People tend to ask me what my morning routine is like. Do you dress up every day? Does it take forever to do your makeup? How do you find that kind of time? My answer is simple: You have to make YOU your own priority. As we indulge in our careers and children, we tend to lose sight of the person who gets neglected most in our lives…ourselves. No matter who you are or what your life demands, you have the ability to make yourself look and feel fabulous every day — and there is power in that.
Here are my Fab 5 — simple ways to look and feel fabulous every day:
1) Make being fab a priority. I cannot stress this enough. Self-care and feeling confident must be part of your daily routine. As important as it is to take a shower and brush your teeth, it is equally as important that you do what is necessary to feel good about yourself. You can practice on the weekends by timing yourself to see how long it actually takes you to do the things that make you look and feel great. Is it putting on eye liner? Curling your hair? Don’t put yourself last by omitting these steps in the morning to save time. Time yourself, and then carve out that time into your morning schedule. You have to know that you are worth YOUR time!
2) Work out before you “work it.” Not only is exercise good for your health and maintaining a healthy weight, it also makes you feel oh-so-good afterward. Endorphins are released after you exercise, increasing your sense of happiness. Exercise also triggers the release of dopamine, which increases brain function. Not only will you start your day in a better mood but also your brain will be ready for whatever comes your way! Ready? Set? Work!
3) Express gratitude. Be grateful for everything you are and everything you have each and every day. This can be difficult during tough times, but spend a couple of minutes in the morning before you even get out of bed thinking about what you have to offer the world. Compliment yourself on what makes you uniquely beautiful. Remind yourself that the handful of complaints you have is nothing compared to the blessings that surround you. Submerge in the beauty of your blessings, and it will transform you from the inside out. In other words, let’s all channel our inner Kanye West and love on ourselves just a little bit more each day.
4) Treat yourself. Start your day off doing something just for you! Grab that caramel latte at Starbucks — with whipped cream! Get ready for work while listening to your favorite Pandora station. Blast your favorite song in your car on the way to work as if no one is watching (or listening). Treating ourselves can lift our spirits, renew our energy and clear our minds, leaving us in a great place to start the day.
Fake it till you make it. Now, we all don’t wake up feeling ready to take on the world every day. We may wake up feeling sleepy, annoyed and unsure how the day will pan out, but our “Monday face” might not relay the right message to those around us — or even ourselves. If you want to start your day feeling fabulous, then you must act fabulous. It’s almost like you’re outsmarting your brain! If you throw on that dress that’s just undeniably hot on you and your favorite shade of lipstick, you would be surprised how great you begin to feel. Smile, hold that head up high, put some attitude in that strut and act as if you’re on top of the world. Chances are, you will find that you are no longer faking it; you really do look and feel as fabulous as you truly are.