Wake Up Refreshed
Waking up early enough so you don’t feel rushed sets you up to have a great day. Try going to bed 15 minutes earlier and waking up 15 minutes earlier. Then you’ll have extra time in the morning to get ready without worrying.
Make sure your room is dark and quiet for a good night’s sleep. Use blackout curtains, an eye mask, ear plugs, “white noise” from a fan or recordings of nature sounds if needed. Keep phones, televisions and other electronics out of your bedroom for better rest.
Eat A Healthy Breakfast
Breakfast replenishes your body and brain after fasting all night. It also kickstarts your metabolism to burn calories and gives you energy to focus in school. Quick and healthy breakfast ideas include oatmeal, yogurt with fruit, whole grain cereal, eggs, and smoothies. You can also have toast. The smoothies are made with fruits, veggies, and milk.
Make Your Bed
Begin your morning by neatly making your bed. Smooth out sheets and blankets and arrange pillows nicely at the head. Making your bed starts the day off with an accomplished task, keeps your room tidy, and encourages good bedtime habits at the end of the day.
Get Active
Exercising first thing in the morning leads to improved focus, mood, and health all day long. Do some stretches. Dance to favorite songs. Take a family walk with the dog. Have a living room dance party. Follow YouTube workout videos. Or play outside before school.
List Your To-Dos
Use an assignment planner to keep track of big school projects and tests. Make daily checklists for routine items needed the next day. For example, pack lunch, finish math, and put signed permission slip in backpack. Review your schedule the night before. Then, you’ll know what to expect the next day. Check off tasks as you complete them for a sense of motivation and accomplishment.
Pack The Night Before
Save time and reduce morning stress by packing your backpack, gym bag and lunchbox the evening before school. Charge electronics. Put them by the front door before bedtime. This will stop morning scrambling.
Positive Self-Talk
What we think and say to ourselves directly impacts our feelings and behaviors. Be mindful of negative self-criticism. Instead, begin and end each day with positive affirmations. Say things like “I am enough” and “I can handle this.” Also, say “I have much to be thankful for” and “Something good will happen today.” Encourage yourself when frustrated or disappointed. The more positively we talk to ourselves, the happier and more confident we feel.
Uplift Your Friends
Friends have the power to lift our spirits or bring us down. Build each other up by giving sincere compliments that make your friends feel appreciated and valued. Write “m-notes” – mini motivational notes with inspiring quotes, sentiments or inside jokes. Surprise friends by leaving m-notes in lockers, notebooks or lunch boxes for an extra smile throughout their day. Spread positive online messages. Do this by commenting on friends’ accomplishments and talents on social media. Use electronic messages to keep in touch between in-person hangouts. Choose friends who are caring, bring out your best qualities and make you feel like a million bucks!
Pursue Passions and Interests
Make time for hobbies that spark your imagination and feed your soul. You could draw, tinker, build, play basketball, read, journal, collect rocks or coins, play guitar, and volunteer with animals. Experiment with different activities until you find a few that you love then devote regular time to passion projects. They relieve stress, improve your outlook and round out your identity.
Contribute Acts of Kindness
Look for chances in your day to help family. For example, make your bed without being asked, walk the dog, fold laundry, load the dishwasher, dust, sweep, or wipe counters. Surprise siblings by organizing their backpacks or tidying their rooms when they are not home. Make breakfast for your caregivers while they are still asleep. Write thank you notes to teachers and coaches describing how they have positively impacted you. Pay the kindness forward through spontaneous goodwill.
Dream Big Dreams
Challenge yourself to achieve goals that once seemed beyond your reach. If you are intrigued by traveling to a foreign country, research summer exchange programs for teens. Or, try fun language learning apps. To become a published author, start drafting short stories, articles, poems or joke books now. Sketch wild inventions and boldly enter creativity contests. Train rigorously towards athletic aspirations. Apply for cash jobs like pet sitting or mother’s helper to start saving for big-ticket items you desire. The clearer you visualize, plan for, and strive towards your deepest dreams today. The more exciting opportunities will appear as you move forward.
Seek Inspiring Ideas
Keep an open, curious mind and continuously expand your knowledge. Visit local museum exhibits. They expose you to art, traditions, discoveries, and events. You will see how others lived. Download documentaries on inventions, space, oceans, animals or music icons that lived decades ago. Read uplifting biographies and autobiographies about influential people. They overcame adversity. They include figures like Temple Grandin, Helen Keller, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Subscribe to podcasts about society’s toughest problems. These include poverty, discrimination, and climate change. They view these issues through the lens of social justice and human rights. Have earnest conversations with trusted adults to gain wisdom from their life experiences. Chart your own unique life journey, unafraid to question assumptions and eager to learn new perspectives.
End Each Day Reflecting
Taking a few minutes before bed to reflect on the day grounds your mind for restful sleep. Celebrate small accomplishments. These include finishing a tough assignment, trying a hard skateboard trick, having a good talk with your parent, or supporting sad classmates. Identify any disappointments and make constructive plans to avoid repeating mistakes tomorrow. Express grateful thanks for the loving family, comforting home, reliable friends and community resources that support your growth. Savor happy moments big and small then drift off imagining tomorrow’s bright possibilities.
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Conclusion
Crafting improved days takes some initial planning, effort and time commitment. But intentionally nurturing positive habits and mindsets soon becomes automatic and hugely rewarding. Feelings of joy, purpose, achievement and hope build upon each other when we actively care for our bodies, feed our minds, lift up friends, contribute goodwill to others and boldly pursue our highest calling. With consistent and creative personal development, you can transform self-defeating patterns into uplifting behaviors, shape circumstances instead of reacting to situations and unlock your highest potential. By incrementally bettering each new day, you amplify overall life satisfaction immensely.