Mindful Monday

Mindful Monday – My Top 5 Things to Do Every Day

By Colleen Chesebro
52 Comments on Mindful Monday – My Top 5 Things to Do Every Day

Welcome to Mindful Monday! Each week I try to self-discover new or sometimes old things about myself. I have found that being mindful encompasses the act of being watchful, aware, wary, heedful, alert, careful, or attentive, in whatever area in my life I feel it applies to, as I attempt to live in the present.

Each morning when I rise, the first thing I do is to make my bed. I know that sounds old-fashioned. I started this ritual years ago as a child (of course I had to back then) and continued it into my adult life. I still do it because it brings me peace. If I do nothing else that day, I figure I have at least made my bed! It has become part of my morning ritual and is a part of starting each day. You see I have a plan…

I decided back in January this would be my year of mindfulness. Every morning I want to look at each day mindfully. My goal was to be more productive and happy. Looking at myself mindfully requires I acknowledge to myself that I want to feel good. My choices are all my own. I am my own master.

Here are my five top things to do each morning that help me reach my daily goals. I think they will work for you too!

1.  Concentrate on your breathing and continue practicing meditation.

Image credit: bemorewithless.com

When I do deep breathing in the morning (after I have made my bed) I have made the conscious choice to begin my day with a sense of tranquility. I try to just listen to the quietness of the house and enjoy the solitude. The breathing grounds me for whatever the day brings.

2.  Contemplate your appreciation for life.

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Image Credit: Mindvalley Academy Blog

Find the courage to reflect on what you are the most thankful for in your life. I have found that when I think about gratitude I am able to cope with the things that life throws my way with a better attitude because I realize what I already have. Those little things that pop up as irritations never get a chance to become anything larger than what they are – little things.

3.  Decide what you want to carry out today.

While you are experiencing the solitude of the morning think about a few things that you want to accomplish that day. Choose to make those items a priority. Whenever I set goals for myself, I find that I am more productive because I decided those things needed to be dealt with firsthand. I get a real sense of accomplishment when I can cross those items off my daily to-do list.

4.  Hydrate and stretch your body.

Image credit: Pixabay.com free images

Drink some water after you have awakened each day. Hydrate your parched body after a long night of fasting. You will feel better during the day with fewer headaches as the water cleanses your body of the accumulation of toxins. An added benefit from drinking water throughout your day is you will not feel as hungry. That helps with weight loss.

Stretch your body in whatever way works the best for you. I like to walk first thing each morning with my two dogs, Sugar and Spice. Once their walk is complete I start out on my two-mile walk. This has been the best remedy for me. I feel energized and my mood improves with the change of scenery.

5.  Don’t forget to S M I L E.

I literally look at myself in the mirror as I am brushing my hair and SMILE a big old cheesy grin! I feel more positive and able to face the day after I have taken the time to laugh at myself. Guess what? Once I have that smile on my face each morning it becomes easy for me to share it with everyone I meet.

Happy Monday everyone! Have a great week!

Would you like to share your mindfulness journey with others? If you are interested in sharing your goals or aspirations, I want to highlight your journey here on Silver Threading. Send me an email at silverthreading@gmail.com and I will be happy to feature you on a guest post. This is our journey into mindfulness. The more we share and learn from each other, the better our journey becomes.

Remember, this is not a challenge.  This is an offering of support.  If you would like to join in with your own Mindful Monday goals you can do so in the comments, or on a separate post of your own making.  If you want to link back to my post, please feel free to do so, however, it is not necessary.  My main aim here is to give and get support to become more mindful of the things I take for granted in my life.

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Published by Colleen Chesebro

Colleen M. Chesebro is a writer of cross-genre fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Her debut novel, a YA fantasy series called, “The Heart Stone Chronicles - The Swamp Fairy,” was published January 2017. The book reveals the story of Abby Forrester, a 14-year-old orphaned girl who is entrusted with saving a community of fairy nymphs from certain ecological destruction. Along the way, Abby learns about friendship, love, and what it means to actually belong to a family. Colleen’s writing explores ecological situations in the multicultural world of today. She combines real-life historical events into her writing to create experiences that will continue in the hearts and heads of her readers. A veteran of the United States Air Force, Colleen is also a retired bookkeeper. She has an Associates Degree in Business Administration, and another Associates Degree in the Arts, which she uses to combine her love of writing with her passion for all things creative. When she is not writing, Colleen enjoys spending time with her husband, dogs, children, and grandchildren. When time permits, she also loves gardening, cooking, and crocheting old fashioned doilies into works of artistry. She lives in the United States with her husband and her two Pomeranians, Sugar, and Spice. You can learn more about Colleen and her writing on her website colleenchesebro.com.

52 comments

  1. Each morning I raise my hands together over my head and then bring them down on either side of me, drawing a bubble around myself. While I can still empathise with everyone, it protects me from negative thoughts and vibes. Works for me!

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  2. All good advice. I still make the bed too, though I think back to a sketch I saw once where it was asked why we do so when the most comfortable bed in the world is the one you just had to get out of 🙂

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          2. I always loved the cooler weather too. My husband loves the heat and so we decided to move to Florida. We lived here years ago. I know I complain about the heat, but I do feel better in it than the cold now. I guess you just have to acclimate to the change. 😀

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          4. I grew up in extreme cold in Wisconsin. We lived in Montana (really extreme cold) for years. I think that did it for me. I do not want to ever have to shovel snow again. Funny, I still consider myself a northern girl. 😉

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  3. Another wonderful Mindful Monday post, Colleen. The perfect way to start my week 😀 I love that you smile at yourself in the mirror. I smile easily, most of the time, but I don’t think I’ve ever smiled at myself in the mirror. I’m going to start! Beginning the day as you mean to go on is an excellent tip and those breathing exercises really get you into the right frame of mind. Thanks so much for sharing ❤

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    1. It really helps me get going. That smile is great and spreads all over to everyone I meet. I am so glad you love my journey. If you see someone else doing it, it becomes easier to try yourself. Happy Monday, Mel! 💖😊

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  4. Great advices! I was aware of 1 and 2 and of course 5 (of course after I made my bed 😉 – not really, that goes along with each other) 3 and 4 just went a long somehow. Should really do those two more consciously!

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  6. A great morning routine you have there, Colleen. I especially like the deep breathing and the deliberate smile. I once read that using those smile muscles releases endorphins, telling the brain you are happy and well, even on those days when you’re not. ☺

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  8. Superb, Colleen! I love your morning schedule. I do some deep breathing while still in bed, so I don’t fall back to sleep 🙂 It really helps to shake off any lingering sleepiness. I think your routine is inspiring, and I will incorporate some of those that I don’t do, into mine.

    I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for a few years now, and write in it every night when I get into bed. It’s also turned into an affirmation journal. I began doing this because I work in a very negative, and overstimulating environment that began to adversely affect my whole being. I began grumbling, complaining, impatient…and more…it was awful. It became difficult for me to not absorb the negative energy there. I didn’t like what it was doing to me, so I decided that every night I would find one thing to be grateful for and write it down. I did this every night and before long the list grew longer, and it turned into an gratitude/affirmation journal. I also began to doodle happy flowers, and any happy and prospering words that came to mind. And it relaxes me at the end of the day.

    Thank you for sharing this. It was quite invigorating and I’m smiling now just thinking about it.

    Blessings for an amazing day!
    Marianne

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    1. Marianne, I loved your comments! Thank you. Would you like to write a guest post about your gratitude journal to appear on Mindful Monday? I love how your journey from grumbling and being impatient brought you to such a place of peace. That is the message I want to share with others also. If you are interested, please email me at silverthreading@gmail.com and I will be glad to share your words. ❤ Happy Monday, friend. 😀

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    1. Amy, you are so welcome. The making of one’s bed is interesting to me. I always thought I did it because I was taught (forced) to do so. Now, I choose to make it. It just makes me feel good about myself. Maybe our parents did know a thing or two. 😉

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    1. I notice there are quite a few of us that make our beds in the morning. I raised my children to make their beds first thing and none of them do. I guess you have to choose what works best for you. 😀

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  13. Colleen! I’m a little late for Mindful Monday but I’m making my Thursday mindful too!
    I love your advice here…especially to make the bed every morning! I must admit I don’t as often as I should…Hmmm, should I admit that on the blogosphere? 🙂
    I have to get myself more into an attitude of gratitude…I love the charts you’ve added in here.
    That which I do always do is SMILE! I love your photo 🙂 Cheery and energetic!
    Have a lovely Thursday my friend!
    *Lia
    (Oh, please pass me the H20…I gotta remember that too!)

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    1. Lia, I knew you were busy this week. I know just what you mean. I do some of these things because I like the structure. The drinking of water is something that I have to work on every day. Have a wonderful rest of your week. ❤

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      1. Thanks Colleen! Indeed it seems like June has been a super busy month for me… Reason more for why I need to slow down and stay mindful! PS: I’ve got a glass of water next to me as I write! Practice makes perfect: )

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  14. Update…Hi, Colleen, I just wanted to update you on how much your Mindful Monday post inspired me. I’ve been making my bed every day now, just like I used to. Oh, in recent years I’ll pull the covers over the pillow, and that was my ‘have to get my morning started before I have to go to work” version of making the bed. But now, since reading this post, I really make my bed. So thank you for that. I feel like my ‘old’ self again. Now onto continuing my mindfulness 🙂

    Blessings and hugs,
    Marianne

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    1. Marianne, what an absolutely fantastic thing to hear. I am so glad this was something that worked for you. Isn’t it interesting that something so insignificant as making our bed helps us this much? Have a wonderful rest of your week! ❤

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