Monday, August 29, 2011

Four Ways to Improve Your Days

(as seen on Productive Parenting Blog)


You've probably heard the list of things to consider when a baby cries - are they hungry, sleepy, wet, bored, etc.? Well, if you find yourself or someone you love needing an attitude adjustment, picking fights, or just being extra negative, you'd be surprised at how easy it can be to improve upon.

SLEEP - I don't care who you are, how old you are, or what kind of a personality you have, if you're tired and not getting enough sleep, you are probably not the best version of yourself. Sleep for 7 hours or more and then try it all again. Emotions won't run quite as high, and the world is suddenly not such a bad place.

FOOD - This one is two-fold. #1 How long has it been since you/they have eaten anything? If it has been more than 2-3 hours, it's possible things would be better with food. #2 Have you had anything raw and fresh today? If not, at least eat an apple or something to perk everything up. What you eat and how often you eat can change how you feel, react and behave. It might be inconvenient, but it's true.

PLUMBING - And, yes, this is related to the food one. We might not enjoy discussing it (and we won't at length), but if your internal plumbing isn't working, life isn't as nice as it could be. Just sayin'...

BOREDOM - How long has it been since you've left the house, the computer, taken a walk, sweat a little, talked to someone, looked at something beautiful? It all takes a toll. Exercise, doing something outdoors and just generally doing something productive can boost everything!

I've been sleep-deprived this week. Late nights, stress, and trying to keep up with everything has just caught up with me. And yes, it has changed my personality a bit - into the worst version of myself. Cranky, combative, negative, weepy - yeah you name it and I've been guilty of it this week.

But guess what? Except for a 10-minute interruption at about 3:30 am, I slept for 7 whole hours last night! After just doing that, I feel so much happier! I like my husband more, my motivation is back and I can handle so much more! I'm not suggesting it can solve all your problems, but some days it might.

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