Now that the weather is finally warming up, we can break free from our winter hibernation fogs and start making the changes we promised we’d make back in January with our New Year’s resolutions. “I’m going to work out more,” you said defiantly. “I’m going to eat healthier and drink less,” you muttered under your breath in a noncommittal but regretful tone. “Maybe I’ll go after that job I’ve always wanted?” Well, what’s stopping you?
We recently spoke with Mel Robbins the best-selling author of the wildly popular self-help book “The 5 Second Rule” and the creator and host of the new Audible Original “Kick Ass with Mel Robbins” about all of the ways that you can take advantage of your new spring-fueled optimism and change your life for the better. From here numerous appearances on CNN to her TEDx Talk that has been viewed millions of times , Robbins’ main goal is to get people to stop waiting and start doing. Here are some of her tips to help you break out of your funk and do some serious mental Spring cleaning.
Mental Spring cleaning tips with Mel Robbins
[Photo credit: Getty images]
Don’t sleep with your phone
Leaving your phone outside of your bedroom while you sleep may sound like a small step to you. But according to Mel Robbins, keeping your phone outside of your room may be the greatest and most immediate change you can make towards a more productive life. By keeping your phone in your bed you run the risk of 1.) staying in bed longer in the morning by checking your various feeds and sites. 2.) hitting the snooze button over and over creating a mental condition known as “sleep inertia” which is a mental condition that can severely hinder your productivity for four hours after you finally get going for the day. And, lastly, 3.) checking your phone in bed when you wake up can cause severe anxiety.
“When you lie in bed and you look at your phone,” explains Robbins, “it creates anxiety, FOMO, and you have just made a critical mistake because you have allowed everybody else’s lives and interests enter your brain before you have thought about your own.” She advises that you leave your phone charging in another room overnight. That way if you have the urge to check it in the morning, you will have to put in the effort to get out of bed and track it down first.
Sign up for group exercise classes
We have all broken our vows to work out more in the new year. But if you sign up for a group exercise like CrossFit or a spin class,you will be pushing yourself with a team to achieve a collective goal. Once you done it a couple of times, this kind of momentum will sit with you during the day and get you motivated for your next class.
Of course, Robbins wants you to be realistic with yourself. We all know working out can be a drag. “You’re not ever going to feel like doing these things,” she explains, “and that’s normal. It’s normal to feel doubt. It’s normal to feel anxiety. It’s normal to have an excuse. But letting those things stop you? That’s choice. I don’t believe that you can just think your way to a better life. I know that the only way that you can change life is through action.”
For more of Mel Robbin's helpful tips, visit audible.com/Mel
