5 Truths The “Queer Eye” Hosts Can Help You Discover About Living Authentically

And how to put them into practice.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Discovering what you need to improve your life and then taking steps to actually do it are two different things entirely.

No one would argue values like practicing self-love, having confidence, and pride in yourself are essential for a fulfilling life.

So, why can’t most of us figure out how to be that person?

The power of the Netflix streaming show “Queer Eye” is how it jolts regular everyday people back into who they know they are and helps them discover how to be fully present in the world. I’m all for those ideals, but I’ll admit—and don’t hate me here—at first, I wasn’t sure if the show could be for me.

After all, I’m a straight Black male who’s not even into fashion. Isn’t that the main reason to watch the show—for the seemingly magical makeovers?

We wanted something uplifting to watch as a family and their season visiting Japan pulled us in, like a top-rated sushi restaurant on Saturday evening. I kept looking over my shoulder, afraid someone imaginary might catch me watching and laugh, but as the first episode progressed, I began falling in love.

I was pleasantly surprised by the life-changing emotional makeovers. The hosts take everything deeper by getting to know the person they’re helping and showing how much they care. It’s more than just about your outward appearance.

You get to recognize some of what we all are facing internally and watch the guests heal or move forward through heaps of fear and pain.

The “Fab Five” cast members each take on a different part of the transformation. They show us the secrets to living our truth. Here’s what you can learn from them and how to put them into action.

1. You’re not alone in suffering

“Queer Eye” gives us Karamo Brown, a Black psychotherapist and TV host who steps in to help you remember all the beautiful parts of life you forgot or are turning your back on regularly.

Karamo sits down and has quiet and heartfelt conversations with the person nominated by a family member or friend for the show and works out with them how to overcome their sadness, laziness, and lack of motivation they’re going through.

Seeing a Black man comfortably and calmly talking about feelings with each person is delightfully refreshing. The fact that he’s in a private setting and not in front of a studio audience helps it feel authentic like he genuinely cares about helping them grow.

I’ve done therapy in the past, but this show reminds me of the lightbulb moments you can have when talking to someone trained to hear and help with your issues. You know you don’t have to carry everything alone.

Takeaway: Help is out there, and with it, you can learn to let go of what’s holding you back. Make a point to find a therapist or talk with someone close to you openly on a regular basis.

2. Your personal space at home matters

If you live in a sh*thole, you’re going to feel like sh*t.

Bobby Berks understands what it means to have a space that lifts your spirits. He’s an interior designer with a heart of solid gold and willing to re-organize your room to make you feel safe and creative again.

His job is to re-arrange your place, so you get the chance to improve your interpersonal relationships, and feel rich and relaxed at the same time. Of course, when you have guests over, they feel your personality radiate out from your colorful decor, creating an atmosphere of joy.

Takeaway: Make time to clean up your home to give space for everything to breathe. Find ways to add color and cute small touches to your home like photos, throw pillows, and rugs. If you can afford to hire an interior designer—do it. They can take what they learn about you to create spaces that make you feel healthier and happier when you’re at home.

3. Clothes help make you look and feel fabulous

Tan France is an English fashion designer of South Asian descent, he is here to give you tips on what clothes you should wear and the ones you should avoid. His mastery of discovering what cuts and colors work well for your body type is phenomenal.

I’m not a big clothes shopper, and not good at noticing what works well on me. So, watching Tan help people looks like magic. My sister has helped me find and take chances on new styles in the past, and I’ve always appreciated her help and eye for fashion.

Seeing the closet of new clothes, picked exclusively for the person in that particular episode of the show, always gets me jealous. I want a designer to help me learn how to dress to impress.

Takeaway: Take more risks on new clothes. You might not have a designer with you to go shopping, but take a friend or family member who can pick out something they think could work. Sometimes you just need someone else to encourage you.

4. Cooking and eating well is a magical gift of life

The kitchen is the center of a home where we not only learn to cook, but how to socialize and work together as a family and as human beings.

Antoni Porowski, a Canadian food expert and TV personality, gets into your kitchen to get rid of unhealthy food and teaches how to cook and connect with yourself. His recipes create a healthier lifestyle and, for some, a deeper connection to their family members.

Food not only fills your belly, but helps you understand your culture while you create something delicious by hand. Cooking and eating together is the way humans have been cooperating since the beginning of time. Learning to cook makes you a part of history—your family’s and the world’s.

Takeaway: Learn to cook. Start with one dish you can make for dinner. Improve on it and have it as your go-to dish when needed. You can make it for yourself, as a way to help your family, or to impress a new friend. The pride you’ll feel for being able to cook a delicious meal will boost your zest for life.

5. Your hairstyle reflects your personality

I shave all of my hair off and enjoy going completely bald, so I’m not sure what that says about me as a person.

Back when I had hair, I remember trying different afro styles to see how it made me look and feel. Hairstyles have personality and can change your appearance.

It’s important to take them seriously.

My personal favorite of the five, Jonathan van Ness, is a hairdresser bursting with personality who focuses on your image by giving you haircuts that matches your personality and facial structure. They excel at pampering your skin and your confidence, so you glow for yourself and to others.

I’m always surprised with how guests on the show believe they don’t need to update their hair or makeup and want to stick to what works. Or, what’s comfortable. Watching Jonathan break them out of their shell and become almost like new, even uplifts the way they carry themselves.

Takeaway: Have the courage to talk with a hairdresser or barber about a style that will flatter how you look and feel right now in your life. Be open to suggestions and making changes and then see how it improves your whole being.

Get help from people who care

When you watch “Queer Eye” you discover it’s not just a reality makeover; it’s a game-changing show.

It offers guidance, confidence, acceptance, tolerance, and help getting out of your comfort zone. You wake up to finally having the life you always wanted.

Some of you out here will be able to watch and immediately make changes you know will improve your quality of life. Most of us, will need some help.

One of the biggest truths of the show is if we want to make real change in our life, we need help from people who care. Find, hire, or ask for help and most importantly, stay open to growing as a person.

You have the power to become a game-changer for your own life right now.

Want more? If you’re struggling with making authentic work, click here to join my (free) email list, and through comics, articles about culture, and living your truth, you can discover how to upgrade your mindset and share your creative writing and art with the world.

Are You Addicted to Being Busy or in Love With Your Work?

Why making that distinction could save your life

Photo by Laurenz Kleinheider on Unsplash

Waking up at 5 a.m. to work on a personal project or side business before heading off to a day job has now become a common negative stereotype of hustle porn. Do we need to work this much?

If you’re doing something you love, maybe.

Figuring out if what you’re working on is just keeping you busy to make money or giving you something more significant than dollar bills is vital.

I like work. In fact, I’m writing this article early in the morning before my teaching job. Getting up at five in the morning is challenging at times, but the natural high I get from writing and drawing first thing in the morning stays with me throughout the day.

I feel good, and most importantly, I’m having fun.

It wasn’t always this way. There have been plenty of times where I worked myself to the bone freelancing or trying to build a business, asking myself, “Why am I doing this?”

I had to figure out what worked. The hardest part was being honest with myself about what I truly love and desire to do.

The uncomfortable truth is, you may have to get everything wrong before you can move in the direction of what’s right.

What work addiction looks like

You’re afraid of silence. Afraid of peace.

Not what you expected? Hear me out.

You’re accustomed to something happening, or something you have to do is present at all times. You feel like a hard worker when you’re constantly taking care of tasks for your work or thinking about ways to make it better.

You feel like constantly spending time doing, producing, or making, will lead to growth, success, respect, and riches. You overwork yourself.

“I can’t stop, or I’ll get left behind.” you think.

You’re doing time-consuming tasks, keeping you busy but ultimately not moving you forward. It’s not what you love, but you’ve heard this type of business or action at work will lead to financial success. You think it helps you feel better about yourself.

But it leads to burnout.

You can’t let go of making things happen. It’s time to stop, but you can’t see it until your body forces you by getting sick or losing motivation or excitement for what you do.

What loving your work looks like

You can’t wait to get up in the morning to jump into a project you’ve been working on each day. In your mind, making money from it is nice, but you’d do this for free because it’s so much fun.

Even if it’s something you weren’t good at first, but now you’ve learned more and are excited and, not to mention curious, about learning all you can and getting better at it. You have a passion for the work.

Does this mean you never get tired? Of course not. You understand we all get run down eventually.

Burnout can still happen even when you love what you do, or it’s your passion. You know this, so you schedule downtime. Planning work in terms of seasons, months of the calendar year where you’re more productive, and others where you slow down and recharge to help you stay balanced.

I love being an educator and during the pandemic went through teaching primarily on Zoom. At first, I thought holding classes on video would be easier because I’m at home. It ended up being twice as much work.

On top of that, I was keeping up with my daughter’s fifth-grade homeschooling due to the pandemic and drawing comics and writing in what little spare time I had left. I love everything, but after over a year of pushing without much leisure time, I passed out and was sent to the emergency room.

I got sick from one bacterial infection to the next, getting sent to the hospital four times in three months. Fortunately, as a teacher, I get the summers off, so I finally had a wake-up call and made sure to slow down as much as possible and heal.

Like me, you may love what you do but get addicted to doing it regularly. Writing, teaching, and drawing are my outlets, and I could not be myself without them. This could be true, but it doesn’t mean I need to do as much.

Like in the play “Hamilton,” his wife keeps getting on him for “Writing like he’s running out of time.” I feel that way at times. Like I have to get out as much work as possible with the time I have.

Rest and remove the unnecessary

Give yourself true leisure time. Your exhaustion is more than not having a vacation in a long time. It’s the fact that you haven’t made time for real rest.

Some ideas for letting go and giving your body and mind a break are playing sports, meditation or just sitting outside staring at nature, reading a good book, hiking in the woods, and spending time with a good friend.

Refresh your mind and spirit so when it’s time to get back into doing the work you love, you have passionate energy for your chosen passion.

When you know the parts of your business or passion project you enjoy the most, it’s easier to give tasks away to assistants or hired help.

If you don’t have the money to hire help, try and do less of the excruciating functions and spend more time on what you enjoy. When your business grows, you may add on more help with what you like the least.

Being realistic about how much you do and when to rest can save your health and your life.

Decide to take ownership of who you are

You’re not superhuman. No matter how much you enjoy what you do every day. The human body can only take so much.

Stop being addicted to work and accept that loving it leads to burnout just as much as when you hate what you do for a living. Either way, you must give yourself time to rest and rejuvenate.

You’re not going to win an award for the most passionate worker.

Sure, when you hate what you do, you’ll need more time to work through mental frustrations and stress, but doing what you love carries stressors as well.

When you decide what you’re doing is essential to you, make it your way of giving to the world and helping others, then your hard work will feel like it’s worth the time. Planning for relaxation because you know it’s vital for your mental and spiritual health is extremely important.

No one is going to force you to take time for yourself. Even if they do, you are the one who decides what you’ll do with that time.

Learn to love your work and scheduled leisure time so you’ll live long enough to appreciate what you earned.

Want more? If you’re struggling with creativity and putting your work out regularly, join my (free) email list, and through comics and articles, discover how to upgrade your mindset here.

4 Reasons Your Hobby Should Not Become Your Business

If you’re good at something, it doesn’t have to be your side-hustle.

Photo by Victoria Heath on Unsplash

Let’s imagine you’re exhausted and up late working on an important personal project. The one that, once it’s out in the world, will put you on the map and attract attention. With some luck and a little bit of success, your dream of quitting your day job could come true.

Then what? You get to do that every day, all day? Is this really the future you’re hoping for?

Why can’t this be something you do for fun?

If you’re good at something, it doesn’t mean it has to become your job.

I know that’s counter-intuitive to what everyone’s touting online today, but it’s true. Your hobby shouldn’t always become your business.

I’m sure you’re good at many things. It doesn’t mean you have to turn them all into side-hustles that turn into big-time companies.

Unfortunately, I’ve learned this the hard way. My love for drawing comics and writing has led me to pursue making money from them as a side-hustle. It’s not as fun as it’s cracked up to be. Between deadlines, prospecting for clients, and balancing my work and projects with family responsibilities.

We live in a time now, with the internet giving us opportunities to easily share work with the world, where people think you should “Do what you love, and the money will follow.”

We all feel like we’re missing out if we don’t have a passion and pursue it for profit.

Contrary to popular belief, making money with what you love is hard. Does it have to be your goal? Here are four reasons why you might not want to turn your hobby into a business.

1. Hobbies should be fun

Why do you love doing your hobby? If it brings you a sense of joy, for example, isn’t that enough?

If all of your needs are being met by your day job, perhaps adding on more work to make your hobby into a business isn’t worth the extra stress and commitments.

Your hobby should be — and stay — enjoyable. Something you look forward to escaping into and forgetting about the outside world.

I remember my grandfather had several hobbies. He enjoyed making the most delicious fudge and giving it as gifts to family and friends. Should he have opened up a business selling fudge out of his kitchen? Not necessarily.

I doubt he enjoyed it enough to add on all the extra responsibilities involved with a bakery business.

He mainly wanted something fun and fulfilling to do in his leisure time. Making fudge brightened his days and added a little sweetness to others. For him, that was enough.

Knowing you can go deep into something at your own pace, where you think clearly and feel at ease, is a blessing. Don’t complicate it.

“I can elect something I love and absorb myself in it.”
― Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1: 1931–1934

2. Making it a business turns it into work

We don’t always know if what we love to do will be something we enjoy doing full-time. It takes experience, yes, but also honesty. Do you love your hobby so much that you wouldn’t mind regularly dealing with the business's complex, tedious, boring parts?

If you want to turn your hobby into a business, it will become work.

Drawing comics full-time has been a goal of mine since I was a kid. Even though I know it’s one of the most challenging forms of art to make good money in, I still go after it. I’ve had to take on other jobs to pay the bills when comics weren’t bringing in enough, and most of the time, comics would become my side-hustle.

Becoming a professional at anything means learning to work even when you’re not in the mood.

I learned to do that by making comics and pushing through the “resistance” in my head when it would try and hold me back from not only getting art done but taking care of more administrative tasks.

Now, I know I can be a professional comic artist because I like the day-to-day work involved. I haven’t reached my full-time goal yet, but I’ve had years of freelance experience to get a good idea of what it would feel like.

When you put your hobby to the test, by intentionally treating it like a business, you’ll be able to feel whether or not it’s something you could do as your job.

I get it. You might need a side-hustle right now. It could be that a side income is vital to save money or pay for outstanding bills. Does your hobby have to be the way you make that money, though?

There’s nothing wrong with getting a part-time job in retail or driving for Lyft for a certain amount of time — think seasonal work — to save up enough for you to get back into a good place.

Do anything you can to keep your hobby as an outlet and a source of release.

3. Should you monetize your obsession?

People can get way too into their hobbies. Like collecting memorabilia or toys, for example. Nothing wrong with those hobbies, but I’ve seen friends lose their minds over a piece of plastic. If you’re obsessed with a hobby, can you think straight enough to make it a business?

Will you identify all of yourself as that hobby if you make it a business and carry unrealistic expectations on your shoulders? For example, “I’m a writer now, so I must write every day for five hours, or I’m a failure.”

Sometimes we love a hobby so much; it becomes an obsession. If you can’t stop painting portraits of politicians to make a statement, and no one can give you feedback or suggestions on how to grow because you refuse to listen. Maybe this shouldn’t be your business.

You need to be open to pivot and take on new ideas when things aren’t succeeding for a business to work. If you can only do things your way because this hobby is everything to you, it should probably stay a hobby.

“Whatever you like to do, make it a hobby and whatever the world likes to do, make it a business.”
-Warren Buffett

4. Be selfish when it comes to your hobby

Keep something just for you. You don’t even need to share what you make or create with anyone. Let your hobby remain an outlet for life’s frustrations and hide it for yourself. If you need to share it with someone who has more experience and gives you feedback, great.

I bet there are plenty of creative people who work professionally and never show it to anyone. That way, it’s for themselves. Or, they keep it for their family and friends. If one of those people wants to buy from them or support the work, they can.

A few years ago, I was learning to play the ukulele. I wanted to do it for fun with no expectations of performing live in front of strangers. It would be a relaxing hobby I didn't need to press myself to do professionally, like drawing comics.

I spent about two years practicing chords and learning songs on the uke. Having a hobby only for the fun of it was terrific. The only problem, music takes a regular committed effort to improve. Balancing work, drawing comics, and being a family man proved to be too much.

It hurt, but I had to stop playing the ukulele. I went from practicing every day to a few days a week, to only once a month. All of my time went into improving as an artist and not a musician.

Facing the hard truth—I didn’t have time for a musical hobby—was tough to face. But, I accepted it and put down the uke. Who knows, I hope to have time to get back to playing it again in the future when I have more time for myself.

Drawing in my sketchbook is purely for fun now. I don’t have to share my scribbles with anyone if I don't want to, and the practice makes me a better artist for the comics I share with the public. Hobbies can have a private and a public side if it helps keep you growing and feeling balanced.

In conclusion

All hobbies are not good businesses. Just about anything can be made into one, but you have to be honest with yourself about what you can handle.

Find a nice balance of interest in the subject matter, love of the creation process, and detachment from the perfection of the final result.

When you can look at your work objectively, share it with others, take criticism, make changes, and still enjoy what you’re doing. It might be the proper pursuit for you.

Try and keep these points in mind when deciding if your hobby should become a side-hustle:

• Hobbies should be for fun. If yours is mainly for fun and a way to relax and unwind, don’t make it a side-hustle.

• Making your hobby into a business turns it into work. Are you ready to deal with the not-so-fun parts of running a company connected to what you love?

• Don’t try and make money from your obsession. If you can’t even think straight while doing what you love because you’re so engrossed by it, maybe it should stay a hobby. It would be best if you could be objective about your work to grow it as a business.

• Keep your hobby to yourself if you choose. You don’t have to share it with anybody. Remember, I didn’t play the ukulele for people I didn’t know. It was my private hobby. One I’m looking forward to getting back to soon.

Make time for your hobbies in your leisure time to stay balanced and recharge. Let your interests become your job or side-hustle when you need one.

That way, you can enjoy what you do for a living and still have energy for your passions.

Struggling with creativity and putting your work out regularly? Join my (free) email list and discover how to upgrade your mindset here.

Read This if You Feel You’re Too Old for Success

You’ll need more than just changing your mindset

Are we finally in a place where anyone of any age can succeed in their chosen profession? Even though I’m yearning to tell the story of how Colonel Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken when he was 65 years old, I’m going to hold myself back.

At this point in history, his story shouldn’t be all that astounding. It certainly was in the ’70s and 80s, but now, we should be more open to the fact that you’re never too old to go after your dreams.

Unless, of course, you want to play professional sports after 40. There are areas where physical strength and stamina matter, but on the whole, if you have your mind and a passion in your heart to pursue, age is just that, a number.

At least, now that I’m in my mid-forties, that’s what I think people should believe. I’m sick and tired of feeling down about aging. As a husband, parent, teacher, writer, and cartoonist, I see how much I’m capable of doing now, even though my life is crazy busy.

So much of life is about our mindset. The time is now to realize success over 40 is not only possible but pretty darn impressive.

Being young and successful is cool and all but let’s see you sustain that for 40 years

Why do people still feel it’s better to become a success when you’re young? What’s wrong with just having a goal of supporting yourself without needing help from your parents?

This idea that the most extraordinary success comes with youth is ridiculous. Let’s be real here, what have you done in your 20s that qualifies you to get more respect than someone in their 50s?

Gaining life experience and wisdom is honorable. Making a good life for yourself and keeping it up for decades is a skill not everyone can master. When you add factors like marriage, parenting, and surprise health issues, holding on to a successful career as you age takes a herculean effort.

Yes, when you’re young, you have the energy to work hard and move up in a company, the balls to take risks with a new business, and the nerve to ride on the coattails of successful friends to find success.

But can you sustain it?

The one thing young people can’t see is that you have to maintain that success for another thirty to forty years. Trends change, the needs of society shift. Are you flexible enough to move with the times and stay in demand?

Here are three tips I’ve found for helping sustain a long career.

• Find pleasure in the creative and business aspects of your profession.

• Stay open to new ideas, learning new skills, and growing as a person.

• Manage your stress, so you avoid burnout.

The trick will be to discover your unique techniques and ways of thinking to stay strong and balanced during the marathon of a long career.

Why are you letting age hold you back from pursuing your passion?

If you’re physically and mentally able, go for it. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t.

For many of us, life can get pretty busy in middle age. You can have more available time for doing what you love when you get older.

My aunt would always tell me there are different seasons of life — pay attention to where you are and do the best you can while there. We will have seasons where it’s all about our career, a season of raising children, or a season of healing from an illness.

Seasons come and go.

Take an honest look at where you are in life and be clear about what you can accomplish. If you’re in a season where you have more time to pursue a business or passion, but you think you’re past your prime, think again.

You may need to ease in and warm up to start something great. Doing small things towards your goals can build up momentum to a place where you feel like doing more, and then, BAM, your mindset changes.

Suddenly, you see that you still have what it takes to succeed. Not only that, but you’ve been through enough in life to know you’re tough enough to keep going.

“You can start late, look different, be uncertain, and still succeed.” — Misty Copeland

Who decides what age you can start something new? Especially in the era of the internet

“It’s just too late for me.” How many times have I heard people say that? People who remember a time before the internet. A time when getting attention for the work you do was so much harder.

The age of gatekeepers is disappearing. Someone at a company deciding whether your work is good enough or you’re relevant enough to be pushed out to the masses.

You choose when you’re ready and can share work with the world.

The internet is a place to promote what you do, but there’s one skill you must master to make it work for you.

Consistency.

Posting online now and then about your work isn’t going to attract eyeballs and new fans. You have to post, promote, and share your work at least one to three times per week on your chosen platforms.

Having the internet is magnificent, but if you’re not willing to put in the regular weekly effort of sharing work for viewers, readers, and potential customers to consume, nothing’s going to happen.

If you have a goal, you can’t shake, ignore your age, pursue it and see where it takes you

If you’re able to update your mindset to believe that success is possible at any age, you can make miracles happen.

Just remember these suggestions for success over 40.

• Cultivate an interest in all the work you do and find pleasure in aspects of the business that may be challenging.

• Keep an open mind so that you’re ready to learn new skills to keep up with the times.

• Manage your stress by finding ways to have fun and relax every day.

• Do little things, taking small steps every day to reach your goals.

• Post and promote your work online consistently to reap the benefits of the massive potential audience the internet provides.

Understand that, even though you may feel old or society tries to tell you there’s very little time left to succeed in your passions, you can still play the long game.

Change your outlook and your attitude and start taking steps towards more success, no matter your age.

7 Incredibly Easy Morning Routine Ideas

There’s so much more than just getting up early

“Morning routines sound good, but they’re too hard for me,” is what a lot of people say. What can you do to make them more comfortable and fit into your busy life? I’ll share seven ideas to add to your morning routine, but I want you to know this, you don’t have to do them all. You can make morning routines easier.

Adding even one from the list can make a huge difference in how you feel and approach your day. If you can do all of them, excellent. Just one or two? Awesome!

The benefits of getting your mind and body focused in the morning include helping to put you in the right frame of mind for your day, increasing productivity, and boosting your energy levels.

Maybe you’ve heard, or even read, the book “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. Out of all the articles I read on this topic, his book inspired me to make the most of the early hours. It helped me understand that a morning routine can be what you decide works best for your life and individual needs. It’s not an all-or-nothing practice where there are no benefits if you don’t do all the 127 things on your list.

I like the idea of flexibility, picking what you enjoy doing each morning and letting it be okay If you can’t do it all, for whatever reason.

We don’t have to deal with absolutes. Just because someone like well-known productivity master Elon Musk wakes up at 7 am every day and religiously checks his “critical emails” first thing doesn’t mean you have to do exactly the same.

Oprah is not an early riser — getting up around 8 am is natural for her — and then walking her dogs for fresh air and exercise to get her blood pumping. Pretty simple yet powerful.

Take a look at these possible morning activities and pick one or more that you can add to your routine each morning.

1. Getting up early

People love to debate the perfect time to get up early. Is it 4 am? 5? My advice is to work on getting up one hour earlier than you normally do, even if that takes away from your 8 hours of sleep. In my opinion, the 8 hours rule is overrated. Getting 6–8 hours is fine, then drink caffeine to get you going.

I put this as #1 because rising earlier gives you more time to do the things on your morning routine list and even creates time for doing things you love like reading or writing. More time in the morning is like the gift that keeps on giving.

I get up at 4:30 am to draw comics and write Medium articles. Throughout the day, thinking about all I was able to do in the morning, helps me feel energized — like a natural high.

2. Drinking water with lemon

Making sure to drink a tall glass of water when you first wake up is essential for hydration but squeezing in a slice of lemon brings it up a notch. Dropping the lemon slice into the water after the squeeze not only adds more flavor, you take in all that vitamin C and reap the benefits it provides for healthy skin and body.

Lemon in your water can help with weight loss as well. Research shows polyphenol antioxidants found in lemons substantially reduce weight gain in overfed mice. Yes, on mice, not humans, but the antioxidant compounds also offset the adverse effects on their blood glucose levels and improved insulin resistance. Not too shabby for sour fruit.

3. Appreciating what you have

One way to combat sadness and depression is by thinking about what you have and feeling grateful. Gratitude is an effective way of appreciating how lucky you are to be alive and paying attention to all you did to get where you are now.

Depending on your situation, you may be having such a challenging time in life right now that you have to go to the basics like giving thanks for sleeping well and waking up to a fresh new day. My gratitude thinking involves paying attention to how I feel inside when I think about what I have. This awareness connects with the next activity on the list…

4. Practicing mindfulness

Simply paying attention to how you feel and what you’re thinking can work wonders. Sitting quietly and taking deep breaths as you quiet your mind. This could mean ten to twenty minutes of meditation or sitting and paying attention to any fears or concerns you’re having about your day. Even reading books on spirituality can make you stop and put more awareness on right now.

Reading philosophy excerpts on stoicism, I keep a few books on my desk for easy access, which helps me get in a place to notice the present. How I choose to think dictates my life and well-being. If you don’t have much time, pay attention to how your body moves and how you feel as you get ready in the morning.

I love the idea of “Looking at your hands” as a way to notice what you’re doing and appreciating what you’re able to do. I’ll often take a second and note to myself, “My hands are typing right now.” or “I’m cooking dinner for my family.” The mix of gratitude and mindfulness this creates will help you take a deep breath and feel centered.

5. Moving your body

Giving yourself time for physical exercise or movement in the morning is magical for your thinking and physical energy. Any time, from a few minutes of stretching to thirty minutes of walking or yoga, will do wonders for your mindset.

I love doing yoga poses and taking walks. Suppose I can combine a short run with the walk, even better. I finish feeling awake, alert, and optimistic about what lies ahead.

6. Doing strength exercises

Doing strength exercises like push-ups or pull-ups or weight training, if you have a set up in your home, takes a lot of motivation to do in the morning. If you can get even a few minutes of resistance or muscle-building exercises in, though, you’ll feel stronger and more confident in just about all areas of your day.

I enjoy doing push-ups, and I tend to be off-and-on with pull-ups. They can make my wrists hurt, which makes it harder for me to enjoy drawing. That’s an excuse. I’m well aware because pull-ups are so hard for me. This makes me want to avoid them. Because of this, though, when I do pull-ups, I feel stronger for overcoming my fears.

Fit what you can in, and our last tip will bring it all together.

7. Saying what you want like you already have it

Affirmations are a classic morning ritual that many people feel can be a bit cheesy. I would say no morning routine is complete without a little personal positive encouragement.

You could do the standing in the mirror looking at yourself and loudly proclaiming, “I’m a success!” approach or choose to say positive affirmations to yourself in your head.

Unfortunately, I tend to think of the negatives about myself first. One thing that helps is re-framing my thinking. So, as soon as I think of something negatively, I switch it to a positive and say it as if it already exists. Instead of “I only have a few freelance writing gigs,” I’ll change it to, “I have so many writing gigs, I have to turn some down.” Whatever the subject matter, make sure to say affirmations in the present tense and feel as if you achieved them or have them right now.

You can do all of these if you have time in the morning. If not, do what you can. If you’re unsure which ones will stick or how many are right, try adding one new activity each week until you reach your desired number. You can scale back or adjust anytime you need.

Mornings are full of hope, and when you rise, your mind is open, well-rested, and ready for the new day. Give yourself the mental and physical boost to conquer each day with confidence and success. Choose your combination, even if your routine is different every day, and make it happen.