7 Ways Successful Women Say Yes to Their Day

Another week; if you need some motivation to not just get through it but actually thrive in it, here you go. Create + Cultivate is back sharing their secrets for less stress and more YES in our workdays. Writer Arianna Schioldager reveals, below.

Moaning about Monday is very 2015. This year is all about finding ways to infuse our days with happiness and joy that lead to a sense of fulfillment and empowerment. Shifting your mood and what you say YES TO affects your career (and life) in more ways than you know.

So we checked in with our friends at “Yes to” who know a whole lot about just that. So yes to you with these 7 tips that will make your day naturally brighter.

1. Say yes to music in the morning.

Music isn’t just entertainment. It can also give you the sense of power needed to get you through the day. Scientists have found that songs with heavy bass (hello #LEMONADE #sorry #formation) motivate us and give us the energy needed to make it through the day.

So whether you sing in the shower (while detoxifying with Yes to Tomatoes Charcoal Cleanser), drive to work, or rock a headphone while on the subway, you can play tunes that inspire feelings of power and more complex conceptual thoughts.

2. Say yes to flowers on your desk.

Everyone knows that fresh flowers look pretty, but studies have shown that florals in an office setting can also help reduce stress (yes, please) as well as pollens in the air.

You may not be thinking about air purification when decorating your space, but when you breathe easier, your head is more clear. Which means, you’re working smarter. A lot of people assume air plants and greens are best for desks, but did you know that gerbera daisies pack quite the air-purifying punch? They are a pop of color that also work to filter out benzene that is spread in the air by inks.

3. Say yes to a coffee break.

As if you needed an excuse to take one, a mid-morning java run is good for the brain (and body). It’s important to keep moving during the day and leave your desk from time to time.

A coffee break also boosts workplace culture two-fold. One, there is something about a coffee break that feels like you’re rewarding yourself. It sends signals to your brain that you’re doing a good job and you deserve it — which, let’s be real, you do. Two, if you snag a co-worker and bring them along, they are receiving the same reward benefit and you’re also building non-competitive office culture.

4. Say yes to something surprising.

No matter what, you are going to have to say “no,” to certain projects, people, and proposals. That’s part of any job. But sometimes we tend to say “no’ to things because of an unaddressed fear. Maybe you don’t want to take the lead on a meeting. Maybe you think that you’re not quite capable of taking a client meeting alone. Maybe someone offers you an in-person interview when you’d rather send an email Q & A. There are a lot of ways we say “no” to things during the day at work out of fear — oftentimes without even realizing it.

Next time your knee-jerk reaction is to say “no,” say “yes” instead and inject your career with a bit of confidence when you realize you are capable of handling the situation.

5. Say yes to wiping off your makeup before heading to the gym.

If the work week is a marathon, the individual days can feel like sprints. And sometimes we forget to do the most simple tasks. From remembering to drink water (proven to increase productivity and focus) to taking off our morning makeup before we head to the gym to let off some steam, these small actions are important. Keep Yes to Cucumber Facial Wipes in your work bag and be sure to remove the day’s ups and downs from your skin. Sweating is great for our mind and body, but if we’re sweating with pores clogged from makeup it can create impurities known to affect self-confidence. This in turn, affects our work.

6. Say yes to a healthy dinner.

On average you can raise your productivity by 20 percent if you are eating the right foods. Fish is the classic brain food fortified in Omega-3 fatty acids and rich in oils essential to brain function and development. Omega-3s also help our memories as we age. Sushi for dinner anyone?

7. Say yes to getting a good night’s sleep.

A good, restful sleep is imperative to starting the next day with a fresh perspective. That means, keeping the tech out of your bed — sorry! How many of us sleep with one hand on our phones? Or scroll Instagram before snoozing? Or get locked in a three-hour Netflix binge on accident? It’s affecting our sleep– we know you know this. Get a calming night sleep, do your skin a favor with Yes to Cucumber Calming Night Cream, and say yes to you and wake up refreshed.

What are you saying yes to today?

Images via Michelle Madson