7 easy ways to reboot your day

From getting out of bed the right way to banishing stress in 60 seconds, these simple changes will make you happier, healthier and more productive

1 Shake up your wake up

Do not hit the snooze button. Open your eyes, swing your legs over the side of the bed and plant your feet on the floor. Take five deep breaths, then drink a glass of water. Get outside into the sunlight if you can, or open the windows for 15 minutes to wake you up and lift morning brain fog.

2 Beat the morning rush

Don’t get caught up in the morning rush. Designate a place to house all the things you and your family need for the day. Choose one bag or wallet for everyday essentials.

Keep useful things in your car or your travel bag, such as an extra umbrella, reusable shopping bags and a pair of sunglasses.

If you take these items out, put them back as soon as possible. Group things together. If you don’t want to forget your packed lunch, put your keys on top of your lunchbox the night before. For important things, write yourself a note and put it on the front door.

3 Perfect your posture

Sitting properly boosts productivity and reduces fatigue. Stand up tall in front of your chair. Engage your core and bend your knees to sit down, while keeping your upper body as tall as you can. Once sitting, lean forward a little to stack your torso directly over your pelvis. Shrug your shoulders up to your ears, and pull them back, then down. Lift your head up and back so that it’s held high and in line with your pelvis and torso. Position your chair so your hips are either above or level with your knees – so knees are at a 90- degree angle or more. Try to get up and move often throughout the day.

4 Pause before reacting

Feeling frustrated with someone you live with or annoyed by a thoughtless text message? Think about the thing that’s causing you anxiety. Close your eyes and slowly inhale for a count of four. Hold this breath for the count of four, then exhale for four. Now open your eyes and breathe normally. Ask yourself if you were thinking about that stressful thing when you were counting and breathing. Repeat as necessary.

5 Learn to say no

Remind yourself that your time is valuable and once it’s spent you can’t get it back. Respond quickly – don’t leave people hanging on once you know you’re saying no. Instead of saying you don’t have time, try saying you can’t give it the full energy it deserves and so it wouldn’t be right to say yes. Having a sense of time’s value will remind you that by saying no to something now, you will be able to say yes to something else later.

6 Cut stress in 60 seconds

Position both hands in front of your face as if you were giving two thumbs- up. Place your thumbs on either side of the bridge of your nose, just beneath your brow bone. Press firmly. Count slowly for eight to 10 seconds and breathe. Reposition your thumbs above the outside ends of each eyebrow.

Place your index fingers about an inch above your thumbs and press gently. Count slowly for eight to 10 seconds and don’t forget to breathe.

7 Review your day

Take a few deep breaths and walk yourself through the day from the moment you woke up until right now – take mental notes on what you are most grateful for. Reflect on the times in your day when you felt most alive.

Look back and identify when you felt the most drained. Did something frustrate you? Ask yourself: “What could I have done better?” Now let all of that go. Forgive yourself and others. Set your intentions for tomorrow. What lessons from today will you take with you to live your day better tomorrow?

● Extracted by DEBBI MARCO from The Little Book of Life Skills by Erin Zammett Ruddy (£ 14.99, Yellow Kite)

Remember that once your time is spent you can never get it back