“With good habits we set ourselves up for good days— and for the resilience needed to ease a tough day!”
simple template for a good day
Hello Sisters,
We can influence the quality of most of our days. It’s our inner posture that sets the tone and our planning that stacks the deck in our favor. With good habits we set ourselves up for good days and for the resilience needed to ease a tough day. Either way, we win.
These are 4 things that set the trajectory for a life of better days…
1. Your day starts the night before.
Go to bed at an hour that lets you wake up refreshed. Finish with screens 2-3 hrs before bedtime and use the end of the evening for baths, (paper) books, and having a cup of tea with a loved one. Unwind your mind and body so that your nervous system is primed to let go and replenish well. If you finish the night late or with stressful entertainment (like a suspenseful series you enjoy but it raises your stress hormones) your system will have a harder time transitioning to peaceful sleep.
2. Finish eating 3-4 hours before bedtime.
This allows your digestion to wrap up and your sleep to be deeper. It also allows your glymphatic (brain cleansing) fluid the blood flow access needed (because digestion is complete) to clean the amyloid plaque from the brain. This reduces dementia risk and optimizes brain aging. Eating early also improves effortless weight management —since calories consumed later in the day are more likely to end up being stored as fat.
3. Use the first part of your day to get your mind right and orient your spiritual awareness.
Sometimes we wake up upset from a dream—or for no discernible reason. We need to set aside time each morning to orient our mind to True North and align our Spirit with our Creator.
Nothing is more important for setting the course of our day, than choosing our focus and getting clear on the day’s approach and priorities.
First we need to set our “to be” intention for the day. What qualities must we embody that day to be in alignment with our calling? Then you set your top “to do” list—keep it as short as possible and let extras be “bonus” accomplishments. The longer the list, that more rigid we get trying to fit it all in. Rigidity and desperation to get through the list by the end of the day are the enemies of Presence and responsiveness. We want to be vessels used by God in service and that requires an openness that is tough to access when the agenda is set in stone to the minute.
4. Prime your body for health.
Hopefully you slept well. Next you set your inner being for success. Now, its time to hydrate. Aim for 32 oz of electrolyte enhanced water in the first hour after rising. After plenty of water, a supplement or two is a good idea. Many need to be taken on an empty stomach, so early in the day is perfect timing. Allowing 15-30 minutes for the supplements to pass through the stomach, now you can do a nutritive drink like vegetable juice, a smoothie, or some tea.
Morning is a great time to hydrate and get the body in an alkaline state for the day. You may eat (or prep for a later) breakfast. And hopefully have 15-60 minutes of morning exercise. Ideally, its done outside in the fresh air where your circadian rhythms can sync with the morning light (which sets you up for good sleep later). A brisk walk or some stretching is a basic workout to aim for or exceed. Do something more intense if you have the time and energy.
How we start the day has a huge effect on how the day unfolds. When we create evening and morning routines that prioritize rest, clarity, and health, we access an enormous advantage for the whole day. Each day is a precious gift to be treated with reverence. I hope you feel encouraged and inspired to take your routines to the next level. The quality of your life depends on it!
Cheering you on,
Rachel
ps. If you’d like some support on your journey, let’s talk. Click here for details.