5 Simple tips to get you out of your rut and back in the running
Are you in a stuck in a rut? Do you feel like your life mimics the movie Groundhog Day? Sometimes we can get stuck in our schedule doing the same thing day in and day out. Without keeping your mind stimulated, it can lead you down a road to Rutville. Here are five tips to put a spring in your step and help you feel better about yourself.
15 Minutes of “Me” Time
Don’t have a minute to spare, consider waking up 15 minutes earlier. Spend this time just for you. A little extra “me” time never kills anyone. You deserve to feel good and sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are worth it (and more.) Read a devotional book or a book of inspiring quotes. Tingle your ears by listening to your favorite album. Drink a fresh cup of coffee, step outside, and breath in the fresh air. Knowing that you are doing something just for you will make you smile inside.
Dress Up
Put on your favorite outfit even if you aren’t planning on seeing anyone that day. You will feel better about how you look and this will boost your self-esteem. Look in the mirror and say positive things about how you look. Focusing on the negative will only bring damaging thoughts, instead focus on the good things about your features. Remember when you were younger and you would try different styles and looks? It made you feel good about yourself back then didn’t it? Pick up this good habit once again to boost your mood.
Clear The Clutter
How many times do we walk past that stack of mail, cluttered closet shelves, or a corner that seems to be piling full of junk? It screams and nags at us to do something about it and we just ignore it and think we will take care of it another day. Take the time and just do it – clean the clutter. Set the timer for five minutes and see what you can accomplish. You will probably be shocked at how little time and effort it took. The next time you’ll walk past it, you will feel like you accomplished something.
Clear Your Mind
If your mind is in a fog, maybe you need an extra nap? Feeling worried about something in particular? Then consider venting to a friend, on paper, or release the stress in a kickboxing class. Meditation and placing your mind in a “happy place” will renew your mind and spirit. Talk it out with yourself and make a list of what exactly is bothering you. After you carefully consider your thoughts, write solutions and then decide to be proactive about it.
Think Positively
It is easy to let our emotions take over and lose sight of what is true. You may ‘feel’ a certain way about something, but is it truly factual? Replace these negative thoughts with positive ones and eventually, you will start to act in a positive way.
Practicing these several suggestions will help you detour out of Rutville. Everyone goes through this town; it is up to you whether you want to park there. Don’t give up! Eventually, this path will lead you to success and you will soon feel better about life.
Donna Foute is a Lifestyle Editor for Midlife Road Trip. Professionally, she has created content for numerous companies on their websites as well as in print. She has authored several blogs over the years, from writing about the humorous side of parenting, as well as highlighting interesting women from history, including those that are around today. She has worked as a Copywriter and has been a contributing writer for Examiner’s Tampa Bay Parenting.
Personally, she resides in the Tampa Bay area looking after her husband, her two teenage kids, her bull mastiff, and her two very annoyed cats.