you are very careful with your spending in order to gather enough savings to help you on your journey to financial freedom.

Psst – Do you find yourself worried about money constantly? Always thinking that there’s never enough? Then you really need to work on your money mindset, which can be the biggest thing that’s keeping more money from coming in.

I’d highly suggest you watch this video and reprogram your brain from scarcity thinking to abundant thinking. There’s some testimonials in the video which you can skip but there’s some valuable content within. Why not check it out?

Remember to pin these 20 things to stop buying to save money!

If you found this post about things you can stop buying to save money helpful, even just a tiny bit, please take a moment to pin it to your savings board on Pinterest. Thank you!

April 14, 2020
10 Real Ways to Save Money on Groceries When Shopping on a Budget

Grocery shopping can often times take up a large chunk of our monthly budget. I know most of us are always trying to save money where we can, and shopping for groceries are no exception. With the help of some smart shopping tips and habits, it is possible for you to save money on groceries. Here are some of the methods you can employ to save money on groceries so you can stick to your budget.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission – at absolutely no extra cost to you – if you purchase something through one of my links. Please see my full affiliate disclaimer here.

Eat Less Meat

It’s no secret that meat is expensive and adds up to a big number on your grocery bill. Eating less meat could save you up to a $1000 a year. I’m not saying that you should cut meat out completely, but limiting it to 2 or 3 times per week could go a long way towards saving you some money.

Replace some of your usual meat based meals with meals not centered on meat. You can try things like eating more veggies, lentils or beans. You can also buy more chicken instead of the meat you would normally buy, as chicken often tends to be cheaper than meat.

Don’t Shop While Hungry

Avoid shopping for groceries when you are hungry. You are much more likely to blow your food budget when you are hungry and reaching for everything in sight that looks tasty. Rather eat a good meal before you go grocery shopping, this way it’s easier to stick to your shopping list.

Skip Prepared Food & Meals

I know buying prepared food can be super convenient and a great time saver, but that convenience doesn’t always come cheap. In almost all cases, if you buy the ingredients and make the meal yourself, you’ll end up getting a lot more bang for you buck. If you end up making more than you need, you can always freeze the leftovers and save it for later.

Buy in Bulk

Bulk items are often listed at a cheaper price per item than the price of the individual item. If you see an item that you know you will use available in bulk on special, it might be a good idea to buy in bulk. This way you can stock up on items that you know you will need while it’s on sale and ensure you have enough of it until it goes on sale again.

Meal Planning

Meal planning goes hand in hand with your shopping list. If you plan your meals for the week ahead of time, you can create your shopping list accordingly. This helps you stick to your meal plan as well as your budget. Before you plan your meals, look at the weekly specials of the stores around you and see if you can incorporate those items in your meal plan to save extra money.

Use Coupons

Using coupons can be a great way to save money on groceries, however, make sure you don’t fall into the trap of buying things you don’t really need simply to make use of coupons. To make the most effective use of coupons, combine them with store sales to save even more.

Make A List

There is a saying that goes “Failing to plan, is planning to fail”. This is also true when going shopping. Make a shopping list before you go shopping and stick to it.

Once you have your list, you can also look at the different stores around you to see if they are running any specials on the items you need. Having a list to stick to holds you accountable and ensures that you only buy what you really need.

Be Aware of Sales

When you already have a shopping list planned out, it’s easier to shop the sales. If you know exactly what you are looking for, its easier to match up which stores have a sale or promotion running on those items. You can also combine this with meal planning and plan your meal according to the sales of the shops around you.

Skip the Brand Names

I know we all love buying brand names, it’s the products we know and love, but sometimes we can get the exact same product from a generic brand for a lot cheaper. Generic brands often have the same product and quality, so don’t be afraid to give it a try. If you are skeptical, you can also compare the ingredients of your favorite brand to that of the generic brand – chances are they will be almost identical!

Compare Prices per Unit Size

We all sometimes reach for the biggest size and think that we’ll be saving money by buying the bigger container. Unfortunately this isn’t always true as some companies are more sneaky with their prices. You’ll be surprised to know that in some cases buying two or more smaller containers actually works out cheaper than buying the large one.

Also check out this list of 20 things you can absolutely stop buying to save even more money!

Hope you found these tips useful and that they actually help you to save money on groceries going forward. If you have any other habits that help you save money on groceries, let me know, I’d love to hear about them!

Psst – Do you find yourself worried about money constantly? Always thinking that there’s never enough? Then you really need to work on your money mindset, which can be the biggest thing that’s keeping more money from coming in.

I’d highly suggest you watch this video and reprogram your brain from scarcity thinking to abundant thinking. There’s some testimonials in the video which you can skip but there’s some valuable content within. Why not check it out?

Don’t forget to pin this post!

April 14, 2020
20 Productive Things To Do At Home When You Are Bored
If you have some time on your hands, or if you’re stuck at home without anything to do, it’s easy to start to feel bored. However there are quite a number of productive things to do at home when you are bored. And it can be pretty fun too.

Everyone goes through a phase of boredom at one point or the other but boredom can be conquered by following these 3 simple steps:

1. Understand what boredom is and what it can cause.
2. Have some effective strategies in place that you can use to fight boredom immediately when it kicks in.
3. Have a list of productive and fun activities to do that will help you break out of boredom.

Boredom is a feeling caused as a result of monotony in daily activities, lack of energy, lack of motivation, procrastination, loneliness, being idle or not finding anything interesting to do.

But sometimes, you could be surrounded with people and things to do but still be bored. Sigh, it’s way better to be bored alone than to have someone actually boring the remaining life out of you!

Now, there is a difference between being lazy and feeling bored. Laziness refers to when a person is just lounging around and doesn’t put any effort into doing anything, while boredom means not having much to do or not motivated to do anything.

20 Fun & Productive Things To Do At Home When Boredom Strikes

As the saying goes, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. Therefore, you need to get your hands or mind busy in a positive way as much as you can, in order to fight boredom, which may lead to having terrible thoughts or doing things you don’t really want to (like overeating).

Below are 20 fun and productive things to do at home when you find yourself feeling bored. They won’t just help you pass time when you’re bored, but will also be productive and fruitful for your personal development.

1. Learn a new skill

What better way to kill boredom than to equip yourself with a new skill? There are different types of new skills you could learn that will even help you forge ahead in whatever career you already have at hand.

The good news is that you can learn most of these skills online for free, examples are: digital marketing, graphic design, photography, content creation, e.t.c. The bad news is…well there’s no bad news, you have no excuse not to learn that skill now, especially if you’ve got the time!

Learning a new skill can be a very exciting and fun thing to do. It could even make you money in the long run if you decide to offer it as a service to other people (which I’m pretty sure you want to do because it seems in 2020, everyone wants to make a bit of extra money )!

2. Improve your existing skills

You probably have a certain skill you have learnt before, but you just abandoned it or you haven’t made any move to find out the new development in that field—now is the time to find ways to improve on that skill.

Times are always changing, as change is the only constant thing in life. The only way to stay on top of your game with any skill you have is to constantly change with the times by learning and practicing the newly introduced developments in that are. And the best time to do this…is…drum roll…when you’re bored, since you know, you’ve got the time.

3. Learn a new language

Learning a new language is a very interesting practice to engage in and it might come in handy for you at anytime. A lot of people have always had the intention to learn a new language but they always postpone it due to lack of time.

Learning a new language broadens your mind, and gives you a view of other cultures and ways of life. You might even decide to visit the place where the language is spoken someday and you will be able to actively communicate with the people.

You don’t necessarily have to go to a language learning center or take a physical course in school to learn a new language anymore, everything can be learned online. And some platforms even offer it for free (whoop whoop)!

4. Read

Reading is a very exciting thing to do, be it fiction or non-fiction. You either learn a thing or two, get entertained or possibly get more motivated. In times when you are bored or don’t have anything to do, reading can be a good way to pass time effectively.

5. Do a physical workout

Physical workout is not just a way to help you fight boredom, it also helps you stay healthy and fit.

Have any unwanted belly fat? You can actually get rid of it when you’re bored!

You can go for a run or do indoor exercises, whichever works for you is fine. There are plenty of free exercise classes online. The end result is what matters.

6. Keep your mind busy and brainstorm

Great ideas are born out of mere thoughts and as Napoleon Hill said, “Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes”. The best time to brainstorm and formulate new ideas is when you are bored and doing nothing productive.

Let your mind wander, bring up different scenarios, think about what a certain action you implement will lead to. Just free your mind and think strategically.

Who knows, you could come up with a brand new business idea, or a best seller book idea. Or if you’re stuck with a particular problem in some area of your life, you might finally come up with a good solution.

7. Empty your mailbox or messages and send responses

Reading through your messages and mail can be tiring sometimes. And even when you read them you might not have enough time to send back responses immediately. That’s why it’s so easy to just let the messages pile up. And pile up. And then you see the number of messages keep growing, and it makes it even more daunting to tackle that inbox. (I’m definitely guilty of doing this).

The perfect time to get your inbox back in order is when you are bored. Open your mailbox or messages, read through the important ones, delete the unimportant ones and respond to those you should.

Before you know it, you have gotten that out of the way and you also beat boredom all at once. And your future self will thank you for it. Definitely one of the more productive things to do at home when you are bored.

8. Check up on family and friends and spend time with them

Caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, we don’t always have the time to check up on those dear to us or even spend time with them. Pick up your phone to call them today and ask how they are doing. Visit them if you can and spend quality time with them.

9. Adopt a new hobby

Hobbies are things we love to do and find joy in doing. Everyone has one or two hobbies, but it doesn’t hurt to have more up your sleeve in order to beat boredom.

There are a wide variety of hobbies a person can choose from; singing (basically everyone’s hobby in the shower), swimming, photography, writing, reading, sightseeing, cooking, painting, drawing.

The list is endless and all you have to do is try some out (or all of them) one at a time in order to decide which one works best for you.

10. Take a walk

Taking a walk is a very therapeutic thing to do, it helps you clear your head, think better and breathe in fresh air (or run into that cute boy down the street).

One of the best things you can do for yourself when you are bored is to take a long walk down your block or to a serene place, appreciate nature in all it’s glory, breathe in fresh air and be refreshed.

11. Plan your next trip

We all deserve a little bit of fun and there are places we can go to in order to make that a reality. But just going to places isn’t all of the fun. Planning your trip can be just as much fun!

So plan that next a fishing trip, a boat cruise, a mountain hike, or visiting a new place you really want to see. Anything fun that catches your fancy.

12. Watch an informational movie or documentary

Watching movies or documentaries that you can learn something from is a very fun way to alleviate boredom. Not only are you getting entertained, you also get to learn one or two things. So grab some popcorn, put on something interesting and chill.

13. Listen to music

Who doesn’t love some beautiful sounds and lyrics to the ears? As Billy Joel said, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”

You want to kill that boredom? Plug in your earphones, put on that stereo and play that music you love. If possible dance to it, reflect on it and let it warm your heart. You will be glad you did it.

14. Create something

Creation is the whole essence of life, the world was created and so were we.

There are different things you could get your hands on and create. It could be as simple as planting a new flower, creating a photo book, or a drawing.

You are not limited, all you have to do is create something, anything. It doesn’t just cure boredom, but it also heightens your creativity level and gives you a sense of achievement.

15. Evaluate your progress

One very good time to reflect and evaluate how far you have gone with your plans, goals and aspirations is when you are bored.

You’ll be able to critically think about all that you have done to work towards your goals, how successful your steps have been, and what you need to stop doing or start doing more of. This way, you give yourself a fresh perspective and a new start if needed.

16. Socialize and network

The truth is, you will always need people in whatever endeavor you choose in life. And what better way to meet more people than to network and socialize.

This can be done in person by attending events or shows, but it could also easily be done via the internet if you’re stuck at home. The key is to reach out to people, spark interesting conversations, tell them what you do, exchange contacts and keep in touch.

17. Meditate

Meditation is the exercise of the mind.

In the words of Pema Chodron, “Meditation is a process of lightening up, of trusting the basic goodness of what we have and who we are, and of realizing that any wisdom that exists, exists in what we already have. We can lead our life so as to become more awake to who we are and what we’re doing rather than trying to improve or change or get rid of who we are or what we’re doing. The key is to wake up, to become more alert, more inquisitive and curious about ourselves.”

By meditating, you are training your mind to focus, redirecting your thoughts positively and letting go of stress. It is a very effective and productive way to overcome boredom.

18. Take a Nap

Okay, this does not look so productive at first glance, but the body (and mind) need adequate rest to function well. Instead of worrying about how bored you are, why not just lay down and take a nap?

Not only are you eliminating your boredom by doing this, but you are also giving your body and mind the adequate rest that it deserves. This can be especially helpful if you don’t normally get a good night’s rest.

19. Write something

Anais Nin said, “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect”, and I absolutely agree.

Writing helps your mind to travel far away with imagination. It helps you to understand things that are blurry and helps you put tiny shattered pieces of thought together.

You can write about absolutely anything. Putting pen on paper or typing out those words helps you free your mind. Just keep scribbling without stopping and without judgement. You’ll be surprised that the words make so much sense to the next person. Writing is a therapeutic way to beat boredom.

20. Eliminate procrastination

Procrastination has always been said to be “ the greatest thief of time”.

Sometimes you have so much to do, that it starts to seem overwhelming, and then you abandon it all and instead begin to complain of boredom. You need to stand up now, motivate yourself and get back to what you really should be doing instead of moping around and complaining of boredom.

Postponing what you should do now till later won’t make you any better or more relaxed, because you still have that particular thing hanging over your head. Get up and start doing something.

So, dear friend, it’s okay to get bored, don’t we all? But the right thing to do is find a way or ways to get out of it before it eats you up.

How much better if it’s something that will also end up being productive for you in the end. Explore new things, find new ideas and build on existing ones. Doing the things highlighted in this article will be your easy way out of boredom.

Also check out:
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April 7, 2020
30 Easy Ways To Improve Yourself Little By Little Every Day
Humans in general have so many limitations most of which are set by the human brain. So basically, they are limits set only by your mind and can completely be overruled if you work on your mindset. You can totally turn your life around with little ways to improve yourself bit by bit every day.

Limitations of the body such as not having an extra arm to help you clip your toenails while you brush your teeth might be impossible to beat, but when we talk about limitations of the mind, the only limit that actually exists is the one you impose on yourself.

The mind has unlimited possibilities and if you can unlock these, well, you may just be able to fly (or run really fast, if we’re being realistic). Each of these little ways to improve yourself will help set every aspect of your life on track, with end results that are beyond satisfying.

1. Read a good book

Reading a book generally adds more value to your bank of knowledge. Books contain a lot of information that often you never knew you needed but right after learning them, you start to wonder how you ever lived without them. Try reading a book which has a great stream of reviews or based on recommendations (not something like Fifty Shades Darker of course). You never know what you may gain to improve yourself in the process.

2. Zone in…or zone out (either way, find your zone)

Think of your zone as a kind of head space where you get comfortable, a place where you feel the most relaxed with as minimal worries as can be. Visiting this head space often expels negativity while procuring positivity, and having a positive mind will inevitably improve your general self.

3. Defy fear

Fear often stops a person from reaching his or her full potential and that’s the very reason I refer to it as the natural enemy of progress. Having fear of a particular outcome will definitely limit your view of solutions to a problem so it’s advised that when in fear, do the exact opposite of what fear is telling you to do. Go all out and explore all possible options, this has proven to help boost the success of many individuals in life.

4. Perfect your skill set

Having a set of skills is so important that you may just be irrelevant in the world without one. Improving or honing such skills has helped so many individuals achieve unimaginable feats in their various fields. It’s better to be a one trick pony and be a master of your skill than being a jack of all trades but a master of none. Doing this daily would drastically improve you as a person.

5. Get accustomed to waking up early

Getting up during the early hours of the morning gives you an edge over those who wake up late everyday and rush through every morning. It provides you with extra time to get something done or maybe complete unfinished business or better yet practice a certain skill in order to perfect it. This process will open up its benefits to you after performing it for just a short period of time.

6. Exercise daily

Working on your physical body has a great impact on your mental health (besides giving you tight abs of course). Physical fitness helps you get to places faster (yes, if you’ve been wondering why you’re slow and get tired after walking a few blocks, well, I hate to break it to you but…you need to exercise!).

It also helps you look better which is all we really want even though we won’t all admit it. Daily exercise is definitely a necessary step in improving yourself as a person.

7. Try new challenges

Taking on new tasks challenges your brain to come up with better ways of solving a problem, generally improving your faculty of thinking, boosting morale and taking success levels higher than before.

8. Accept your flaws

Identifying areas where you lack the capability of performing well is the first step in acquiring the skills to solve that problem. The instant you can identify your flaws, you gain the ability to turn them into areas of strengths and we all know that every person out there has his or her flaws. I myself have a few and by few I mean a thousand or so. The moment you actualize this step, you will watch yourself improve beautifully in different areas.

9. Control your vices

Every human on earth at the stage of puberty will likely develop a vice or two, unless of course you’re little miss perfect. Vices are sort of bad habits we indulge in at certain times in our lives and most stick with us throughout our life span. An example of a vice would be smoking, drinking, gambling or maybe something seemingly harmless like eating too many sweets or candy. Cutting down on this will improve your health and general well-being.

10. Learn tolerance

Sometimes in life, we face complicating circumstances and how we deal with them or respond to them could drastically improve or reduce the quality of the result. That’s why in certain cases we need to learn to be patient, for instance, while waiting on something or receiving an annoying response from another individual.

11. Learn a strategic game

Learning a game like chess or checkers will help you improve your ability to think on the spot and come up with valuable solutions to various problems. This skill comes in handy when you are faced with challenging problems, seeing as the game would have trained your brain to think faster.

12. Cut down TV time

Yes, television (TV) can be educative sometimes but definitely not all the time. While watching things like news programs on TV can update a person on what is going on in their surroundings, it could also serve as a distraction and can turn into a bad habit pretty quickly.

Cutting down TV time is necessary in order to create enough time to be productive in other aspects of our lives.

13. Set a personal challenge

Putting certain obstacles in front of you slows you down for a while but once you can pull through such challenges, facing them in reality would be ten times easier because you have already faced such a challenge before. This step will improve your problem solving skills.

14. Cling to top innovators

When I say cling to top innovators I don’t mean stalk them on their social media pages, monitor their movements and lurk in the shadows behind their homes. Now, that’s just creepy. I mean, cling to the advice they give to the general public since that’s what has gotten them to such heights.

15. Focus on your goals

If you have identified goals or feats you are hell bent on achieving make sure no one out there slows you down or tries to stop you from reaching them. Give your goals your full attention and time.

16. Find inner peace

The human mind is the base or the foundation of all the processes that go on in the human body, think of it as the engine room in a train. Without it being in perfect order, the train would have difficulties performing at maximum potential.

That’s the same thing that would happen in the human body. Training your mind is essential in trying to improve yourself everyday and to be able to do this, inner peace must be found and this can be done through different processes like coming to terms with past events or meditation.

17. Idolize your mentor

A mentor is someone you look up to and want to be like in life. Achieving this is possible if you follow in his footsteps and do things the way he would, make decisions he would make and even eat things he would eat (okay, maybe don’t be too stalker-ish).

18. Try writing a book

Writing a book might sound like a very long and complicated process but it’s actually really possible. Several people over time have done so. Writing helps you explore a whole different world of information, improving many things within you, especially your vocabulary. Try this out and see the fun parts of it start to unravel right before your eyes.

19. Avoid bad vibes

When around people or with company, there are certain feelings which can be felt in the air. These can be referred to as “vibes.” A vibe can either make or break a situation depending on whether it’s positive or negative, good or bad. So avoiding people with bad vibes is a great way to protect your own positive vibes. Bad energy…stay far away!

20. Execute ideas

Ideas are very good things to have but having an idea and not acting on it defies the entire purpose of coming up with one. If you have an idea, stop coming up with excuses not to act on it. Stop procrastinating. Write that business proposal today, call that acquaintance today, go for that trip today…and shave those legs today!

If you always come up with ideas and never act on them, you won’t see your ideas become a reality. It’s just so easy to go through life this way, and pretty soon you’re old and looking back on your life wishing you started doing everything sooner.

21. Realize next to impossible goals

When setting standards, set them high, even if they are too high for you (not unrealistically high, but you get the point). Doing this will help you grow yourself in order to actualize the goal you have set in place.

Think of it as putting money on a high shelf so each time you need it you have to do a little hop to get it. With time, you would gain the ability to jump higher than you could before.

22. Create a schedule

Being busy is not a bad thing as long as you’re busy improving yourself. Try to allocate different times to different activities in your life, making sure each one gets the required amount of time to see a positive impact.

23. Ask for reviews or feedback

Never be too shy to ask another person what they think of your progress or your work so far and don’t feel bad if you get negative reviews. You either win or learn, there’s no losing.

Negative feedback just means there is a little more work to be done and if all your reviews come out positive then that’s a win-win situation for you as a person, and it proves that what you have been doing actually works.

24. A little competition is healthy

Rivalries are common in various fields and have shown more positive results than negative. A rival is someone you would try to beat when giving a solution to a problem, for instance, or just generally try to be better than.

Now I’m not referring to a batman and joker kind of relationship but something healthier, such that you would both push each other to the point where each of you would have to improve to a certain quality in order to match one another.

25. Say no to late nights

Many believe staying up late and even pushing up to the early hours of the morning gives the desired result concerning work or study. On the contrary, doing this may reduce the quality of whatever solution you’re looking to procure. The human body requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep and depriving yourself of that would definitely take a toll on you after a certain amount of time. Instead, go to bed early and start your mornings early.

26. Try new hobbies

As mentioned before, trying new things always has a positive effect on the human brain and opens it up to a whole new world of information. So, you really have nothing to lose with trying out new hobbies.

27. Learn a new language

This is a very beautiful and fun process to go through while trying to better yourself as a person. Learning a new language can become very useful in different situations and gives you an edge over those who can’t keep up with you because they lack the skill.

28. Eat healthy

You will never hear a person complain about being too healthy. With that said, you should definitely add healthy meals to your daily diet. Doing this keeps your brain in good condition to think and your body in a better condition to act, thus improving your daily routine.

29. Observe your surroundings

The human mind always tries to get new information from whatever it can pick up which is why whenever you go somewhere new, you tend to helplessly look around, but this is a very good attribute actually. When you observe your surroundings, you tend to know when and how to act in order to match the situation and deliver the best form of results.

30. Have a little fun or rest period

Having fun can be done in various ways depending on your personal preference and choices. Some prefer to sit and play games while others prefer to involve themselves in more strenuous activities like playing sports, jogging or even boxing (how random right?). Resting can be put in place of this. Just make sure you give yourself time away from all the work and stress in order to give your brain a chance to recuperate so you come back bigger, better and more attractive (wink wink).

Try applying these steps in your day to day life and you are sure to see a positive impact in your life as a person. These steps will bring about tranquility, and even if you don’t use them all, try your best to practice at least half of them and expect incredible results.

Also check out these posts:
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Don’t forget to pin these 30 easy ways to improve yourself to your personal development board on Pinterest. You can also follow me for more tips and ideas like these that can change your life if you let it.
April 3, 2020
Top 10 Morning Habits To Supercharge Your Day With Positivity
There’s an old adage. If you get out of bed with the wrong foot, it will ruin your entire day. While scientists cannot identify the guilty foot, you can sway the odds in your favor. Here are ten morning habits that are free and easy enough to mush into a busy morning schedule.

Morning habits for positivity and productivity

How you start your mornings can have a big influence on how the rest of your day goes. That’s why putting in the work to fix your morning habits and morning routine can be a huge benefit. Below are some suggestions for you to start with.

1. Give Thanks – Whatever That Means To You

Expressing gratitude is very personal. Especially when it’s a little abstract and you’re not thanking an actual person standing in front of you. For some, it’s a moment of faith and prayer. Others like writing in a gratitude journal. You can even just sit with your morning brew and thankful thoughts. No action required.

It doesn’t matter if you’re thankful for the same things most days. Gratitude or thanksgiving isn’t a well that runs dry because you’re only allowed to name your newborn once.

Instead, the point of the exercise is to hone your ability to spot the gems that exist in your life right now. No matter how big or small. You’re allowed to name something for as long as you’re grateful for it.

Positive reflection brings peace in the moment and strength for the rest of the day.

2. Wash Your Face (And Indulge)

Let’s face it. That face is not a pretty face once you peel it from the pillow – and we tend to feel the sleep on our skin. The tightness, the not-so-rightness. Ah, that’s where the magic of a washcloth comes in.

This habit is a great one to start with, right after you get up. It’s simple and refreshing, capable of waking even those who don’t know what species they are until they’ve had their first cup of coffee.

While this habit is mostly about sleeping in your washcloth for a second before waking up, you’re welcome to go the extra mile. There’s plenty of evidence that suggests you can boost your confidence by sprucing up. But as important as routine hygiene is, don’t make it all about that.

Do something that’s an absolute spoiler. That vanilla-flavored face scrub that’s not necessary but makes you feel like a queen? That one. Indulging in a favorite product is a deeply positive thing to do for your mood.

3. One Rep, Two Reps – Or Just Stretch

This one is entirely optional… Because we understand. Some people and exercise don’t mix in the morning.

That being said, if you struggle with waking up then you might want to consider gentle stretching. Chances are that even a slight attempt to stretch a few muscles will clear the brain fog and provide a pleasant physical buzz. Indeed, these are the perks that drive those who love intensive exercise in the morning.

Don’t worry, this paragraph won’t nag about the health benefits of exercising. Everyone knows how important movement is these days. But in the spirit of exercise being critical to good health, let’s cover one more benefit of morning mojo. A busy day leaves most people too tired to crawl over to that yoga mat when they get home. But when done first thing in the morning, nothing can prevent you from growing fitter, stronger, and healthier.

4. Freshen Up With Meditation

Meditation is like a washcloth for the mind. Sure, the Zen might not scrub the dirt off yesterday’s worst moments but that’s not the purpose of your morning routine. The purpose of being monkish in the early hours is to relax and loosen yesterday’s grip so that you can face today.

Meditation shares a drawback with exercise – not everybody likes doing it so early. For this reason, you really don’t have to be politically correct here. There needn’t be a yoga-certified cushion, home studio or oriental music piping in the background. Meditation can be done sitting on the sofa and a five-minute session can center somebody who meditates regularly.

To foster positivity, focus on starting fresh. Give yourself permission to let go of the emotional baggage of yesterday and try again today. If this is too upsetting for some reason, don’t do it. Instead, rely on an old faithful – just be aware of your surroundings, feelings, and thoughts but don’t attach yourself to them. Just observe. This also breaks the draining bond we share with bad memories.

Top tip: Don’t try to be perfect. Enjoy and relax into the process. Acknowledge any frustrations and release them.

5. Plan your day

Here’s a gremlin that kills morning joy – feeling unprepared for a busy day. The best antidote is to work with a plan. Even a rough draft (literally just a To-Do list) can do wonders for mental tension. When you know what must be done and in what order, things no longer seem so overwhelming.

You can devote a few minutes each morning to plan your day. If you’d rather create your schedule the night before, you can use the morning to review any preparations for the day’s meetings, appointments, and projects.

Once again, don’t aim for perfection. You’re up against a hard fact of life – nearly every day is derailed by one or two unexpected things. The idea is to follow a realistic schedule that removes a good portion of stress from your routine.

6. Vegetate Like A Champion

You’ve been waiting for this one, haven’t you? Well, now you have permission to make “doing nothing” a positive morning habit.

The best time is before the rush of the day’s first chores. For instance, while the kids are still sleeping or you have enough time before going to work. This habit is a wonderful way to ease into the day.

If doing zilch for half an hour gives you peace of mind, then carve out that slot like you mean it. Sit in your slippers or work shoes, hold that heavenly caffeinated drink between your palms and vegetate with zeal.

7. Ditch The News For Inspiration

The stories we hear on the news are mostly bad. So much so that some people have abandoned listening to news broadcasts altogether. It remains each person’s choice to tune in to the BBC or buy a newspaper.

But for the benefit of creating a positive morning habit, how about shifting your usual news slot to a later time during the day? We might not personally know that politician messing up another policy or the toddler who got caught in the crossfire of two gangs. But unsettling reports like these dampen our spirits.

When big news is afoot, chances are that somebody will tell you anyway. Sometimes we cannot control when a friend or family member spills the beans. However, you can control the start of your day by shutting off the news.

Read one inspirational article instead of the news. You can make it random by just searching the Internet. These reads are legion and you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Another option is to digest a solution to something you’re struggling with at the moment. It could be anxiety, finances, your business, wanting a new bullet journal spread, or how to reignite your passion for a hobby.

The difference cannot be overstated. Sure, the news has its place – but it rarely pushes you forward on your own journey. The news doesn’t really care about you.

On the other hand, inspirational articles can bring a dramatic change in anyone’s life. It takes a single piece of advice to resonate with you. When that happens, blocks are removed and things move forward. They can also provide strength to survive difficult times. The good news is that these benefits are available even when inspirational articles are limited to twice or three times a week.

8. Spit And Polish A Drawer

Alright, don’t spit. This part does involve cleaning but you don’t have to take out the mop and energy drink.

Just pick a small area to organize, like a shelf or drawer. The bedside stand or the dog’s basket. Pack things away, throw away what you don’t need, arrange items in a useful and aesthetic way, and wipe the area down. Eventually, they’ll add up. For example, if you do this every morning then around 30 spaces a month inside your home gets organized. That’s a lot!

This is a positive habit for several reasons. A neat room calms the mind. A messy environment tends to do the opposite. This is also an effective way for busy individuals to get a handle on clutter. The same counts for those without the energy or physical strength to spring clean an entire house or room.

You’ll feel inspired knowing that you organized so much in a single month and barely spend five minutes on the task every day.

PS: You can check out these great bedroom organization ideas if you’re looking for tips!

9. Slay An Epic Goal

You don’t have to devote hours a day to achieve your biggest dreams. To be honest, it’s not always feasible to spend that much time on a goal when you have a family, career, and problems that need tending to. But before you know it, the years pass without any significant personal milestones. Your first-draft novel sits in a box for a decade. That degree never materializes. And your life becomes filled with regrets.

Epic goals are hard to achieve. Believe it or not, but there’s a higher chance of success when you whittle that monster down with achievable steps.

The biggest mistake people make is to get carried away with excitement and then rush things. They invest massive amounts of emotional or time-bound actions. Most either burn themselves out or end up resenting the effort. What used to be a dream suddenly feels like a chore. One without any rewards. This is one of the reasons why people give up on major goals.

A 10 to 15-minute slot in the morning could prevent such frustrations. It could make you more excited to work on the goal because you know there’s only a tiny window allotted every day. This keeps the work interesting and fresh. Additionally, you can also go about your day knowing that you contributed a meaningful step towards something that’s personally important to you.

10. Have A Positive Conversation (Or Avoid A Negative One)

For this recipe, you’ll need another person. Only add a positive human being to the mix and stir.

Alright, reality check. Not everyone lives in a house full of perky people. There’s bound to be a grouch in the home. Hey, sometimes you’re the crabby one. But don’t underestimate the power of putting negativity on the shelf for just one conversation.

Keeping a talk on track takes practice. But when two people can just be together in the morning and hold a conversation that they know won’t get weird, what happens? They feel safe. There’s a sense of camaraderie and relaxation. The loneliness fades.

A morning can also be peaceful without a conversation. No talking is sometimes better than a fight. We’ve all experienced that regrettable moment right before work when a talk went south. An argument so early (and probably unresolved) often ruins the rest of the day with icky feelings.

For this reason, mornings should only be filled with a hearty topic or golden silence – or even a hearty-golden-thingy in between.

Reclaim Your Mornings And Make A Difference

Modern life consumes time with an insatiable appetite. There must come a point when you say, “Enough,” and put your foot down.

It’s critical to devote time to yourself, your family, and personal goals. Since most things are mapped out for later hours, the morning is a forgotten haven where life can change. You can lose weight, become fitter, get a grip on anxiety, write a novel, relax, and get to know your loved ones. The list is as endless and long as your own imagination.

As you can see, cultivating positivity in the morning and developing good morning habits isn’t about grand gestures. There’s no need to strain an over-stretched budget. The best things are free and available at home.

This list is packed with good ideas but you can add anything, really. But remember, when you experiment with your perfect mornings – only keep the activities that lift your mood and energy!

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April 2, 2020