Things that make me happy: 15 STEPS TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY :)

Hello!

January is a funny month, with the post-Christmas blues swirled in with the anticipation of the new year. Purse-strings are firmly tightened yet the January sales are trying to entice us. It's a strange energy but nonetheless an exciting one! After the buzz of the festive season is over and people are now 'returning to reality' I've come up with a nice, little list of how to shake up your average day so you can appreciate the notion that little changes make a big impact. I've been reading up a whole lot about gratitude. People are so quick to winge & moan about the most banal things yet when it comes to things we're grateful for most people struggle to come up with ideas. So that being said I'm all about finding things to be grateful for in the tiniest, everyday things. If you don't think your life is exciting enough then change it!
Here are 15 ways you can add a bit of pizazz to your daily routine, be healthier & more productive without making any major changes to your everyday routine...

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Get up earlier. Wah I don't want to, I love my fort bed! Getting up earlier is great as it means you recover a time of the day that otherwise would be lost. Waking up to the sunrise is invigorating, and even if it's just an extra half an hour earlier, spend it doing something you love.

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Make an amazing breakfast. I usually make myself a homemade smoothie in the morning, It's satisfying making your own & you know exactly what's gone into it. I like to add a spoonful of manuka honey or a few drops of echinacea to give my body a boost. Porridge is another winter favourite, it takes mere minutes to make & will set you up for the day :)

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 Have a quick work-out. I absolutely love hula hooping and I could do it for hours. In the morning (before my breakfast) I put on a few of my favourite songs and have a 5/10 minute work-out. I find that this wakes my body up and energises me for the day. After a little exercise I really appreciate my breakfast and take my time eating it, instead of wolfing it down in a hurry.

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Notice your surroundings. I commute to work so most mornings I have a 15 minute walk to the train station & a 20 minute train journey. I have to admit that usually I am running late so I rush through town and take no particular notice of my surroundings. Getting up earlier means that I can have a leisurely stroll through town, do a bit of window shopping, people-watching and some instagram snapping.

 

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Utilise travel time. On the train I try and make the most of my time by either reading a book or sorting out my diary/to do list. Sometimes when the train is very busy I'll just listen to my music and appreciate the countryside passing me by at 80mph. If I had a laptop (and a guaranteed seat) I would probably use this time for writing blog posts but alas I have neither of those things...

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Make your own lunch. I bought myself a cute lunch box with little compartments which makes me feel like a kid again. Making your own dindins means that you can fuel your body with something more nutritious than a Greggs pasty & save yourself some money too.

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Powernaps. I'm a fan of the powernap, although more recently I've been sleeping on the train home which is a great use of time although a little risky. It might be a good idea to set an alarm if you fall asleep on the train because i totally didn't and i feel asleep and missed my stop.

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Warm pajamas & slippers. When I get home from work the first thing I do is get changed into my PJs & put my slippers on, granny moi? This simple change just makes me want to relax in my cosy clothes. I always keeps my pyjamas on the radiator so they are warm when I put them on-oh the simple pleasures!

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Removing make-up. I used to only remove my make-up directly before going to sleep but now I do it when I get in so a) I can do it more thoroughly and b) it isn't as much of a chore. I really like watching my make-up dissolve away and spending a little extra time massaging in my moisturiser & applying my eye-cream. It feels more pampering rather than a quick face wipe before bed.

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Make contact with a friend or family member. All my friends & family are spread out all over the place so it's nice to have a little catch up whenever you can. Usually I just Watsapp my friends & ring my family members but even the little efforts make you feel like you're still being social, even if you have had a ridiculously busy working week.

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Watch something on TV or YouTube that makes you laugh out loud. I'm a huge fan of comedy and I make an effort to watch something that will really make me laugh out loud every day. It might just be a clip of a comedian on YouTube, or a quiz show like Never Mind The Buzzcocks. New Girl & Flight Of The Conchords are my favourite things to watch if I fancy a good chuckle.

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Start body brushing. I did mention this a little bit here but body brushing is a great little regime that can boost your body & your wellbeing. Even if you just do it for 5 minutes before a bath or shower you will see the benefits. Glowy, smooth skin? Yes please :)

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Have the ultimate bath. I LOVE BATH! There's nothing better after a long day than having a soak in the tub. Try and make this an 'ultimate bath' by lighting some candles, playing some chill-out music & of course using generous amount of your favourite bath product.  Go wild and use a bath bomb from Lush, exfoliate from head to toe & pop on a facemask while your at it :)

Listen to some relaxing music. I listen to music constantly. I usually just have random, chill remixes on YouTube playing in the background. My favourite channel at the minute is mrsuicidesheep. The mixes on his channel are amazing, mainly ambient, electro, indie remixes :)

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Set your alarm to your favourite song. I think the worst feeling is waking up to a shrill, beepy alarm! It doesn't start the day well. Instead set your alarm to one of your favourite songs that will make you want to sing along or get up and dance. I actually have mine set to Fleet Foxes which is really mellow but I like that it eases me into the day instead of suddenly waking me. A new site I have found is YoutubeAlarm which means you can set any YouTube video to wake you up. The possibilities are endless and you can wake up to something new everyday :)

These are my favourite ways to spruce up an average day, I hope they inspire you to switch up your daily routine.
What are your favourite ways to inject some fun into your day?
Thanks for reading :)
Rachelle xxx