Do you wake up feeling energetic and excited about the day ahead, or with your finger glued to the snooze button (lol, I am certainly not :)), but for many, it’s the latter. Let me tell you something from my own experience - maximising your mornings can make a huge difference on your health and happiness and without a doubt, you should try to make it better :). Remember, an intentional morning routine has the power to supercharge your overall activities, here to mention few, such as work, deepen your relationships, boost your productivity, skyrocket your creativity, lower your stress levels, and set you up for a successful day.
Set your 'day up' for success with a morning routine
You do not have to be a morning person to benefit from a morning routine (yes, right), you just have to be thoughtful enough about how you spend your time when you wake up. Beside, you also do not need a laundry list of things to accomplish every morning. The point is - only setting five mindful minutes can propel you to daily success (no doubt ;)). The key to an effective morning routine is that it works for you and your unique needs. It has to excite you, motivate you, and fit seamlessly into your life. Thought of any of it ever before? Just for the recored - I am not a person that needs someone to motivate them, however, I have listed some of the morning rituals to help you craft the perfect morning routine (hopefully so ;)). Try to follow them, adjust them to your need and just simply find the way that works for you. Let's have a look ;)
1. Skip the coffee would say people around me, but I say have a cup of coffee
Im not going to argue here :) I love my cup of coffee, gives me just about the right motivation to kick start off my day, gather all my thoughts and ideas together, but mainly it's just all about the taste, my fab cup and the moment I keep to myself. Coffee can be beneficial for you, as long you do not throw a whole additional cup of sugar in there ;) Smart choices and substitutes and you will be fine for sure. So coffee it is for me, what about you?
2. Morning thoughts and ideas
Morning thoughts and ideas are a stream-of-consciousness 'journaling' practice done first thing every morning (amongst with the coffee ;)). The idea is to wake up, have a coffee, open my journal, and write down whatever comes to my mind at that particular moment. This wasy I simply 'clear' head, process emotion, silence my inner critic, and unleash their creativity before tackling my daily 'to-do' list.
3. Listening to your favourite music
This sure is one of may favourite, beside coffee of course. Never skip a good music to kick start of your day and use headphones if someone around you needs to concentrate on quite atmosphere ;) Sure can be loud and personal ;)
4. Get your heart rate up
Waking up with the though about that daily workout sure sets you up for success (trust me on that one ;)). Growing evidence suggests that exercise may be responsible for enhanced thinking and mental performance, healthy weight management, improved mood and quality of life, and lower levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol. This doesn’t have to be a full 60-minute workout, instead, opt for shorter workouts, walk to wherever you got to go, use stairs, go for a run, do yoga, pilates, even simple stretches or breathing exercises will do. As long as you keep that body moving ;)
5. Practise gratitude
Research suggests that focusing on gratitude helps to calm the deep limbic areas and enhance the other judgment centres of your brain. People who express gratitude on a regular basis are healthier, more optimistic, make better progress toward their goals, have a greater sense of well-being, and are more helpful to others. Practicing gratitude first thing improves your mood and promotes feelings of content throughout your day.
6. Good night sleep is crucial
A good morning starts the night before with a good night’s sleep. In my opinion (amongst with the experts in sleeping) I recommend about 8 hours of restful sleep each night for optimal health. Anything less has been shown to have adverse effects on your mental and physical well-being. I also drink water during the night time (but thats a topic for my next blog post ;)).
And remember, the ways you spend your morning sure will set the tone for your entire day, and the way you spend your days will set the tone for your entire life.
Until next time, S.
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