Monday, 3/2/20: Talking about a new season, mindful activities and my current favorite song

Happy Monday!

And Happy March! It’s another new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter. Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday, a short story and a roundup of positive thoughts to get your week started. 

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.  

Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend?

Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?

Step 3: What is my intention for this week? 

GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for the chance to take things slow, spending time outdoors and a really delicious dinner from Saturday night.

TODAY: I am most excited about celebrating my friend’s birthday after work (happy birthday, Maddie!!!).

INTENTION: My intention for this week is to do one mindful task a day (more on this below!). Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂

Lesson of the Week: Stillness 

Seasons are changing. March is here and according to the meteorological calendar, yesterday was the first day of spring.

According to a different calendar, last week marked the beginning of a new season too. Per the Christian liturgical calendar, last Wednesday represented the beginning of Lent. 

As someone who was brought up Catholic and still participates in the season, I hear the word “Lent” and immediately think of no meat on Fridays, times of fasting, giving up something you love for 40 days and really slow, somber music in mass. 

While the traditions and guidelines may sound silly to some, I think Lent is actually a really interesting concept. And one that you don’t necessarily need to associate with a specific religion to reap the benefits.  

Let’s remove the religion from the equation. Instead, let’s apply the basic concept to whatever higher being you personally feel connected to (God, Spirit, Universe, etc.).

When I boil it down and consider the traditions mentioned above, my opinion is that Lent is a time period (in this case 40 days) of striping away common distractions, luxuries and vices with the hope that the removal will make way for more time of quiet reflection and reconnection with a higher being. 

We hear all the time about how many distractions we have. We wake up and look at our phone. Work presents a consistent stream of calls, emails and interactions. We unwind by zoning out to a TV show and scrolling social media. 

Being constantly bombarded with information and notifications can make it nearly impossible to connect with our inner voice or the guiding force in our life. Before we know it, we are just going through the motions of our day-to-day life and forgetting to take a second and process. Think about it: when was the last time you were still or quiet enough to hear your own thoughts?   

If you’re feeling a bit of disconnection in your life, maybe disconnection is actually what you need.

This all sounds good on paper, but if you are anything like me, the distractions aren’t going to stop. So, how can we disconnect when going all Eat, Pray, Love isn’t really an option? 

Well, like with everything else, we need to be intentional about what we want. We need to schedule it and then create easy-to-maintain habits that set us up for success.

After all, I think that’s what Lent is: a scheduled time of disconnecting and reflecting that happens every year.

Additionally, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Lent takes place in the spring, which is the season that represents nature coming back to life after winter.

Maybe this year, we need March to represent a month where we reach for slow and quiet instead of busy and loud to bring some life back into us. 

If you are interested in that, here are a few simple ways to adopt more stillness in your everyday life: 

• Technology-Free Tuesday: Pick one night a week (i.e. Tuesday) where after dinner or after the kids are asleep, you forgo watching TV/scrolling Instagram to instead journal or take a walk. 
• Early Rise Once a Week. If the above sounded interesting to you, but it doesn’t work with your schedule right now, maybe try instead waking up an hour earlier than normal once a week. Use the time to slowly sip your coffee and have some quiet, peaceful moments before jumping into your day. 
• Staycation. This one takes some planning and may not work for everyone, but it can be so refreshing. Every once in a while, decide to use your weekend to disconnect and recharge instead of participating social activities. Stay in and organize your home, read a book at a coffee shop or move through your errands at a slow pace instead of being rushed. 
• Mindful Activities. There are a multitude of activities you could try this month to practice mindfulness. Download Headspace and try mediation. Practice breathwork (more on this below). Or, look at what’s already happening in your routine and identify opportunities of time where you could be quiet and connect with your thoughts (like a commute, a morning workout class or when you go to church).

What do you think? How do you think you would feel at the end of the month if March was about slowing down and reaching for more moments of mindfulness and stillness? 

On My Monday Radar

Sometimes we just aren’t ready to jump into our Monday to-do list right away. In case you want some content to procrastinate with, here is a roundup of a few positive things on my radar:  

• Breathwork. I read about breathwork in Kelly’s book last week and was intrigued by the idea. It seems like a simple way to manage stress, it’s free and it can be done anywhere (in the car, elevator or sitting at your desk). My two favorite breathing exercises are the 4-4-4 (Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4. Repeat 4 times)  and number 5 in this article. Try one next time you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed!      
• Managing emotions at work. Liz Fosslien, author of No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work, spoke at my work last week. I loved her message. I jotted down so many notes and am excited to read her book. If you want a quick introduction to what she’s about, watch her great four-minute Ted Talk. 
• Rent the Runway subscription. I went shopping this weekend because I have a few fun trips and weddings on the horizon. However, I was really underwhelmed at the clothes currently in stores. I am really tempted to try one of the Rent the Runway subscription plans as an easy way to mix up my wardrobe without committing to purchases…have any of you tried? 
• The song I can’t stop listening to. I am usually not a huge fan of female country artists, but I absolutely LOVE this song. I love the message and think we could all benefit from adopting this lesson. Forget just waiting for the week to pass and for the weekend to arrive. Let’s soak up what this Monday has to offer!

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan

Want to receive a note like this to your inbox every Monday at 6 AM EST? Sign up here! If you don’t receive the email, please check your spam or junk folder.