Did you know that even the smallest morning habits can turn your day around and set you up for success? If you feel like each day is a drag and you’re only really living for the weekend, you’ve got to ask yourself, “am I truly living?” If you feel like each day is a drag and you’re only really living for the weekend, you’ve got to ask yourself, “am I truly living?”
So you feel unfulfilled by your job, you don’t get along with your colleagues, the traffic to work gets you down before you even get there, you have a to do list down to your ankles and not enough time to make any progress…sound familiar? Perhaps this isn’t you but you know someone who could benefit from some of these small changes.
Below are some things I have incorporated into my mornings that are guaranteed to put me in a positive frame of mind and carry me through the day. You can choose to do these in whatever order best suits you. You don’t even have to do them all. Choose what will work for you and go for it!
1 goal for the day
Wake up in the morning and set an intention. This doesn’t have to be right away, perhaps you’ll want to get a drink of water first, take some deep breaths and ponder on what you’re grateful for. But then come up with a goal for the day. For example your goal might be any one of the following:
- Drink at least 2 litres of water
- Get vegetables in at every meal
- Smile at people
- Walk for 20 minutes
- Spend 30 minutes reading a book
Setting a goal for the day gives you focus as well as a sense of achievement once this goal is accomplished. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t achieve the goal you set that day. Use it as an opportunity to learn more about yourself, then try again the next day.
2 tall glasses of water
Hydration is so underrated. It is amazing how many health issues can be resolved by simply hydrating enough throughout the day. As you well know, our bodies are approximately 70% water and our cells need to be hydrated and lubricated for effective functioning and communication.
When you sleep, your body works really hard to detox, regenerate and restore.
When you sleep, your body works really hard to detox, regenerate and restore. We therefore wake up dehydrated so it is essential to replace those liquids upon waking.
3 things you’re grateful for
Set aside some time in the morning to think of 3 or more things you are grateful for. This can be anything from your cup of tea to your job to a supportive group of friends. Whatever these 3 things are, ponder on them. This fills you with endorphins, oxytocin and all kinds of other good stuff which puts you in a positive mindset for the day.
4 deep breaths
Did you know that your body cannot be relaxed and stressed at the same time. These states are related to two different systems. Relaxation activates the parasympathetic (or rest and digest) nervous system and anxiety or stress activates the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system.
By engaging in activities that relax your body, your nervous system responsible for fight or flight switches off.
By engaging in activities that relax your body, your nervous system responsible for fight or flight switches off.Take in 4 deep breaths in the morning to get you started in a calm and collected state. Do this throughout the day to help deal with stress.
5 minutes of movement
Movement in the morning helps to get the blood flowing and carries more oxygen to your brain. Research also shows that even a short amount of exercise in the morning can help your circadian rhythms and improve your sleep. This could be anything from a short yoga routine or a 5 minute high intensity workout. Find what works for you first thing in the morning.
Are you ready to step up your morning game? Let me know how it goes! Or if you already have an awesome morning routine then I’d love to hear about it – comment below!
Bye for now xx
Found this post interesting?
You might want to read this on how you can reduce stress.
