Enjoy

Dear Wonderful Reader,

In spirit of Valentine’s Day that is upon us, I present you Romantic French Cafe Accordion Music.

Productivity Made Simple

1. Decide you want to be productive
2. Place a small notebook and a pen on your nightstand
3. Wake up early and don’t linger in bed
4. Grab that notebook
5. And also grab the pen
6. Think of the EASIEST 5 tasks you need to accomplish today
7. Go do the first one
8. Cross it out
9. Finish up the entire list
10. Feel good about yourself
11. Write up another 5 Tasks
12. Step 7
13. Step8
14. Step 9
15. Step 10
16. Step 11Well you get the picture!

    Footnotes

    * This dummy proof method has been working for me lately cause I am one of those who tend to complicate things and would want to start with the BIGGEST task first and my brain would get overwhelmed and discourage me from doing ANYTHING that day (true story) and It’s not like I could do something fun and care-free either because I feel guilty and like I have pending things to do. If you’re like me and you’re brain tend to conspire against you the same way my brain does then try this method.

     

    ** Also when I first wake up my list tend to consist of of stuff my everyday morning routine like Take a shower or Make breakfast. As you can see, those aren’t tasks that I need to accomplish per se but I like tricking my brain that way as I’m crossing those tasks off of my list so I can feel motivated and continue to be productive, just like the image demonstrates.

Day 10: My Most Embarrassing Moment

Enough Said!

How to Make your Morning Serene

Dear Wonderful Reader,

Have you ever felt that your day could have been so much If you had more time in the morning for yourself, instead of almost tripping on your hairbrush and spending 5 minutes looking for your keys when you’re already late. Have you ever felt that those feelings of anxiety and tardiness that we feel in the mornings often accompany us for the rest of the day making us fell…well, anxious and unproductive. I know it may seem like our mornings don’t influence our days but they do. That’s why we need to develop good habits in the morning to help us be and feel our best for the entirety of the day.

 

1. Get enough sleep.

That’s right! A good morning starts the night before.

2. Wake up early and ON TIME.

Set your alarm and make sure you give yourself enough time to do whatever you need to do. Also It helps if you change your alarm sound to a song that gives you serenity or just puts you in a good mood, instead of the typical alarm sounds that our minds associate with “kill joys”.

3. Don’t linger in bed.

Getting up right away will make you feel productive and that you have control over your mind and body. Also refrain from lingering in bed because your mind is awake at this point but your body isn’t. Our mind can start playing tricks on us like recalling unpleasant events from the day before and discouraging us about a task that we have to accomplish today. You want to wake up and put your mind to work for you, not the other way around.

4. Hydrate before you caffeinate.

Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Set it on your night stand for easy access in the morning. Water with a lemon slice is good and the scent will help wake you up and make you feel refreshed. Then go ahead and drink your favorite cup of coffee or tea. It feels good to do something nice for ourselves in the morning so treat yourself and make something that you’ll enjoy sipping on.

5. Say Good Morning to your loved ones.

Giving or receiving little acts of love make us feel good and help remind our minds of what really matters. So show your family and pets some L-O-V-E.

6. Stretch for a minute.

We are telling our brains that it’s time to get up and start moving.

7. Set the mood.

You can create a morning playlist of audio that you find brings you serenity whether its nature sounds, worship music, music, audio books, or even motivational speakers. Just make sure that whatever you listen to has a good message behind it and be selective of the lyrics because we are trying to condition our minds for the rest of the day. Refrain from loud music. Open up one window (or all windows) and leave the rest of the room dim to let in light and fresh air without compromising serenity. It also helps to engage our other senses by lighting a candle or spraying a calming scent.

8. Caffeinate.

Drink your favorite cup of coffee or tea. It feels good to do something nice for ourselves in the morning so treat yourself and make something that you’ll enjoy sipping.

9. WRITE (Meditate).

The most important step in my opinion. This step is like having a meeting with your mind before it starts working. We are setting it on the right path and reminding it of what truly matters. Use this step to reflect on events that were unpleasant from the day before and dump all the anger, the regret, or any other toxic feelings in writing. How many of us dread going to work in the morning? How any of us have to work with people that we don’t see eye to eye with? How may of us downright have horrible bosses and mean coworkers? WRITE ABOUT IT ALL. We don’t want those people in our minds all day. The more we reflect on things that upset us, the quicker we’re going to find ways to deal with them without it affecting out joy and peace. Also you could use writing as a tool to pray by writing letters to God or to plan your day. It also helps if you read something that has a good message in the morning like The Holy Bible or any book that you find inspiring.

I use a very cool website called 750words.com to help me reflect and set my mind on the right path in the morning. It acts like a very cool journal and my favorite part is the stats it gives you after each entry because it tells you your mood and other awesome stuff.

1o. Eat breakfast.

Don’t skip breakfast! We have to fuel our bodies before expecting them to preform A1. Eat a good nutritional breakfast that you enjoy.

11. Shower and get dressed.

Shower and dress your best. Don’t save your good shirt or your perfume. Do something new everyday however small. When we look our best, we feel our best.

12. Do something good for someone else in the morning.

Its a universal law: do good, feel good.

 

P.S. It can feel like trying to control our mornings defeats the purpose of it being serene but serenity is a state of mind. Before serenity becomes second nature to us we have to work hard at developing good habits.

A few things to keep in mind:

A. Refrain from using social media in the morning.

B. Whatever you do, don’t go back to bed.

C. Keep your space clean, organized, and clutter free.

 

Get out there and be a boss!

 

 

Happy, Happy, Happy!

Dear Wonderful Reader,

Happy First Day of Spring!

Oh, today is also International Day of Happiness!

What a cool coincidence (though, not sure if IHD falls on the same day every year, but do correct me if I’m wrong).

And can we just pause and appreciate the metaphorical significance of this!

Do something that makes you happy today and tell me about it!

-Love

Christina

Day 4: Lucky Charms <3

Dear Wonderful Reader,

Eating Lucky Charms makes me happy!

Would Hate to Look Back on my Life & Say “I Almost Did It”

Moments that make me feel like am living to the fullest:

1. Running to the beach in my bikini and diving in the water.
2. Laughing so hard till my eyes water.
3. Kissing (depends on the person I’m kissing haha)
4. Being in love with someone that loves you back.
5. Receiving that unexpected text or email from someone that you care about.
6. Going on a first date with someone I like (so exciting)
7. Getting an email informing me that my class has been canceled haha (so lame but it makes so happy)
8. Reading a book or watching a movie with a character that totally resembles. (I love how when the feeling I feel when the character finally gets her happy ending cause it feels as I just got my happy ending myself).
9. Making someone’s day (When I feel like I can’t be happy myself, I like to make someone else’s happy because that totally makes me happy somehow lol).
10. Just chilling in my clean room, watching a movie, and sipping on wine. (so simple yet so Serene)

P.s. Sunshine, trees, and the cool breathe are like an instant mood lifters for me. haha

Please share with me the moments that make you feel so alive? Maybe they’ll work for me too lol

xoxoxox
God Bless