The time is now - upsize your life

You’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed. You were meant to leave for the school drop-off 10 minutes ago and your kids are demanding vegemite soldiers. We get it, life can be overwhelming from time to time, and especially after the year we’ve had. But with a few simple adjustments to your behaviour and way of thinking, you can improve your energy without coffee. Read on for our five tips to help you upsize your life now and improve the quality of each day.

1. Learn a new skill

Occupy your mind and help it focus on something positive by learning a new skill - it drives motivation and a sense of achievement. The best approach is to come up with a plan to learn the skill and then look for resources which will help you master that skill. Set aside at least 15-30 minutes a day to work on developing this skill. Apps like Duolingo are great for helping you learn a new language, while there are also plenty of free YouTube tutorials that can help you learn various skills. Our favourites are Yoga With Adriene, iPhone Photography School and One Music School.

2. Give yourself a reward each day

Life can be so hectic, there are 1440 minutes in one day, so take at least 5 of those minutes to sit, relax, breathe and reward yourself. Giving yourself a little treat each day will give you a sense of happiness and positive motivation. Think of it as the emotional equivalent of hitting the ‘refresh’ button. It could be as simple as taking a long bath with relaxing bath salts, calling a loved one on the phone, watching netflix or reading a chapter from your favourite book. This will help avoid burn out, ensuring you feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle the challenges of daily life.

3. Take a nature break

All it can take is a moment outside to make things better. A 2010 study published by the Journal of Environmental Psychology demonstrated that by spending just 20 minutes a day surrounded by nature, we can improve an individual’s vitality level and Candra Canning, founder of Live Bright Now, says even just a one-minute nature break can help. She recommends slowing down on your way out of the house, or taking a moment to look at the sky on your lunch break. If you need to feel better, get some exercise - endorphins make you happy, they release stress and help clear your mind.

4. Declutter

Whether or not you’ve a fan of the Marie Kondo approach of decluttering by asking yourself if an item ‘sparks joy’ you do have to admit that living in a clean environment with order is a great way to upsize your life. It can help decrease stress and improve productivity. A neat and tidy space allows you to perform daily tasks more efficiently because everything is readily available and you’ll know where to find the things you need. It’s also physically healthier because it can help reduce any dust that has accumulated on unused items.

5. Go to bed earlier

As clinical psychologist Ari Tuckman, PsyD says, getting enough sleep is an ‘obvious but often overlooked’ strategy. It’s easy to steal time from sleep by staying up a little longer to finish off the season of your favourite Netflix show but the problem is, you’ll pay the price tomorrow. Unfortunately, even one short night’s sleep can negatively impact our complex problem-solving skills, attention and memory, making us more irritated and short-tempered. Get to bed on time and you’ll feel better the next day and likely to get through your never-ending to-do list.

All it takes to upsize your life and improve your day are a few strategies. Setting aside some time to learn a new skill helps improve motivation levels, while rewarding yourself with some time to refresh by doing things to relax you will ensure you feel rejuvenated no matter how big or small. Taking a break outdoors and decluttering will help reduce stress levels and going to bed earlier will improve your productively, ensuring you wake each day feeling well rested, refreshed and ready to seize each day.

Take care Snoozers