Quick question for you:
Are your days starting out calm and focused—or do you find yourself pulled into the chaos faster than you’re ready for?
Let’s dive in.
1. Your Day Starts the Night Before
The first strategy actually begins at night.
The last 30 minutes before you fall asleep are incredibly powerful.
Why? Because you have a 24/7 teammate you’re probably underutilizing: your subconscious mind. Whatever you feed your brain right before bed is what it will stew on all night.
So if you’re ending your day doom-scrolling the news or watching intense, negative content, you’re giving your brain junk food—and it’s going to work on that all night long.
Instead, give it something nourishing.
Try reading something uplifting or thought-provoking. Pick up a book that brings you joy or helps you grow spiritually or mentally. Skip the news and social media right before bed and give your mind a gift it can use while you sleep.
Remember: your tomorrow starts tonight.
2. Reclaim the First 10 Minutes of Your Morning
Your morning sets the tone for the entire day. Yet most of us (myself included sometimes) reach for our phones first thing—before our feet even hit the floor.
And what happens? Stress starts firing. Your brain goes into reaction mode, your cortisol spikes, and the day takes off without your consent.
Let’s change that.
You don’t need a 90-minute morning routine. Just start with 10 intentional minutes. No phone. No news. No inbox.
Instead, try:
- A few deep breaths
- Light stretching
- A moment of gratitude
- Meditation or quiet reflection
- Reading something meaningful
These first few minutes are sacred. Don’t let the world hijack them.
3. Be Ruthless About Your Mental Diet
We obsess over the food we eat—but what about the content we consume?
The news, social media, online headlines… most of it is engineered to do one thing: trigger your emotions.
And the formula is simple:
Frustration ➝ Fear ➝ Commercial Break to Sell You Something
Then, at the end of the news cycle, they sprinkle in one uplifting story so you’ll come back tomorrow. It’s a well-crafted machine, and it’s working exactly as designed—just not for your benefit.
I’m not saying ignore the world or never stay informed. But be selective. Be aware. And test this:
Next time you finish scrolling or watching the news, pause.
Ask yourself: “Do I feel better now?”
Is your body tense? Are you agitated? Angry? Exhausted?
If the answer is no, it’s time to cut back.
Set screen limits. Curate your feed. Replace some of that consumption with content that lifts you up instead of dragging you down.
Prefer a visual guide?
In this short video, I walk you through the 3 strategies we just covered—press play and take a few minutes to center yourself.
What About You?
If this was helpful, I’d love to hear from you:
- How do you wrap up your day?
- What routines do you use to start your mornings with intention?
- How do you manage your “mental diet” when it comes to news and social media?
Drop a comment or shoot me a message. Your insights might help someone else find a little more peace and purpose in their day, too.
Here’s to less stress and more joy.
Let’s reclaim our days—one moment at a time. 💪☀️
– Manley
VerticalLessons.com
