Have you ever had one of those mornings where everything just seemed to ‘click’ and it set you up for the entire rest of your day to go well? As you moved through your day you were happier, more centered, more productive?
Wouldn’t you love it if every day could feel like your best day? With a solid morning routine filled with habits that are guaranteed to put you in a positive, productive state of mind, you can increase your chances of making every day the best that it can be.
Commit to trying out these six morning habits for at least 30 days and experience for yourself how each day can be a great one.
Drink water
When your body goes up to eight hours without water, one of the first things you want to do to shake of the sluggishness due to dehydration is drink a nice glass of fresh water.
WebMD tells us that drinking plenty of water is beneficial to our bodies in four ways:
- Helps our bodies regulate calories and keeps us feeling fuller longer.
- Energizes our muscles, especially when drinking before and during exercise routines.
- Moisturizes and keeps our skin healthy. Dehydration can leave the skin looking dry and wrinkled. Making water a natural way to moisturize skin from the inside out and stave off wrinkles.
- Helps us maintain our body’s fluid levels. Since the human body is approximately 60% water and we are constantly shedding water, it is essential that we replenish all of our natural functions can operate optimally.
Stretch
After lying in bed for several hours, it’s natural that your muscles, joints and ligaments will be a little stiff. As we get older, this stiffness can become even more prominent. Stretching not only helps restore the suppleness in your muscles by warming them gently and getting the blood flowing, it helps improve your flexibility and increases your range of motion over time. Two things that help us prevent injury as we age.
The non-physical benefits to stretching are the reduced stress and tension. This is why stretching can be the perfect complement to another healthy morning habit; meditation.
Meditate
The idea of meditation can be a little intimidating for some who thinks they have to sit stock-still and force themselves to do nothing for long periods. Thankfully, there are many ways to meditate, including some that are very relaxing. For example, you can find a comfortable place to sit, where you can maintain a good posture, and simply focus on your breathing for even just a few minutes. Light, instrumental music is optional.
Even just a few minutes is enough to help aid your mental clarity and give your spiritual well-being a boost.
Journal and set your goals for the day
Author Julia Cameron first told us about the miracle of Morning Pages in her book The Artist’s Way. The idea is to allow yourself to write in a free-flowing manner as early after rising as possible. This helps clear the mind of any issues that have been weighing heavily on you, or it can help you focus on the positive things you want to concentrate on.
You can write as much or as little as you like, but Cameron recommends three pages. As an addition, you can end by going over your main goals for the day. This can give you a point of focus as the rest of your day unfolds.
Be grateful
The creators of the 5 Minute Journal teach that cultivating gratitude in our lives is a natural way to prevent depression and anxiety. That is why they recommend identifying at least three things in your life that you can be grateful for every morning.
Productivity experts like Tim Ferriss and others report that when they’ve added this one step to their mornings that it has helped them improve their happiness and well-being.
Exercise
Besides strengthening your body, exercise can also boost your mood. That makes exercising in the morning a natural fit for putting yourself on a positive path for the day.
A clear benefit of exercise is the release of endorphins that can give you a ‘natural high’ – a euphoric feeling that has the bonus effect of blocking pain. People who exercise regularly also report having healthier appetites and stronger immune systems.
Kelly Smith works at CourseFinder.com.au . She’s interested in new online marketing tools and branding strategies. She’s keen on work-life balance and healthy work environments.
