“When you
arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive; to
breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” ~ Marcus Aurelius
You don’t
have to be a morning person to benefit from morning rituals. Most people hit
snooze, roll out of bed and into some clothes while plunging into their day
without a plan.
You, however,
can choose to approach your day mindfully. Being mindful will increase the odds
that you will feel good, be more productive and end up happier when it’s all
over.
Here are
ten things you should do every morning before 10:00 am to stack the deck in
your favor.
Meditate
Meditating
or even some simple breathing can help you begin your day with a sense of calm.
Instead of reaching for your phone or checking email first thing in the morning,
take just a few minutes to sit and experience the quiet.
There is
plenty of activity during our day, make a commitment to start on a quieter note.
It will set the tone for your day and will help increase your focus, energy, and
optimism.
Reflect in
Gratitude
“If the
only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.”
– Meister Eckhart
Start your
day by reflecting on what you are grateful for. A consistent practice of
gratitude in the mornings will increase your awareness of gratitude throughout
your day. It will also make you more resilient when challenges occur and help
you put drama in perspective.
Set Your
Daily Intention
In the
quiet of the day, before the fires need putting out, plan your day by focusing
on three goals you want to accomplish.
Make those
goals a priority for the day. When you set about planning your day with
intention, you are more likely to feel productive at the end of it.
Pad Your
Schedule
As you go
about setting your daily intentions, pad your schedule to allow yourself to
tend to fires as they arise. Padding your schedule with free time will give you
a better chance of achieving your goals and may even add some downtime
throughout the day.
Hydrate
Your body
awakens dehydrated, so it is very important to drink up first thing in the
morning. In her book, The Body Ecology Diet, Donna Gates suggests you drink
half of your entire daily water intake by mid-morning. It will flush your
system of toxins, leave you feeling less hungry and reduce headaches throughout
the day.
Stretch
You will be
hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t wake up feeling a bit stiff. It isn’t
always easy to incorporate exercise into a morning routine. If you were going
to choose one thing, the American Journal of Sports Medicine suggests adding a
short muscle-stretching sequence of exercises to your morning schedule.
Studies
show that consistent stretching in the morning can increase flexibility, improve
circulation, reduce stress throughout your day and improve posture.
Listen to
Music
Starting
your day with upbeat and fun music will not only wake you up but it will fill
you with positive energy for your day.
A 2013 study
found that music makes you feel good. According to study participants, the two
most important benefits of listening to music are “mood regulation” and “self-awareness.”
Not only
has it been shown to improve your mood but it can end up increasing motivation,
performance, and lead to a better night’s sleep too.
Smile
Start your
day off by smiling at yourself in the bathroom mirror. Smiling will have a
positive effect on your overall attitude and well-being, even when it starts
out a little forced. Smiling makes you more approachable, and appear more
trustworthy. In fact, The University of Montpellier discovered that smiling
will also make you a more effective leader.
Clean Up
After Yourself
Life is
busy and morning routines can be a bit rushed. It can be very tempting when you
are running behind to leave your clothes on the floor, dishes in the sink or
leave the trash until later. Just do put them away!
Procrastination
around cleaning up after yourself can prevent you from realizing our highest
potential and best work. It also allows you to relax fully upon returning home.
It is better to pro-actively clean up after yourself than waiting to be called
out on it.
Do Your
Hardest Task First
It might
seem enticing to get a bunch of easy things checked off your to-do list, but it
has been shown time and time again that doing your hardest task first leads to
a more productive and happier day. You are more likely to remember the day as
being a good one when your day gets better and is easier over time. The bonus: it
helps stop procrastination over the things we like to do the least.
Join in the
discussion: What morning habits do you practice daily? Share your tips in the
conversation below!
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