The tone of your morning will determine the tone of your day, so it’s time to start planning accordingly. When you form healthy habitual behaviors for the morning, you set your day up for success.
Whether you are aware of them or not, you operate under habits (both good and bad) all the time—they are an integral part of your daily existence. Part of developing a healthy habit, is to become intentional with it. Most habits are formed because they are easy or along the path of least resistance. If you want to cultivate positive habits, then you may need to put some intentional effort into forming them until they become second nature. Here are 4 simple habits that you can add into your morning routine now.
1. START YOUR DAY WITH MEDITATION, JOURNALING, AND GRATITUDE
Instead of grabbing your phone first thing after waking up, try and implement a different element into your morning routine. You could make yourself a fresh cup of tea and jot down your thoughts as well as things you want to get done on that day. Maybe you want to write down an especially vivid dream you had the night before or make a list of the things you are grateful for. This is not an easy task when everything around you is layered with uncertainty, but there are probably still little things that put a smile on your face. Said fresh cup of tea for example, drinking from your favourite cup, the sunlight coming through your window, a good book, relaxing music. The list goes on. Another way to begin your morning is to sit for a few minutes in silence and meditate. Whether you do that with the help of an app for a guided meditation or just by focusing on your breath is up to you. Give yourself these precious few minutes in the morning and you’re setting the tone for the day.
2. GET YOUR BLOOD PUMPING BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN FOR WORK
Whether it’s a simple yoga routine, a brisk walk with your pet, a quick set of sit-ups and push-ups, or hitting the gym to work off last night’s meal, starting off your day with movement energizes the body and the mind. Determine what kind of exercise is right for you and schedule it. It doesn’t have to be complicated, long, or intense, but having some sort of physical activity in the morning will get your blood flowing and help quiet any mental chatter. You can even switch up what kind of exercise you do every day to keep your routine interesting.
3. MAKE SURE YOU HYDRATE AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP
Drinking a glass of water in the morning after going hours without a sip is a good way to hydrate your body. The Ayurvedic technique of adding lemon to a warm glass of water helps remove toxins from your digestive tract that may have built up overnight, provides a good source of vitamin C, freshens your breath, supports weight loss, and stimulates metabolism and digestion. Bottoms up first thing in the a.m. for a healthy—and refreshing—start to your day.
4. TRY TO AVOID SCROLLING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY
As mentioned before, this habit of scrolling through social media as soon as you open your eyes is tempting, but it doesn’t do anything for your wellbeing. Although there is a general focus to currently mainly push out positive messages, you can still get stuck in one too many rabbit holes, even before leaving your bed. Instead, start your day with grounding, soothing and energising activities and save social media for later. Once you finished work you can log on and see what everyone else is up to. Social media isn’t bad in itself, but it is a passive pastime that can trigger negative emotions like jealousy or overwhelm. By staying offline when you’re busy with work or family activities, you won’t feel guilty for wasting precious time in the morning and subsequently falling behind with your schedule.
