You may have noticed that your day goes more smoothly when you had a good start to the morning and well, vice versa when you haven’t. So, creating a morning routine that revolves around success is the perfect way to set you up for the day.
Here are five tips to start your day right – you can use one, some or all these ideas and none of them are too time-consuming.
1 – Screen Free Zone
The only technology you should be reaching for in the morning is the alarm to turn it off. As hard as it may be, you should resist the urge to check social media and read emails when you wake up – your brain needs at least 15 minutes of screen-free time.
Your brain needs time to clear the fog before it can kick into action. If this sounds like a challenge for you, then you may want to disable notifications – it worked for the students in a University of British Colombia study.
2 – Drop the Coffee
While there are plenty of health benefits to drinking coffee, kick-starting your day with a glass of lukewarm water (with freshly squeezed lemon). This should be the very first thing you do when you wake up – it cleanses your throat and mouth, rehydrates your body after its cycle of rest, and provides an energy boost.
You should avoid eating, drinking and even brushing your teeth for at least half an hour after you enjoy your lemon water.
3 – Have a Good Stretch
When you were a child waking up it was second nature to writhe and wriggle into the biggest stretches before you even got out of bed. You can’t just jump out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off and think your body is going to kick into top gear after it’s been in rest mode for the last seven hours. If you need to set your alarm to a little earlier to achieve your morning stretches, then go for it.
4 – Quick Meditation
You don’t have to spend a long-time meditating, it can be a three-minute session or a longer one if you have time. It’s easy – just find a comfortable position to sit in and focus on your breathing while you clear your mind. It helps set the stage for the rest of your day while inviting mental clarity.
UCLA has a series of guided meditations that can help you get started if you aren’t sure how to proceed – http://marc.ucla.edu/mindful-meditations.
5 – Have Gratitude
If your mind is infested with negative thoughts in the morning, it’s going to seep into the rest of your day. So, even if you’re dreading your work day it’s important to push those thoughts aside and focus on being grateful. You are in control of your mind, but unless you’re paying attention you probably don’t even realize just how negative they are.
So, whether it’s before or after your meditation session, take time to list a handful of things you are truly grateful for – maybe your children, your pet, your health, your home, your skills or something else in your life that you love.
It’s fair to say that you already know exactly what bad morning habits you have and that your routine needs a revamp. So, why don’t you break the cycle and start prioritizing the things that will improve your morning and stick with you throughout the day? Who wouldn’t start practicing habits that ensure them clarity throughout the day?
Why not see what a difference it makes to your life by starting tomorrow morning?
