Moms don’t get nearly enough credit.

Between preparing meals your kids refuse to eat, pleading with them to brush their teeth, and kissing a multitude of boo-boos, who has energy for anything else?

As rewarding and joyful as motherhood is, it’s also often filled with tears and self-doubt. 

The next time mom-life leaves you feeling overwhelmed and depleted, try some positive affirmations for mothers to motivate yourself.

How to Use Daily Affirmations for Moms 

Some days you feel on top of the world and in control. Other days the challenges of raising little humans make you want to hide under your bed with a bottle of PInot and a gallon of Ben and Jerry’s. 

Use mom affirmations to boost your self-confidence and heal the fear that you are failing as a mother.

Here are a few tips for using affirmations successfully:

• Make them part of your daily routine
• Write them down
• Repeat them often and out loud if possible
• Post them everywhere, so you see them regularly
• Record yourself reciting them and play them back to yourself

105 Positive Daily Affirmations For Moms 

Regardless of how you currently feel about your parenting capabilities, positive affirmations can rewire your brain, so you feel empowered and worthy. 

They won’t complete your neverending to-do list, erase your constant worry, or fight the homework fight. Still, daily affirmations for moms can help you realize how fantastic you are at the boo-boo kissing, monster-slaying, and problem-solving powers your kids count on you for.

Positive Affirmations For Single Moms

1. I am doing my best as a mom, and that is good enough.

2. I release all self-judgment of my capabilities as a mom. 

3. I release all expectations and parent my children how I see fit.

4. My love for my children increases every day.

5. I know I am the best mom for my children.

6. I am kind to myself when I make mistakes as a mother.

7. I am becoming a better mom every day in every way.

8. I am an incredible mother as well as an incredible woman.

9. I embrace the positive aspects of motherhood today and every day.

10. I always love, respect, and appreciate myself and my kids unconditionally. 

11. I am dedicated to having fun with my kids today.

12. I hold an unwavering belief that I am the best mom for my kids.

13. I am focused on the good things I do as a mom.

14. I embrace my self-worth as a mom and a woman.

15. My family is my own and whole as it is.

16. I am worthy of relaxing and taking time for myself.

17. I am braver and stronger than anything that comes my way.

18. I am exactly who my children need as their mom.

19. I am allowed to ask others for help when I need it.

20. I am a great, loving mom, exactly as I am.

21. I trust my maternal instincts to help me make good parenting decisions.

22. I am creating a special bond with my kids every day.

23. I am strong and resilient, and I easily overcome setbacks.

24. I am providing a stable home and life for my children.

25. I remain hopeful even in times of struggle and stress.

26. I am focusing on seeing the best in myself and my kids.

27. I am grateful for the small daily improvements I make as a mom.

28. I am unaffected by decisions other moms make for their families.

29. I am grateful for my children, who bring me much love and joy.

30. I am capable of making the best possible choices for my kids. 

31. I feel good about myself and love myself as I am.

32. I am worthy of taking care of myself as I care for my children.

33. I set a good example for my kids by showing myself love and compassion.

34. I am capable of making smart parenting choices and decisions.

35. I lovingly embrace the wonderful, capable mother I am becoming.

36. I am a blessing to my children, and they know it.

37. I am creating loving, lifelong memories with my kids every day.

38. I am worthy of the praise I receive as a mother.

39. I embrace my strengths as a mother and forgive my shortcomings.

40. I am a wonderful role model for my kids every day.

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Positive Affirmations For New Moms

41. I am now celebrating the gift of motherhood and life.

42. I welcome the challenges of motherhood with a warm heart.

43. I am grateful for the beautiful, fulfilling experience of motherhood.

44. I am learning to take better care of my baby each day.

45. I am capable of providing all the love and care my baby needs.

46. I take care of myself to take care of my baby.

47. I am strong and capable of being a good mom. 

48. I embrace the challenges of motherhood with grace and gratitude. 

49. I am grateful for my ability to learn and grow as a mother.

50. I am worthy of loving my child and being loved by her.

51. I accept my imperfections as a mom and allow myself to do my best.

52. I always choose what is best for myself and my baby.

53. I am a kind, caring, patient mother to my child.

54. I trust my instincts to know what my baby needs.  

55. I release all thoughts of self-doubt and accept that my best is good enough.

56. I feel a stronger connection to my baby every day.

57. I feel confident, safe, and secure in my abilities as a new mother.

58. I am a dedicated, loving mother with everything I need to care for my baby.

59. I am capable of handling all that comes my way.

60. I am grateful for the precious life I have created.

61. Today, I choose to focus on my good qualities as a mother and a woman.

62. I have the patience I need to care for my baby.

63. I openly and lovingly embrace this precious time with my baby.

64. I am aware of my needs and my baby’s needs. 

65. I warmly embrace the special sweetness of raising a child.

66. I am surrounded by loving, supportive, respectful people I can count on. 

67. I trust my intuition to know what is best for my baby.

68. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise my baby.

69. I release all comparisons to other moms and embrace my unique style.

70. I am capable of providing the safe, loving space my child needs.

71. I love my baby and myself and our growing bond.

72. I am fulfilling my purpose as a mother right here, right now.

73. I release the need for perfection and show myself grace and compassion.

74. I am filled with the peace, love, and joy of motherhood.

75. I am everything that my little one wants and needs.

Positive Affirmations For Working Moms

76. I am powerful and indestructible and easily conquer any challenges I face.

77. I feel love and gratitude for my children and the joy they bring me.

78. I am a great mom in the eyes and hearts of my children.

79. I trust and follow my intuition even when things go wrong. 

80. I am now forgiving myself for my imperfect parenting choices.

81. I set reasonable expectations for myself as a mom and a woman.

82. I openly embrace my time with my children today and every day.

83. I am a strong and loving woman who sets excellent examples for her kids.

84. I release my mom guilt and know I am a good mom.

85. I exude gratitude, grace, and patience throughout my whole day.

86. I am doing my best to be a good mom, and that is good enough.

87. I am capable of creating the best life for my family.

88. I release all worries about others’ opinions about my abilities as a mom.

89. I am a rock for my kids and create a safe space for them.

90. I am setting a good example for my children when I take care of myself.

91. I forgive my kids’ flaws and love them as they are. 

92. I am committed to being loving and kind with my children.

93. I am teaching my kids to be authentic and confident.

94. I am choosing peace and joy amongst all the chaos.

95. I fully and completely believe in my ability to provide for my kids.

96. I embrace and accept the present moment free of judgment.

97. I feel calm, peaceful, and grounded in times of chaos.

98. I take action to create the life I want for myself and my kids.

99. I have everything I need within me to be an amazing mom and person.

100. I am brave enough to face the struggles of motherhood.

101. I lead by example to show my children what I expect of them.

102. I am strong enough to overcome any challenges I face as a mom.

103. I am thankful for my creative, unique, and loving children.

104. I am a warrior and bravely face any obstacles of motherhood.

105. I am full of energy and enthusiasm as I embrace my time with my kids.

Whether you have one little darling or ten, they’re newborns or nearly grown, or you’re doing it alone, or with a partner, it’s time you realize what an amazing mother you are. 

Use these affirmations for moms to improve your mindset and belief in your ability to be exactly what your little ones need you to be– their mom who isn’t perfect but does the best she can and loves them unconditionally. 

And always remember – YOU ARE ENOUGH.

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Have you ever wondered how your best friend can handle a job, two kids and still manage to go to the gym each day?  Some people just seem like they have superpowers, right? Regardless of the activity, these types of people always seem to be on top of their game , whether they are handling tasks at the office, taking the kids to their after-school activities, or picking the perfect gifts for grandma ahead of her upcoming milestone. Instead of wasting your time thinking about how other people do it, start changing your daily habits with ones which will keep you on your path and motivate you in reaching your goals. Here are our favourite tips to help you hack life and boost your productivity.

1. Create A Morning Ritual

If you ever followed very successful and productive people, you know that they swear by having an efficient morning ritual. From the time they wake up to the way they drink their coffee, successful people always have everything planned out each day, as a way of saving time. Their morning rituals usually include meditation, working out and getting dressed in an outfit that is well put-together, yet comfortable. From earrings down to socks, everything is carefully selected – most probably the previous night.

2. Wake Up Early

This might be an obvious one, but waking up early is not only about getting more things done in one day. It’s about getting good quality and restful sleep every night. Besides being healing and recharging, a restful sleep will help you wake up early in the morning and keep your body and mind sharp. Instead of waiting until your eyes are closing, start unwinding and switching off early in the evening, so you can fully disconnect before bed.

3. Practice Self-Care And Mindfulness

Living a balanced life means taking the necessary time to preserve and enhance your greatest asset, which is yourself. This means creating time for self-renewal each day in the four main aspects of your life: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Besides being a great way of alleviating stress, focusing on just being present can help keep you aligned with your objectives.

4. Start The Day With The Hardest Task First

Taking on the most difficult or frustrating task first thing in the morning may sound daunting, but it’s a tactic that highly productive people use each day. Instead of spending all day dreading the moment you will actually have to tackle that undesirable task, start your morning with the hardest jobs first. By eliminating the worst thing from your list, the rest of the day will seem easy in comparison.

5. Write Down Your Thoughts

Before you start reading your emails or checking your social media, make sure you take the time to gather your thoughts and plan out your day. From daily tasks to creative ideas and feelings, writing things down is the best way to stay focused and combat forgetfulness. Instead of stressing out all day about everything, develop the habit of adding several notes daily to help improve your productivity and keep you organized.

6. Learn To Say ‘No’

Productive people are not afraid of saying ‘no’, as they understand the value of their own time. After all, time is our most precious resource. If you are serious about stepping up your productivity game, you should keep in mind what your priorities and goals are. Try not to say “yes” to things that don’t contribute to your objectives, as you will end up wasting your time and resources.

7. Go On A Walk Each Day

Sometimes, all you need to do to become more productive is to change your setting. Whether you are spending your whole day at the office or at home, changing your surroundings can help clear out your mind. Studies show that physical movement can lower stress levels and boost your mood by releasing endorphins. A quick daily walk in nature can help improve brain function, while keeping you fit and active.

Author Bio

Monica is a content writer and creative copywriter with a passion for fashion, health & nutrition and photography. When she is not out travelling the world, Monica loves to combine her creative side with analytical skills, to create high-quality and relevant content.

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Have you ever made an aggressive to-do list before bed but woke up the next morning feeling completely unmotivated to tackle it?

Or set a lofty goal for yourself only to talk yourself out of taking any concrete steps toward progress?

If so, then you may be a victim of negative self-talk.

What you tell yourself and believe about yourself and your abilities significantly impacts your life and well-being.

Positive affirmations for motivation may be just what you need to help you succeed.

What Are Motivational Affirmations? 

An affirmation is something you tell yourself and believe to be true. To affirm something is to state your support for it. 

Repeatedly doing so validates the thought and affirms it in your mind. This effect applies whether the statement is positive, negative, or somewhere in between. 

Put simply – it matters what you say to yourself. Regularly telling yourself you are worthy, capable, and motivated leads you to adopt these feelings. Conversely, constantly reminding yourself of your mistakes and shortcomings results in low self-esteem.

Your brain is powerful and capable of changing and adapting to new circumstances throughout your life.

You can train your brain to believe almost anything. You can choose to think about things that make you feel good or things that make you feel bad. You decide.

Benefits of Affirmations

Motivation words of affirmation are beneficial when applied correctly. 

While they won’t magically create results on their own, significant positive changes in your motivation can occur when you pair affirmations with action. Believe in your ability to succeed, and then make it happen.

Even if you don’t currently feel motivated or capable of getting things done and achieving your goals, you can use motivational affirmations to rewire your brain’s thought patterns. 

You can train yourself to be more optimistic and aware of opportunities and possibilities instead of seeing all the reasons something can’t or won’t happen.

Over time, affirmations can provide benefits like:

• Better focus on your goals
• Improved confidence
• Increased feelings of self-worth
• More resilience
• Increased positivity
• Improved relationship with yourself

How to Use These Daily Motivational Affirmations

It’s not as simple as just repeatedly telling yourself something and waiting for your brain to believe it. To make the most of motivational affirmations, try the following:

• Choose statements that are meaningful to you. Use some from our list below, or use them as inspiration to create your own. 

• Use affirmations you believe to be true on some level. Rather than using statements that feel false or unattainable, use those that reflect truth but also the potential for improvement. Adjust as needed to match your gradually improving mindset. 

• Use affirmations daily but don’t worry when you use them. Some people prefer to use them first thing in the morning, while others prefer right before bed. Some find once a day is often enough, while others use motivational affirmations multiple times a day when you need a pick-me-up or find yourself stuck in a negative thought pattern.

Methods for Using Affirmations

Again, the method is less important than actually doing it. Choose whatever process works best for you.

• Journal them. Use a paper journal, the notes app on your phone, or an affirmations app.
• Recite them. Preferably aloud. In front of a mirror.
• Visualize them. Picture yourself in the situation as if it were true.
• Post them. Use sticky notes or print them out and place them around your home, car, office, etc.

57 Motivation Positive Affirmations to Inspire You

Use these motivation affirmations to inspire you to adopt positive thoughts and beliefs about your life, goals, and yourself.

1. I have legitimate talents, and I deserve to be well paid for my skills.

2. I am a winner, and I embrace the mindset of a true winner.

3. I am a highly motivated person, and I enjoy getting things done.

4. I have all the strength and confidence I need to succeed.

5. I feel worthy and valuable as an individual and am capable of reaching my goals.

6. I am capable of efficiently handling everything that comes my way.

7. I recognize and take advantage of opportunities presented to me.

8. I focus on things I can control and let go of the rest.

9. I have enough, I do enough, and I am enough.

10. I make progress toward my goals every day.

11. I am committed to working toward my goals every day.

12. I am deserving of success, and I have everything I need to succeed.

13. I lovingly believe in myself, my abilities, and my life’s purpose.

14. I am motivated to get things done, whether I feel like it or not. 

15. I effortlessly remain motivated to achieve my goals.

16. I am completely and thoroughly confident in my skills and abilities.

17. I trust my intuition to guide me in the right direction.

18. I am now free of self-doubt and limitations that have held me back.

19. I choose to focus on things that are important to me.

20. Every day, I feel more and more motivated to achieve my goals.

21. I effortlessly achieve anything and everything I put my mind to.

22. I am proud of all the progress I have made in my life.

23. I forgive myself for my mistakes and learn from them.

24. I choose to embrace the day with confidence, positivity, and gratitude.

25. I am a unique and worthy person and deserve to make my dreams come true.

26. I am a valuable human being and am worthy of happiness.

27. I love myself unconditionally, regardless of what others think.

28. I allow myself to feel whole, empowered, worthy, and alive. 

29. I appreciate and respect myself at all times, around all people. 

30. I always remain optimistic even in difficult situations.

31. I am naturally energetic and feel motivated to get things done.

32. I remain centered, focused, and in control of all aspects of my life.

33. I have the confidence and motivation I need to achieve anything.

34. I am on the right path and am right where I need to be.

35. My mind and body are very powerful and full of energy.

36. I am motivated to take action to create the life I want. 

37. I release all fear and allow myself to feel powerful and capable.

38. I am strong and resilient and can overcome any obstacle I face.

39. I always have a choice, and I choose to take action.

40. I firmly believe in my ability to achieve great things.

41. I am becoming more and more successful every day in every way.

42. I am in control of my feelings, and I choose to feel patient and calm.

43. I am smart enough. I am strong enough. I am good enough.

44. I feel passionate about achieving my goals and fulfilling my purpose.

45. I openly embrace and pursue the endless opportunities of the universe.

46. I know what I want, and I take action to get it.

47. I am brave. I am strong. I am courageous. I am powerful.

48. I am unstoppable and have the power to create change in my life.

49. I am doing my best, and that is good enough.

50. I am attracting positive people and opportunities into my life.

51. I am stronger than any struggle I face in life.

52. I am an amazing person, and I stand up for my values and beliefs.

53. I am my authentic self and happy with who I am. 

54. I am strong, determined, consistent, and capable of making smart decisions.

55. I matter. My opinions matter. My goals matter. My voice matters.

56. I am motivated by obstacles because that’s how I get stronger.

57. Today and every day, I am capable of living my best life. 

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What Are 10 Motivation Affirmations You Could Say Daily? 

Powerful daily motivational affirmations can help you maintain a positive mindset and stay motivated to reach your goals.

You can choose from these ten statements every morning to set the tone for your day.

58. I lovingly embrace this day with an open heart and open mind.

59. I am filled with positive energy today and every day. 

60. I am ready for all the fantastic opportunities this day brings.

61. I feel successful and powerful as I follow my dreams today.

62. I am in charge of my thought and feelings, and I choose to feel joy and happiness.

63. I feel more alive and vibrant than ever before.

64. I choose to live my life freely, fully, and passionately.

65. I have the power to create change in my life.

66. I am overflowing with energy and confidence today.

67. Today I am dedicated to having a meaningful and productive day.

You can harness the power of affirmation motivation to create an amazing reality for yourself–one in which you feel motivated, empowered, and capable of being anything you want to be and doing anything you want to do. 

That positive mindset and belief in yourself enable you to take action to achieve even your wildest dreams!

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“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
Winston Churchill

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
Anais Nin

One of the most common questions people ask me via email is how to become more of an optimist.

So this week I’d simply like to share three habits that can help you to get started with that.

I use these myself just about every day to stay optimistic in pretty much any situation.

It may sometimes take a while before I find an optimistic thread of thought but these three habits usually help me to do it.

1. Ask yourself questions that let you see the optimistic viewpoint.

When I’m in what seems like a negative situation my most common way of making something better out of that is to ask myself questions that promote optimism and helps me to find solutions.

Questions like:

• What is one thing that is positive or good about this situation?
• What is one thing I can learn from this situation?
• What is one opportunity within this situation?

These questions are not something that I can always use right away. Sometimes I need some time to process and accept the feelings and thoughts that arise.

But after a bit of time, when those thoughts and feelings have mostly passed, I ask myself one or more of these questions.

2. Get optimistic support from the world around you.

One of the most important factors if you want to be able to stay optimistic are the influences around you.

Optimism is – just like enthusiasm – contagious.

So find ways to create an environment that supports you.

The people in your life.

Try to spend more time with optimistic people and less time with people who seem to always be negative about things.

Positive people will support you, add upbeat energy and can help you to find a constructive change in perspective when you have a situation that is bringing you down and when you are just making a mountain out of a molehill.

The information you let into your mind.

One of the easiest things you can do to create and support your own optimism is simply to regularly read blogs and books and listen to or watch recordings created by optimistic people.

3. Start your day in an optimism creating way.

The way you start your day often sets the tone for the rest of it.

A stress-free morning leads to less stress and better focus during your day.

A work out early in your day leads to more energy throughout the day.

And optimism while you are eating your cereal or traveling to work or school can help you to stay positive and constructive as you go through the ups and downs of your day.

Three practical ways to get this good start is to:

• Read or watch something optimistic or funny for 10-20 minutes during your morning.
• Have an uplifting conversation over breakfast or early in your day.
• Listen to a motivating audiobook or podcast as you ride the bus, your bicycle or while you’re walking somewhere.

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My youngest daughter is fond of saying: “If you want to be a runner, you have to run; and if you want to be a weightlifter, you have to lift weights.” A runner, she knows that the only way she is going to improve on her race time is to run. Her no-nonsense attitude toward running serves for me as a reminder of the spirit and importance of a daily yoga practice.

Why practice yoga daily?

Daily yoga practice is a commitment to yourself and to your own growth. A daily practice is essential to help us stay physically fit, mentally balanced, spiritually connected, and emotionally strong. It is a simple, accessible, and affordable practice that can be done almost anywhere. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated, even if you only have 15 minutes per day, it will still benefit your body, mind and spirit.

The Yoga Sutras (1.14) teach us that to become firmly established in our practice, we must attend to it for a long time, without interruption, with an attitude of devotion and service, and a full heart. When we practice daily, we create a powerful foundation and clear attention to progress along the path towards enlightenment.

The challenge of daily practice

Students often come to yoga filled with enthusiasm. They invest in yoga mats and athletic wear; they sign up for classes and declare they now “do yoga.” As they immerse themselves in their practice, they begin to come face to face with their ego, their fears, frustrations and anger that they can’t touch their nose to knees. Bodies long conditioned to a state of numbness respond with pain as under-used muscles are summoned to the work they have long leveled on joints. Egos suffer as yogis look around the room comparing themselves to advanced students.

Many stop coming to class and eventually quit. But it’s at that juncture where we meet our obstacles and excuses that the true challenge of our practice begins.

The benefits of doing yoga everyday

We will not transform our practice—nor, in turn, our practice transform our lives—if we do not practice regularly. The more we practice, the deeper we delve into our potential, our true selves.

What happens if you practice yoga every day? A daily practice empowers us with the spiritual confidence gained from progressing through the asanas and breaking through mental, physical, and emotional obstacles. A daily practice cultivates the attitude that through patience and compassion, not brute strength, we can accomplish just about anything on and off our mats. A daily yoga practice has many great benefits! It helps keep us grounded, centered, balanced, flexible, strong, calm, clear-headed, focused, relaxed, happy, healthy, and free from stress and anxiety. In other words, it keeps us sane!

How much yoga is enough?

In his book Yoga Beyond Belief, Ganga White responds to students who ask the age-old question: How long will it take? How long will it take before I master the yoga postures? White’s response: It will take the rest of your life.

Yoga is not a destination. It’s a journey. Mastery of the asanas is not the goal of the practice, it is the result of it. Pattabhi Jois said, “Yoga is one percent theory; the rest is practice.” The sage Patanjali did not prescribe a period of time required to achieve mastery. He taught that through abhyasa, constant and determined effort, and vairagya, non-attachment and freedom from desire, we can establish a firm foundation in our practice. That is counter to the way many of us live our lives: we want instant gratification. A lifetime of practice? That’s way too long for many of us.

But we must practice vairagya and let go of our attachment to the goal. We must approach our practice with tapas—the zeal and willpower—to sustain a practice over a lifetime. Along that journey, we see yoga reflecting back on our lives. We learn that what we do on the mat is what we do off the mat. Our attitude as we approach a challenging pose is a reflection of how we live our lives.

How to start a daily yoga practice

Many people struggle with how to begin a daily practice. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the thought of trying to fit in a new activity into your life and daily routine. Here are eight tips to help you get started:

1. Set a time. I recommend setting aside time each day to do a short yoga routine. Examine your daily routine to find the most ideal time to take time for self care. Set up reminders on your phone to remind you to practice.
2. Start small. Committing to a short practice will make it much more likely to accomplish every day. It can be as simple as five minutes of sun salutations or a few beginner yoga poses, followed by some pranayama (breathing exercises), and ending with a few minutes of meditation. You don’t have to spend hours on your mat; just start small and build from there.
3. Choose an appropriate level. Make sure the yoga classes you commit to are of the correct length and intensity for your ability and dedication. If you bite off too much at once, you may find yourself feeling frustrated and discouraged. Also, consider whether you need more guidance than what they offer in class. Many teachers offer private lessons so they can work closely with their students to ensure they receive proper instruction.
4. Find a yoga teacher who inspires you. Find someone whose teaching style resonates with you, and whose classes are challenging enough to push you to new heights. Ask friends or family members about who their favorite yoga instructor is. If you don’t have access to a teacher, there are tons of great online yoga classes to practice with.
5. Do what feels right. Don’t worry so much about whether a yoga asana “looks” good. Just do whatever works for your body. Some days I’ll start my morning off with a few sun salutations before breakfast. Other times, I might just sit quietly and breathe deeply. Whatever makes sense to you is fine.
6. Take it off the mat. You can start a daily practice anywhere, anytime, by simply taking a moment to slow down and listen intently to what’s happening inside and around you. Remember that yoga isn’t always physical. In fact, many forms of yoga emphasize mental discipline and self-awareness. When you’re in traffic, take a few moments to breathe deeply and focus on your breath. If you’re walking to the grocery store, pause to notice the sensations in your feet, the air on your skin, the touch of the sidewalk beneath your feet. Look for any spare moments to pause, breathe deeply and bring awareness to your body. Find opportunities to move into a posture—like taking three deep breaths in Tree Pose while waiting for your morning coffee to brew.
7. Be patient. There may come a point when you find yourself struggling to stay consistent with your practice. This happens because you’re learning more than you expected. When this occurs, remember that patience is key. Keep reminding yourself why you decided to commit to regular yoga practice in the first place. Like anything else, the experience and benefits of yoga and meditation deepen with practice.
8. Keep at it. The most important thing to keep in mind is that consistency is essential if you want to see results. The best way to maintain consistency over time is to make it part of your lifestyle. Schedule a specific time during which you will meditate or perform a yoga pose. And if you miss one day, don’t beat yourself up! Simply pick back up where you left off next week. As long as you continue practicing regularly, you will improve over time.

Do you have a daily yoga practice? What challenges have you faced or overcome through this practice? What benefits have you experienced by practicing every day?

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“Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are.”
Jose Ortega y Gasset

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Aristotle

It is early morning. You’ve had your breakfast and done your morning routine.

So you head out into your day. And in a short while you’ll sit down in school or at your job and get started with your daily work.

But how can you get that work done in a way that is less stressful, less energy consuming and simply a bit smarter?

Today I’d like to share 10 tips that have helped me with that.

I hope you will find something here that will help you too to simplify and relaxify your own daily work.

1. Do just one thing at a time.

It will help you to get your task all the way to done, to feel less stressed and confused and you’ll do a better job compared to if you multi-task things.

And if you feel stressed and overwhelmed during your day then you can tell yourself this simple thing to regain focus and inner clarity again.

2. Keep a minimalistic workspace.

It makes it easier to keep your focus and attention in the right place and to keep your thinking clear.

I keep a workspace with just a wooden desk, a chair, my computer, a larger screen and a glass of water or mug of tea on that desk.

3. Go slow.

One good way to do more focused work is to go a bit slower than you may usually do.

I have also found that by just doing something at a slower pace it feels less like a mental burden and so I am less likely to procrastinate.

4. Eliminate.

From time to time ask yourself:

What one task during my day or week can I simply eliminate and not do with few or no consequences?

It’s easy to just keep doing everything simply because “you should” or because you’ve always done so.

So question how you go about things to free up energy and time. There is often room to at least simplify a bit through elimination.

5. Cycle 100% focused work with 100% full rest.

This is a big one for me.

By doing things this way you’ll help yourself to keep your mental sharpness and energy up for the whole day and workweek.

I do this by setting the timer-app on my phone for 40 minutes (or sometimes just 5-10 minutes if it’s a task that I’ve procrastinated on).

During those minutes I only focus on the one task at hand and it becomes easier to do so because I know that I only have to do it for this limited time period.

When the timer beeps I leave my work for 5-15 minutes. During those minutes I focus only on resting by having a snack, taking a short walk or by relaxing with my eyes closed on the couch.

6. Don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go as planned.

Instead, be kind to yourself and smart with your energy and ask yourself:

What is one thing I can learn from this?

Use what you can learn to do things better and to avoid making the same mistake in the future. It’s a better use of your time than spending it on regretting a past that you cannot change anyway.

7. Let emails and other online checking wait until the end of the workday.

Or at least for a few hours.

Don’t start your day with going through your email – if possible – because it can add a lot of stress and suck away your limited energy and attention early in the day.

It can also make it hard to even find enough time for your most important tasks if you get too distracted by your inbox.

8. Limit your daily information input.

Regularly unsubscribe to blogs, podcasts, social media channels and email newsletters that doesn’t add much value to your life anyway.

Keep only the most helpful, funny, inspiring and best ones.

This very simple thing can free up quite a bit of both time and attention during the course of a month.

9. Ask yourself questions every day that help you to find your focus.

It’s so easy to get off track during a day.

To stay on it or to get back there if you get lost use one – or both – of my own favorite questions:

• What is the most important thing I can do right now?
• What would I work on if I only had 2 hours for work today?

If you like, write these questions down on a note and put that note where you cannot avoid seeing it during your day.

10. Focus mostly on the how to and not so much on the what-ifs.

Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis, overthinking and in the worry and lack of self-esteem that usually comes from those destructive thoughts.

Instead, focus on what you actually can do, on what action you can take to move forward.

Empower yourself by asking yourself:

What is one small step I can take right now to move forward towards my goal or out of this situation?

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“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
Buddha

“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn

One of the most common habits that make life miserable is to not be where you are.

What do I mean by that?

That your body is right here, right now. But that your thoughts are elsewhere in time and space.

They are in the past, reliving an old, painful memory. Or replaying an argument – that you still want to win – for the hundredth time.

Or your thoughts are in a possible future. Worried and stressed about what may happen at work or in your relationship. Or trying to plan for every possible scenario and through that hoping to fully control the future.

And the more time you spend in the future or past, the more you – in my experience – tend to also:

• Be ineffective. Making decisions becomes very hard if you second-guess yourself all the time or become paralyzed by all the possible outcomes. And overthinking zaps so much energy that you lose motivation to take action.
• Miss life as it happens. If you are not fully here in this moment then it is very easy to miss and to not fully enjoy a victory or simply a beautiful, fun or small moment in life.

Maybe you cannot spend all of your time in the now. Because there are things you can learn from reexamining your past. And there are things you sometimes need to plan for in your future.

But the kind of obsessive or addictive way to spend so much time in a regular week in the past or future can be replaced with something smarter, more helpful and happiness-friendly.

Three habits that have helped me a lot to make that shift into being much more mindful are to:

1. Slow down.

Start your day with doing whatever you do first in your morning slowly.

This will make it easier and more natural to keep a slower pace and to focus fully on what you are doing for the rest of your morning.

And starting your day in this way will often prevent you from going into your own most common thought loops that cause worry, anger or sadness.

Plus, doing something in a calm and relaxed manner is often the quickest way to do something well.

And you can of course slow down what you are doing at any time during your day to get your mind back to what your body is doing.

2. Tell yourself: Now I am…

I often tell myself this silently in my mind: Now I am X.

And X could be that I am brushing my teeth. Doing the dishes. Taking a walk and listening to the sounds around me.

Just reminding myself of this helps my mind to stop wandering and it brings my focus back to just that one thing I am doing right now and nothing else.

3. Disrupt your thoughts + quickly reconnect with the here and now.

If you are a regular reader then you know that I like to use a stop-word or phrase to silence the inner critic.

This works well for getting back to the present moment too.

When you catch yourself going somewhere else in the past or future with your thoughts then – in your mind – shout: STOP!

Or: No, no, no, we are not going down that road again!

Then, right away after you have disrupted those thoughts find your way back to the present moment by either focusing only on what is going on around you right now with all your senses – the sights, the sounds, the smells and so on – or by focusing 100% on your breaths going in and out of your body.

Do either of those things for just 1-2 minutes.

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It’s too simplistic to think of sodium as “bad.”

Yes, you should watch your daily salt intake, but that doesn’t mean all sodium in your diet should get the boot.

“Sodium is an essential mineral in your body to help maintain fluid balance, muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and more,” explains Chelsey Amer, M.S., R.D.N., owner of Chelsey Amer Nutrition.

There’s just one catch: Yes, sodium plays crucial roles in your body, “but it’s only needed in fairly small amounts,” she explains.

The trouble is, salt is added to plenty of packaged foods we eat.

Here’s what you need to know about your daily salt intake and whether you need to break up with the salt shaker.

What Is the Recommended Daily Salt Intake?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg per day.

But there’s more to that number.

Table salt is only about 40% sodium, explains Dana Ellis Hunnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and author of the upcoming book Recipe For Survival.

A full teaspoon of salt will put you at roughly that 2,300 mg mark.

(One teaspoon of salt weighs approximately 5 grams or 5,000 mg.)

But this number is just a general recommendation, not necessarily the right fit for everyone.

Why limit an essential mineral?

Sodium makes you retain water, which increases your blood volume, Hunnes explains. This, in turn, may increase blood pressure.

Over time, high blood pressure can potentially harm the kidneys and blood vessels of the heart and brain, she adds.

How Much Salt Is Too Much?

The general recommended daily salt intake isn’t suitable for everybody.

For some people, even 2,300 mg is too much sodium. Hunnes says that includes people with:

• hypertension
• certain heart conditions
• kidney disease
• other medical conditions

“It is recommended that they eat even less sodium than this,” she adds, since a potential increase in blood pressure or kidney damage is more dangerous.

Individuals with those conditions are usually told to keep their daily sodium intake below 1,500 mg.

Barring advice from a doctor, you can safely follow the 2,300 mg recommendation, says Hunnes.

But the average American consumes far more than that each day. On average, we consume 3,393 milligrams per day, with a range of about 2,000 to 5,000 mg per day.

And some people may actually need a slightly higher daily salt intake than others.

“If you’re sweating profusely, from extreme exercise or physical labor outside on a hot day, for instance, you may need to replenish this essential electrolyte to maintain proper fluid balance in your body,” explains Amer.

But that’s not a free pass to pile on the salt!

If you have questions about exactly how much salt you need each day, it’s best to talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about your recommended daily salt intake.

6 Sneaky Sources of Salt In Your Diet

Many store-bought foods have high sodium content, and it’s not necessarily the ones you’d suspect.

A considerable 44% of the sodium in the average American’s diet comes from just 10 food categories.

1. Bread

“Bread also commonly has more sodium than you would suspect,” says Amer.

“Always flip over the package to check the label, especially if you’re salt-sensitive. Bread was the number one source of sodium, the study found.

A plain bagel has 430 mg of sodium!

2. Sandwiches

Maybe now it’s not so surprising that sandwiches are number three on the list of top sources of sodium.

Between the two slices of bread, processed deli meat, cheese, and condiments — all of which are high in sodium — a sandwich can pack a hefty load of salt.

3. Sauces

Store-bought marinades, salad dressings, and many pasta sauces have significant sodium content.

Just two tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce could contain up to 350 mg of sodium. (Try this healthier barbecue sauce recipe instead!)

Solution? Make homemade salad dressing to cut down on the sodium.

4. Cheese

Even cheeses we love for other reasons are high in sodium.

Cottage cheese, for example, “is a great high-protein food, but usually contains a lot of sodium,” notes Amer. (Like 459 mg in 1/2 cup!)

That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. Amer notes that its high sodium content is “important to keep in mind in the context of your overall day.”

5. Chicken

Some chicken breasts at the grocery store have saline solution (translation: saltwater) pumped into them to appear plumper.

You think you’re just getting meat, but you’re getting sneaky sodium along with it.

Read the label to make sure yours doesn’t contain added salt.

6. Soup

Your favorite soups (canned or from a restaurant) can contain extremely high levels of sodium.

Just one cup of canned chicken noodle soup contains about one-third (790 mg!) of your daily recommended sodium intake.

One way to take control of your daily salt intake is to skip store-bought soups and make your own — here are 25 healthy soup recipes to choose from!

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“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
Albert Einstein

“Think simple” as my old master used to say – meaning reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles.”
Frank Lloyd Wright

The daily work we do – in school, at work or in a business – can easily become overwhelming, ineffective and suck the energy and joy out of what you are doing.

So how can you work in a lighter, simpler way that helps you to get more of what truly matters done in less time and with less stress?

Let me share 12 habits that I’ve discovered over the years that help me to do just that.

1. Prepare your day the evening before.

Pack your bag or suitcase. Pack the leftovers from your dinner in a container and put it in the fridge. Put your keys, wallet etc. in a place where you can easily find them as you head out.

This preparation will help you to have a less stressful morning.

2. Be 5-10 minutes early for appointments.

This will make your time of travel during the day into a time of relaxation and recharging. Instead of a time of stress and anxiety.

Plus, people tend to like when other people are on time.

3. Work on just one thing at a time.

It will be easier to focus and to do a good job.

And to do it in less time compared to if you try to multi-task (at least if you are anything like me).

4. Work in a cone of silence.

Just before you start working on that one thing shut down your email program and instant messaging programs.

Shut the door to your office. Put your cell phone in silent mode and put it in a drawer.

If possible, shut down your internet connection. Or use an extension for your browser like StayFocusd.

5. During your day regularly ask yourself questions for simplicity and focus.

It is easy to get off track during a regular workday.

To stay on track or to get back there if you get lost use questions like:

• What is the most important thing I can do right now?
• Is doing this bringing me closer to my goal?
• Am I keeping things extremely simple right now?

6. Let your lunch time be a time of relaxing.

Eat slowly. Put down the fork between bites to make that easier. Eat mindfully and savor each bite.

Eating your lunch this way can help you to relax and to release quite a bit of stress in the middle of your workday.

Plus, it can help you to not overeat because it takes your brain 20 minutes to register that you are full. By slowing down your eating your brain can stop you before you eat too much.

7. Spend 80% of your time focusing on a solution.

And only 20% of your time on dwelling on your issue, challenge or problem. Instead of doing it the other way around.

This makes it easier to live a lighter and more action-filled life and to not fall down into a pit of self-pity or get stuck in a mental habit of perceived powerlessness.

8. Ask for help.

You don’t have to always go it alone. You can ask for help.

You may not always get it but you might also be surprised at how helpful and kind people can be in helping you ease your burdens and solve a challenge.

Just don’t forget to do the same for them as best you can when they ask.

9. Just check your email once a day.

Checking email or social media accounts many times a day tends to drain a lot of time, energy and can leave you unfocused and stressed.

Try checking and processing all of those things just once a day instead. I do it at the end of my workday.

If that is not possible for you then try to postpone it for a few hours at least. And put your morning energy and focus into your most important task of the day.

10. Write shorter emails.

Limit your emails to 1-5 sentences when possible. You can also have some canned responses for common questions saved in a folder in your email program.

This will help you to spend less time and energy on your daily email processing.

11. Consciously set and maintain firm boundaries between your work and personal time.

Have a set stop time for your daily work (mine is 7 o’ clock). Don’t work on weekends.

Consciously manage your boundaries and you’ll have less stress and more energy and focus both to do better work and to have a personal life of higher quality.

This is one of the most important and often overlooked habits in this article.

12. Be smart about the 3 fundamentals of energy.

By that I mean getting enough sleep, exercising a couple of times a week and eating healthy.

This may seem very obvious in theory. But in practice it makes a world of difference for your optimism and self-talk, energy levels, ability to handle stress and to think clearly.

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If you took a good hard look in the mirror and thought about your life, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For too many people, the reality is that you’re not spending your time the way you want to. Too much of your agenda is driven by outside circumstances.

If you thought about what made you happy and how much of that you were incorporating into your life right now, the thought would frustrate you. Successful leadership happens from a place of freedom and the ability to spend your time on what you want to be doing.

If you looked at your goals, how many are what you truly want? If you’re not experiencing the kind of success and growth you’d like in your life, the reality is that your daily choices are keeping you from that place.

If it’s your goal to optimize your growth, which in turn creates more of it and leads to getting more done, it’s time to look at the daily choices you’re making. It’s time to get honest about whether or not you’re making decisions from a place of self-prioritization.

Here are three daily choices that help you pursue growth in a way that aligns with your vision, purpose and the things you want to do. Here’s how to have happier life experiences. 

1. Adjust your schedule to be proactive versus reactionary

Too often, we don’t end up spending the time we’d like to on our goals, dreams, and the things that create freedom. This misalignment happens because we’re living life reactionary. We’re trying to catch up to items on our to-do list, and as we’re doing the work, new demands come in.

When we think about our schedule and what we have to do, we’re always behind instead of being proactive. Successful leaders have figured out that if they’re going to accomplish more and create freedom, their schedule must be optimized and full of power moves.

One of the keys to exponential growth is setting a schedule from a place of self-prioritization and not letting outside circumstances influence your schedule. You create a routine and a schedule that is proactive and allows you to work in focused blocks.

Being proactive means you set boundaries in your schedule, with outside circumstances, and with yourself — to stay focused. Stop living life feeling as if you’re always trying to catch up. Take a breath, look at what makes sense, and create a schedule that allows you to feel like you’re the CEO of your life.

“It is not the length of life, but the depth of life.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. Find an optimized daily routine that works for you

YouTube is littered with “day in the life” videos and “how I start my morning” content. If you looked at those videos, you’d probably be shocked at the number of views, comments, and engagement. These videos are so successful because people are desperately searching for a routine that could work for them.

A lot of those videos tend to be staged, but the idea behind them has some merit. While a specific routine worked for somebody else, it doesn’t mean that routine would be the best fit for your life, archetype, and how your body operates.

To foster optimized growth, you have to find a routine that works for you. That routine might be waking up early in the morning, working later at night, working in two-hour blocks, or everything in between. The key to a powerful routine that allows you to get more done is knowing yourself. This growth starts from a place of self-awareness.

To get more done, accomplish your goals, and live a freedom-based lifestyle, you have to find an optimized routine that allows you to work, play, and live life in a way that makes sense for your architect.

Your success will not necessarily come from modeling the success of somebody else. We’re all human beings and have different goals, ambitions, and archetypes. Successful leaders figure out what schedule and routine work best for them, and they implement it consistently. That’s the key — once you’ve found what works for you, consistency will be the way you create growth.

3. Break up the constant work with pleasure

If the Instagram memes were to be believed, the hustle 24-7 lifestyle is the only way to success. Let me let you in on a little secret — it’s not. Too many leaders are chasing an image of success that burns them out and frustrates them towards the process. If you’re all work with no pleasure built into your life — what’s the point?

Work in a focused way and get more done, but you should also incorporate moments of fun and pleasure. You can create a routine that has you working for a specific time, and the reward for that focused work is pleasure. That pleasure could be watching a fascinating YouTube video, watching TV, playing video games, reading a book, or listening to a podcast.

Only you know what pleasure means for you, but the goal is to train your brain to look forward to a reward for all of your hard work. Dan Miller is quoted as saying that when people look at his life, he doesn’t want them to be able to differentiate between whether he’s working or playing. It all mixes.

You’re working hard on your goals and creating a better version of yourself. You want to create a life that gives you flexibility and freedom. That life should be filled with an abundance of pleasure alongside hard work. Remember why you’re doing this, and remember that you have to take care of yourself first. Human beings are designed to appreciate pleasure.

The success, growth, and accomplishment you seek are possible when you optimize your daily choices and create a life from a place of what you want to be doing. Stop chasing someone else’s image of success, and don’t be influenced by the unseen pictures on social media of what it means to be successful.

If you’re going to have the necessary strength and energy to accomplish your goals and create a successful life, it has to come from an optimized place. Take care of yourself first and foremost. Drive towards the vision of success that you want to attain.

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