Five Ways to Step Into Your Day With Positivity

Under normal circumstances, it's not easy to jump out of bed every morning with excitement and positivity for the day that lies ahead.

Layer on cancer diagnosis, treatment, surgery - and now a pandemic - and let's just say it's a bit challenging to wake up feeling happy and maintaining it all throughout the day.

Ways to step into your day with positivity

There are some things however that you can do to step into your day with some positivity.

I wouldn't suggest trying them all at once, as that could prove to be overwhelming. But if you really want to, I say go for it! Whether you do all of them or just one, challenge yourself each day to do something to flick your "happy" switch on. Here it goes:

Positive morning affirmations

Before bed each night, write down a few things that you're grateful for. And then write down a few things that you're looking forward to doing tomorrow. Even if it's just sitting quietly sipping on your favorite tea, cuddling with your pet, or calling an old friend or family member. In the morning, read these all out loud. You'd be surprised how hearing about all of the good stuff going on in your life, along with the simple pleasures, can really help get your day off to a positive start.

1. Love notes to yourself

This is one of my favorites. Take a grease pen or Sharpie and write some simple words or self-love expressions on your bathroom mirror. This way, when you wake up in the morning and hit the bathroom to brush your teeth you'll be immediately reminded of how wonderful you are! Words like, "You Rock," "You've Got This," "All You Need Is You," "Make Today Great," are just a few examples, but see what you can come up with!

2. Make your bed

Don't laugh! Yes, making your bed can set the tone for your whole day. Now that we're spending so much time at home, the likelihood of having to run into your bedroom midday is pretty likely. It may seem like a huge chore, but if you were to time yourself, it probably takes less than two minutes to actually do! Not a big price to pay for a blast of zen everytime you walk into your room. And to me, peace and calm make me feel super positive!

3. Start with the easiest task first

Life can be overwhelming. Managing doctor appointments, prescriptions, work, family, etc. Why not start with your easiest (and maybe the most enjoyable) task first, so you jump start your day with a feeling of accomplishment.

4. Reward yourself

Each day, think of a reward that you can give to yourself for accomplishing a task, for hitting a milestone, anything at all! It doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. You followed up with your doctor, completed an important work project, and did a load of laundry. Why not treat yourself to a nice cappuccino from a local cafe, order yourself a little something from Amazon, or my favorite reward of all.....take an afternoon nap! Just knowing that you have a reward to look forward to each day (big or small) will make you feel positive and motivated.

5. Morning meditations

I am a huge advocate of meditation, but especially in the mornings. This is the springboard for your day and will likely determine how things are going to play out. Jump on YouTube, or explore the many meditation apps that are out there. You can do really long ones or quick versions for as brief as five minutes. I suggest looking for ones that are specific to positivity. If you've never tried meditation, I'd suggest a short one focusing on positivity. You can even try doing one in the middle of the day if you're feeling depressed or anxious. A few minutes can sometimes work wonders!