Start your day... or not.

Just some random of advice - and this took me a long time to come to for myself.

1. Get up in the morning and make your bed.

2. Take a shower. Brush your teeth.

3. Get dressed for the day.

I'm not sure at what point Mr. Beers and I decided that we should start the day by making the bed, but I'm glad we did. I'd be willing to bet it has nothing to do with being reminded by our moms to do such a thing. But who knows? Maybe it did. We feel good about having that be the way we start our day. Sometimes we do it together. Sometimes one of us will already be in the shower and the other is left to make the bed alone. It's not that big of a deal. It might take five minutes, and then you can feel like you've already checked something off that overwhelming list of things you have to do today.

Take a shower and brush your teeth. Sometimes you might not feel like it. Especially if you're sick or just feeling generally blah. A shower and tooth brushing always make me feel better about everything. This is true especially if you've had too much fun (yeah, let's call it that) the night before. And this is good for anytime of day. After a day of work or running errands or anything. Sometimes we will have plans for the evening, and by the end of the work day, I find myself not looking forward to the evening's festivities. But after a few minutes under running water ---> I have a new attitude. A little more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, a little less furry-tongued and dragging ass.

Get dressed for the day everyday. Those baggy gym shorts and that oversized stained t-shirt that you sleep in are not your revolutionary costume for the day. Even if you have nothing scheduled for the day, get up and get dressed. You will feel better than if you just slug around. A few years ago our Mr. Beers had heart surgery. Afterward, as the spouse, I got some training and counseling about how to care for the patient once we were home. The folks at Cleveland Clinic emphasized the importance of making sure that our Mr. Beers got up and showed and got dressed everyday. They know that starting your day with this kind of routine will help stave off some of the depression demons that might try to get into your head post surgery. It works. For the rest of us who may not have had such surgery this is still important. This is especially important if you've found yourself in a rut, or have been feeling a especially crappy about things in general. Get up, get dressed, and get out of the house. It makes a difference.

If you start your day with a positive routine, you'll find yourself feeling better - more positive, more productive. Wow. When did I become Stuart Smalley? Never mind everything I said. Go back to bed. You deserve to sleep in today. Seriously. Go. Back. To. Bed.