4 Habits to Add to Your Morning Routine

All too often we spend our mornings rushing around, scrambling to get ready, eat a decent breakfast, take a shower, and get the kids off to school. But if we change up our routine and spend thirty minutes adding a few new habits to the morning, our days could be much more productive.

You don’t have to radically change your morning routine to see positive results. Even adding just one or two of the habits below can make a big difference.

MOVE. One of the best ways to start your day is to incorporate some type of exercise into your morning routine. You don’t need to invest in an expensive gym or club membership to see results. Find a space in your home that allows you some privacy and room to move, increasing your alertness and creative flow. If you like to dance spend ten to fifteen minutes get your groove on to your favorite songs and check out the next idea to pair your movement with music or a podcast to inspire you to have a great day. You can find many simple and short workouts online that don’t require you to purchase any fancy equipment. 

MOTIVATE. Gain some daily motivation by reading inspirational literature, listening to a motivational podcast, or enjoying some music that lifts your mood. This can be done in concert with some exercise, as noted above, or you can listen in while showering, eating, or even on your morning commute. You might want to check out these podcasts.

JOURNAL. A great practice for the morning is to take a few minutes to write in a journal. This activity can assist you in focusing on the important items on your to-do list, while also providing an opportunity to note those things in your life that you are grateful and thankful for. A daily practice of gratefulness has been shown to have great benefits for well-being.

MEDITATE. In addition to exercise, journaling, and filling your mind and ears with some motivational or inspirational thoughts, spend a few minutes each morning in meditation or prayer. You might also find it useful to add an empowering mantra or repeated line of prayer that will put you in a mindful and confident state to begin your day.

Add one or all of these four habits—moving, meditating, journaling, and getting motivated—to your morning routine and you will set yourself up for a successful and productive day.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 6 Tips for Female Entrepreneurs

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below from Entrepreneur, Audrey Bellis, founder of Worthy Women, shares six tips for women in business, starting with not falling victim to impostor syndrome. Watch the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Get An Amazing Job Without Much Experience

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• How to Get An Amazing Job Without Much Experience: "If there’s something you want to learn, there’s a course, article, or video on it. All you need is the time to go through it."

• 4 Keys to Creating a Strong Desirable Workplace: "Ensuring that your employees are happy means taking a more holistic approach to their wellness and wellbeing. Offering wellness benefits to employees including health spending programs is one way to do this."

• What Happened When I Didn't Complain for 30 Days: "Once I started complaining, I couldn’t stop: forgotten passwords, misplaced homework assignments, those widowed socks that never find a mate, to name a few."

• The Smartest People Love to Fail, and Here's Why: "Resilience will keep you strong as you endure the less happy parts of following your dreams. A positive mental attitude will keep you following your dreams in the first place."
• 57 Female CEOs on How More Women Can Get to the Top: "Ambitious women may be hesitant to self-promote, driven more by a sense of purpose and a desire to contribute value and shape culture."

How to Practice Self-Care After Losing a Job

Losing a job ranks rights up there--along with death, divorce, or a move--as one of the most stressful and difficult times in a person’s life. 

A job loss can lead to anger, depression, and solitude and it’s very important to develop healthy habits during this time of unemployment.

Take the following steps to create a regime of self-care.

Focus on friends and family. Seek out and spend time with those you are closest to. Meet up with a best friend for a regular lunch appointment and spend some extra time with family. Be open with those close to you about how you’re experiencing the job loss and accept the support of others.

Let’s get physical. Pay attention to your health. Now you have some additional time to ensure you can fit in a daily exercise routine, whether it’s yoga at a nearby studio, joining a local fitness club, biking across town, or simply taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood. This time will also stimulate creativity and just might stimulate some ideas regarding your next career move.

Embrace the pillow. Get adequate sleep. Make an effort to avoid staying up late to watch television or staying on a computer or mobile too long getting lost in the world of social media. Instead, go to your library and pick out some great books to read in the evening before falling asleep. Good sleep will provide you with energy and a positive attitude to continue on with the other healthy practices your implementing.

Resist the bottle. This is a time to avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Drinking will not change your situation and will only make it more difficult to practice other healthy habits. This might be a great time to avoid alcohol and instead make a switch to a healthier diet that make you feel more energized and optimistic about your situation.

Turn down the pressure. Take some time to minimize expectations and resist the temptation to put too much pressure on yourself to find a new job or make a decision about a career path. It can be difficult to make clear-headed decisions when we feel under pressure. Implement a daily practice of calm breathing, meditation, prayer, and positive affirmations to quiet the voices in your head, reduce the pressure, and set aside expectations.

When you develop habits of self-care—deepening your friendships, getting adequate sleep and exercise, eating well, and developing positive thinking patterns—you’ll be better equipped to handle a period of unemployment or under-employment.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 3 Simple Steps to Take in a Job Interview

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below from Inc., Carlos Watson, CEO of Ozy shares three simple steps to take in a job interview, starting with interviewing for a job or position you truly care about. Watch the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Stressed Out at Work?

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• Stressed Out at Home? Stop Doing These 5 Things at Home: "The way to maintain your sanity is to find a few specific things you can stop doing at home to take off a bit of pressure. And then, when things calm down — maybe don’t start doing them again."

• 5 Ways to Reduce Work-Related Stress: "While one might think a vacation could be a good cure for this, many people feel pressure to work during their time off. According to the survey, 33 percent of women and 26 percent of men say their bosses expect them to work during vacation."

• 5 Steps to Resolve Work Conflicts Before They Get Personal: "At the root of many of these issues is a simple, common problem: miscommunication. At work as in life, it comes in many forms."

• The 10 Commandments of Effective Communication: "To communicate in a way that others understand, you have to learn what's on their minds, first. That's why listening is so important."
• What to do When Work Stress (Literally) Makes You Sick: "Take inventory of your own stress touch points, and set boundaries that feel right to you. Try removing your phone from your bedroom entirely, which can take away the temptation to check in early or late and allows melatonin to work its magic."

How to Measure Success in Your Career

It can be discouraging to look around and compare your career standing with that of successful entrepreneurs and career experts touting their accolades and wisdom on social media. You might even be tempted to compare your situation to that of some of your colleagues.

Resist the temptation!

When it comes to your career success you should only look to yourself and measure your success based on the following factors.

Your opportunities to advance or develop in your career. You’ll experience your career as successful if you have opportunities to move up in the company, earn a job promotion, and continue to expand your range of influence. 

 

Your opportunities to develop new skills. A successful career is one that changes and avoids stagnation. It is one where you are able to learn new skills, develop in new areas, and be part of the innovations in your chosen field.

Your opportunities to live a healthy and well-balanced life. A successful career is one in which your career does not prevent you from making healthy choices, getting enough sleep, eating well, spending meaningful time with your family, being physically fit, and enjoying some recreation and leisure time.

Your opportunities to earn a liveable wage. You don’t need to be rich and famous. Resist the desire to base your career success on your paycheck and to compare your things with the things your neighbor owns. Instead focus on ensuring that you can meet your financial obligations and purchase items of value that you need and enjoy.

Your opportunities to live your values. If you are doing meaningful work that is consistent with your values and provides a sense of purpose you will likely feel a sense of deep satisfaction in your work. Strive to find work that brings value to your community and to the world and you will be a success in your career.

When you evaluate your career success don’t focus on status, titles, and salary. Instead, take a look at whether you have opportunities to advance, develop new skills, experience work-life balance, earn enough to live on, and are fulfilling your purpose.