Lifestyles

March Highlight: Judge Jackson Made Us Proud!!!

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**Welcome Kim!**

**Kim Drayton**
**Certified High-performance Coach**
**kimdrayton.com**

How to Kickstart Your Day with a Morning Ritual That Motivates and Energizes You

How you start, your day is incredibly important. If you wake up feeling sluggish and unmotivated, it's going to be a long day. But if you start your day with a morning ritual that energizes and motivates you, you'll be ready to take on anything! This article will discuss how to create a morning ritual that works for you and provide strategies for sticking with it, even when things get tough.

The Ideal Morning Ritual

Your morning ritual should be something that you look forward to each day. It should be something that makes you feel good, both physically and mentally. This might mean going for a run or doing some yoga for some people. Others might prefer to meditate or journal. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that it is something that you enjoy and makes you feel empowered and ready to conquer your day.

When The Going Gets Tough

Sticking to your morning ritual can be challenging, especially when life happens, and it gets busy. But it's important to remember why you're doing it in the first place. If you can keep your why in mind, you'll be more likely to stick with it. And if you do happen to miss a day here or there, be kind to yourself, show yourself some grace, don't beat yourself up about it. Just get back on track and keep going.

Five Suggestions

1. Wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends. The consistency will help regulate your body's natural sleep rhythm and make it easier to wake up feeling refreshed.

2. Make some 'you time' a priority. Take some time for yourself as soon as you wake up. Whether it's praying, meditating, stretching, or just enjoying a cup of coffee in silence, this is your time to center yourself and start the day on your own terms.

3. Make a healthy breakfast a priority. Nourish your body with wholesome foods to jumpstart your metabolism and give you sustained energy throughout the day.

4. Use affirmative statements or visualization exercises to set your intention for the day ahead. For example, "I am confident and capable," or "I am surrounded by love and support."

5. Get moving! A morning walk or light exercise is a great way to get your blood flowing and improve your mood for the day ahead.

Making a morning ritual part of your daily routine can help you start your day intentionally focused, calm, and in control. Give it a try and see how this dynamic habit transforms your life!

-Kim-

The hubby is back!

**Rich Hoskins**, FBI agent (retired), International Instructor, Sci-fi enthusiast, Pop Pop

Self-Care for Men

Part 2

As I said in part 1 of this series, now that I’m older, I’ve become much more aware of the importance of physical and mental self -care. I feel my journey will resonate with many men (as well as women) who didn’t have these concepts prioritized in our youth. It led to spending much of our adult and professional lives ignoring our needs. In this segment I’ll share some commonsense practices that I’ve found helpful in my pursuit of well-being.

Exercise –

· Set a specific time and try to stick to it. I prefer first thing in the morning because once the day starts it’s too easy to lose the window of opportunity.

· Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Take the stairs and don’t drive around for 10 minutes trying to get a parking space near the entrance, WHY?

· Using a Fitbit has been a game changer for me. Ten thousand steps every day equal 5 miles. I’ve gotten addicted to achieving that goal, to the point that on some days, I’m walking around the room at 11:30 pm while watching tv, just to see the little fireworks display on the screen when I hit my goal.

Diet

· Karen is good at monitoring the nutritional value of what we eat, but the thing that has helped me the most is her changing from buffet style to fixed portions. That plus the elimination of unhealthy snacks in the house, finally allowed the exercise efforts to payoff.

· Limit snacks; but even my doctor acknowledged the benefit of a carefully regulated self-reward system.

· I have always struggled with drinking enough water. I’m ashamed to say that it was largely because I would simply forget to hydrate. I also don’t find water a satisfying compliment to a meal. To address this, I began drinking at least 32 oz each morning during my workout, which gives me a good head start on reaching the recommended daily intake. During the day I try to drink at least an additional 32 oz. Pierre and Zero Vitamin water also help with reaching my daily goal.

Sleep

· Okay, I can’t say much about this one. Not because it lacks importance, quite the contrary. I just haven’t mastered it yet. (Too much great stuff to stream). However, I’m happy to share a few things that have helped me increase how much rest my body is getting.

· Because I’m semi-retired, I tend to stay up late, so I’ve found great value in mid-day naps. It’s amazing how rejuvenated I feel after an hour or so in my recliner.

· Getting started on a good night’s sleep is important, and that’s the reason scrolling your device or watching a movie is discouraged. A trick I’ve discovered that works well for slipping into deep sleep is making sure your feet are warm. I use an electric blanket to pre-warm the bed and it really helps improve the quality of my sleep.

In my final entry I’ll share thoughts on some mental health maintenance tips for the everyday man.

-Rich-

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So you got invited to a wine tasting?! No need to panic. Here’s a quick tutorial to help you navigate the situation like a pro.

Parting Thoughts - family, we see you on social media! Here’s some of what’s on your mind…

From: Carolyn Young (in response to Tom Brady changing his mind about retiring)