A Better Today

A Better Today

Today's Tip

• Play hooky. Take a day off. Do exactly what you want. Lounge and read? Cool. Exercise? Do it. Watch movies? Fun! Shopping trip? Why not? It’s your day. No pressure.
• Smile. No, really: smile. When you get up tomorrow, look in the mirror and smile as big as you can. Like you mean it. You will feel the dopamine and serotonin—the stuff that makes you feel good—start to flow. Follow through during the day. When appropriate!
• Walk. Whenever possible. Stairs, not elevator. Long way around, not shortcut. You’ll soon notice a skip in your step. Next stop: levitation! Just kidding. Sort of.
• Give someone special a bunch of flowers for absolutely no reason. Birthday and holiday gifts are fine, but it’s those surprising, nice things out of the blue that make a day. And you’ll feel pretty good, too.
• Bend and stretch, reach for the stars. That childhood ditty made a lot of sense. A flexible body is fun, healthy and invigorating. Use it or lose it!
• Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s more than a bestseller and a ‘fridge magnet. It’s a truism. Concentrate on what really matters. Period.
• Appreciate the little things. Don’t take day-to-day things for granted. Savor that cup of tea. That perfectly ripe peach. A beautiful sunset. A long-term friendship. Enjoy and be thankful. Your day will be better for it.
• Change your expectations. Multi-millionaires tend to work reeeeally long hours. Billionaires even longer. 18 hour days, 7 days a week, or a glass of wine on the porch on a lazy Saturday afternoon? We thought so.
• Rest. It’s more important than anything. You probably need more of it than you’re getting. Start with an extra 15 minutes tonight. Turn off the TV. Don’t read. Make the room dark. Close your eyes. Breathe slow. And sleep.
• Get gear. Looking for fitness motivation? Get a new pair of running shoes, a new top, or even a cool new water bottle. It’ll help you feel prepared, confident, and motivated. And after a good workout, tell yourself you deserved it.
• Next time, don’t order pizza out: make it at home. It might sound daunting, but with some family help, it’s not that big a deal, it’ll be WAY better than the typical chain delivery, and it’s good, non-forced time with the kids.
• Play hooky. Take a day off. Do exactly what you want. Lounge and read? Cool. Exercise? Do it. Watch movies? Fun! Shopping trip? Why not? It’s your day. No pressure.
• Change your expectations. Multi-millionaires tend to work reeeeally long hours. Billionaires even longer. You pick: 18 hour days, 7 days a week, or a glass of wine on the porch on a lazy Saturday afternoon? We thought so.
• Look at art. Spend some time around great art. It can open previously blocked channels of creativity. It can alter your perspective. It can force you to reflect. It can inspire. All wonderful things to help take “the usual” out of the usual.
• Are you a Twitter or Facebook user? They can both be time suckers—as in: where did that hour go?! Give it a break for a day. Enjoy those around you face to face. Your followers and friends will survive without you for a day!
• Contain clutter. Better yet—chuck it, or even better: donate it. If you haven’t used it in a year, it’s time to say bye-bye and simplify.
• Baby steps. You didn’t put on weight overnight and you won’t take off weight overnight. Start small. Go slow. Keep it manageable. It’s got to be a lifestyle change. If any of those miracle pills or diets work, why do they disappear after 8 weeks?
• Planning can make life easier on the environment, and your nerves. Try to condense a week’s worth of stocking up into one trip. Think of what you can do with all the time you’ll save not waiting in grocery lines.
• Read something inspirational. Inspiration comes in many different packages, but if it works, it helps us break out of imaginary boundaries that we use to define ourselves.
• Slow down and smell the coffee. Or tea. Get up a half hour early so you don’t have to rush through your morning. Enjoy breakfast. Read a book, magazine, or news online. If you savor the morning, the rest of the day will seem less hectic.
• Give a little. Giving feels good and helps others and we need to do more of it. Grocery shop for an elderly neighbor; volunteer; give a homeless person some money. We’re not talking earth shattering or life altering. Although one never knows.
• Write it down. Seeing your dreams and aspirations come alive on a piece of paper is the first step in them coming to fruition.
• Bulk up. Buying in bulk is easier on the environment and your wallet. Spend that saved shopping time to organize the garage—to make room for those bulk items!
• Way back machine. What haven’t you done in a long time that you used to do all the time as a kid? Ride a bike, play catch, draw a picture, play jacks, go for a hike. See what you’ve been missing.
• Perfect is impossible. Do your best. Berber rug makers intentionally create a flawed weave in their magnificent rugs to prove the rug was made by hand, and to symbolize that none of us are perfect.
• Write someone. Not an email: a real, honest-to-goodness letter. Remember those? Now imagine how cool it would be to receive one back. Letter writing is a lost art that deserves to be found again.
• One minute rule. If it takes less than a minute, do it now. Don’t put it off. The energy spent on thinking about those usually banal tasks can be spent on something much more productive.
• Make laughter a habit. Kids laugh on average 400 times a day. Grown-ups: a measly 15. What are you waiting for? How many Airborne employees does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
• Plan a road trip. See new territory. Get lost on purpose. Explore. But above all, enjoy yourself. Put everyday pressures in the back of your mind. Refresh and renew your senses.
• Tired of your exercise routine? Put on your favorite music and dance like nobody’s watching. Not formatted dance like Zumba, but free form, and work your muscle groups as you do it. Just make sure nobody’s watching for best results!
• You get on the kids about fruits and veggies, but you know you can be just as bad as them—especially when you’re out! One bag of baby carrots trumps 20 fast food burgers any day.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s more than a bestseller and a ‘fridge magnet. It’s a truism. Concentrate on what really matters. Period.
• Read something inspirational. Inspiration comes in many different packages, but if it works, it helps us break out of imaginary boundaries that we use to define ourselves.
• Write it down. Seeing your dreams and aspirations come alive on a piece of paper is the first step in them coming to fruition.
• A yoga class can be daunting. Try a beginners yoga DVD in your living room. Take it slow and stick with it. After even a couple times a week, you’ll sense changes in both the physical and spiritual.
• Get out! Going from home to car to work to store and back is so limiting. Take a walk or a hike. Take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors—regardless of whether you’re in an urban or rural area.
• Trim. Try cutting your portions just a little bit. Say, 15 or 20 percent. Over a short period of time, that extra food won’t be missed. And when you do eat out, you’ll really notice how unnecessarily large those portions are.
• Shut down. Your body loves it when you give it a break. It’s probably not used to that so do it gradually. Five minutes of peace and tranquility can be mind-altering, and refreshing.
• You get on the kids about fruits and veggies, but you know you can be just as bad as them—especially when you’re out! One bag of baby carrots trumps 20 fast food burgers any day.
• It’s okay to occasionally say no. If you don’t, you’ll be overwhelmed. Obviously we’re not talking about your boss, but with school, kids, volunteering, remember there’s only one of you.
• Call your friends. Family and work tend to dominate our lives, but it’s important to stay in touch with friends. A quick phone call or grabbing lunch with those who have played a key role in your life is an important part of your work/family/social balance.
• Nothing cures a chilly morning like a thick, soft pair of warm socks. Tis the season. Next chilly Saturday morning, dig them out. Pull them on. Feel the warmth. From your toes on up.
• Good morning. Do not skip breakfast. So many of us do. Just about every nutritionist will tell you it’s a mistake, and if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s counter-intuitive in that you might burn less calories later in the day as your body tries to compensate.
• Goal! Set one attainable goal per week. Goals can be stepping stones or endpoints, but they give us something to shoot for. Do it for yourself. Do it regularly. You will surprise yourself.
• Contain clutter. Better yet—chuck it, or even better: donate it. If you haven’t used it in a year, it’s time to say bye-bye and simplify.
• Keep some good hot chocolate in the cupboard. We all deserve a treat and they don’t come better than steaming hot chocolate on a chilly fall evening. Cheers.
• Brighten it up. Spend a lot of time in a certain room with windows? Wash them! You’ll get a good stretching and toning workout and your room will take on a renewed feel by welcoming in more of that warm fall light. Just be careful!
• Bored? Try out a new hobby. Sure there are the typical ones like knitting or collecting something, but imagine growing bonsai, scrapbooking, kayaking, or candle making. Why not? Find one and give it a try!
• Leave a nice, unexpected note for your spouse, partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Bathroom mirror, kitchen table, lunch bag, it doesn’t matter where. Subject matter is strictly up to you!
• Walk. Whenever possible. Stairs, not elevator. Long way around, not shortcut. You’ll soon notice a skip in your step. Next stop: levitation! Just kidding. Sort of.
• Do the unexpected. Surprise your family, your partner, yourself. Draw a picture. Take a dance class. Enjoy an after-dinner walk. Spend Saturday morning at the library. Whatever it takes to shake it up.
• Create a good rut. Certain habits are unhealthy. Too much salt or sugar causes us to crave more. TV every night becomes a crutch. But routine with exercise can be beneficial. Work out at a regular time. Get used to eating healthy. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
• Give a little. Giving feels good and helps others and we need to do more of it. Grocery shop for an elderly neighbor; volunteer; give a homeless person some money. We’re not talking earth shattering or life altering. Although one never knows.
• Water matters. We’re 88% water. That should be a hint that drinking lots of water daily is a good idea. Dump the soda. Get your fizz quotient from Airborne^® products.