THE NIGHT BEFORE : Tomorrow Starts Today
Food & Drink : I personally limit my alcohol consumption at night to a glass of beer or wine. As for food, I try to eat 2 hours before I go to sleep, eliminating carbs, sugar, and caffeine. And before my head hits the pillow I drink a glass of water.
Sleep : I’ve abandoned the 8 hour sleep model and I’ve adopted sleep cycles. According to the internet a full sleep cycle is 90 minutes. The first stage is light sleep, lasting about 30 minutes in, and after that is deep sleep.
If you’ve ever woken up and felt really groggy it’s most likely because you woke up in the middle of deep sleep. The aim is to wake up in light sleep. So if you’re taking a nap or more try using these times: 30 min, 1hr 30 min, 3hrs, 4hrs 30 min, 6hrs, 7hrs 30min, 9hrs.
WAKING UP : The First 15 Minutes are Key
Priming : Priming, when referred to painting, is a neutral base layer of paint that you set for better adhesion of your primary color. The same applies to your mind, to set a base layer of thoughts before the rest of your chaotic 9–5 troubles come flooding in.
Your thoughts have the ability to build momentum and attract other thoughts of the same nature. In the first 5 minutes of awakening your mind is a blank canvas, a murky puddle of nothingness, a room full of fallen dominoes that you will soon begin to set upright. What should those dominoes say?
“Ugh, I hate my life and today’s gonna suck.” or “I’m awesome and I’m gonna kick today’s ass.” — Either way, you decide. So choose wisely.
Water : Before you reach for coffee, tea, or the nuclear waste you call Red Bull and Mountain Dew, drink a goddamn glass of water first. Your body has just went through 7–9 hours of receiving no water. You are dehydrated. So hydrate, fuck face.
Stretching : Do at least 5 seconds of stretching on each limb. Your body has just went through 7–9 hours of not moving. It’s tightened up and stiff. So do some stretches, fuck face.
One Productive Action : Doing this sets the tone of the day. It tells your mind that you’re ready to get shit done. The go-to move for this is to make your bed.
MENTAL STACKING : Creating Momentum
The concept of Stacking is how it sounds. You Stack multiple things on top of each other to get a compounded effect. I do a combination of these after stretching because they either increase brain function or act as mood stabilizers.
Brain Exercises : Puzzles, reading, and audios books, etc. Something light and positive that will get your gears moving.
Body Exercises : Yoga, running, working out, walking — All of these things increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Even though I hate running, I love getting a runners high early in the morning.
Music : Genre doesn’t matter, but content does. Choose lyrical content that is positive or uplifting. I listen on the way to work, flipping from As I Lay Dying to Taylor Swift to Foo Fighters to Bruno Mars. Save your sad, angry, or Emo music for a time when you’re feeling sad, angry or Emo.
Meditation : By far the 2nd most important thing I do. I can get away with doing none of the above, but if I wake up on the right sleep cycle and meditate I feel at 80%. I don’t use an app and just do focused breathing but if you want an app I’ve heard Calm and Headspace are great.
Gratitude : The religious call this praying. I always hated praying but now I understand the psychological effects behind it. I don’t pray, but I do think about 3 things I’m grateful for. The goal is to actually sit in real gratitude, not just ramble things off. It’s impossible for one to be angry if they’re in a state of gratitude.
THE BUBBLE : Maximum Effort…Yeah, that’s a Deadpool Reference
By doing these exercises I create what I call The Bubble. I imagine it as a psychological and emotional forcefield that surrounds me. It has a charge capacity, like a battery, and my goal is to get it as high as I can before I interact with the people and problems of the day.
When I’m 90–100% charged I feel a sense of calm, heightened willpower, and level-headedness. I listen better, solve problems faster, and have a more stable emotional state throughout my day. The best part is that the day feels easy, or at the very least, easier.
By being mindful and making sure I drink water and eat food throughout the day I ensure my Bubble is maintained.
Add laughter, the best spice of all, to all you interactions and your Awesome Day can’t be stopped.
For extra credit I suggest tackling one personal goal for the day and also taking time to do something you enjoy, whether it be play videos games, watch a sunset, or have a cuddle party.
The only thing that threatens my Bubble and the awesomeness that I am are people you are sure to know. I call them Pricks.
If you want some tactics on how to deal with Pricks then take a look at my How to Deal with Negative People.