“Inaction and indecision is a choice. It’s often much worse than making a bad choice.”

– Leo Babauta on the benefits of being devoted to a purpose.

Wellness Tip:

Make a Self-Care Plan

Do you get enough “me time”? When you’re at your best, you can give your best to others. Enter the self-care plan: a set of daily activities you do to improve your well-being.

Self-care isn’t just about pampering (though you can do that too!) – it should cover four key areas: physical, mental, emotional, and professional. 

To create your self-care plan, start by looking at your current habits and identifying what your needs are, then scheduling in practices that support those needs (your Panda Planner schedule is perfect for this). Read the full set of steps here and give it a try today.

Productivity Tip:

Let Go Of Perfection

Striving for excellence is one thing, but perfectionism can also work against us. It can lead us to overthink decisions, continue habits beyond their usefulness, and overdeliver when we don’t have to.

If we pay attention to when our striving is no longer serving us, we can let go of perfection and just, well, get it done! Check out this post for some strategies on how to do that.

As one writer puts it, “Good enough and done is better than perfect and pending.”

Routine Breakdown

Kelly Cookson, Marketing Mentor & Positive Psychology Coach

The founder of Cheer Up Marketing says she gets up before her husband and daughter because she values some “me time” before the day gets started. She then: 

• Puts the kettle on and, while she waits, writes down some intentions in her journal. “Often this is related to work goals and how I want to feel.”
• Drinks a cup of tea, then lies down on the sofa to do 11 minutes of breathwork. “I do three rounds of Wim Hof breathing.”
• Sits up and meditates to clear her mind. “Sometimes this is guided courtesy of the Insight Timer app, sometimes I sit in silence.”
• Spends some moments visualizing her goals as if they are already a reality.
• If the house is still sleeping, dances around to one of her favorite songs. “My dressing gown disco is the perfect mood-setter!”

Why it works:

• Writing down goals and intentions makes us more likely to achieve them.
• A number of studies support the benefits of the Wim Hof method.
• Meditation has innumerable benefits – like reduced stress, better sleep and more.
• Visualizing goals primes us to pursue and achieve them.
• Dancing releases endorphins, lowers cortisol levels, and more. 

Now you tell us: Do you ever try dancing when you need a little pick-me-up? 💃🕺