Most of us rush in the morning, compensating for that extra sleep if we can squeeze it in or just simply managing kids, pets, partners or ourselves! If this is not you, congratulations! I’ve been working towards being more balanced in the morning for a long time and after many messy late starts, an amazing meditation class with Dr. Michael Beckwith, ten days of cleansing at We Care, shamanic ceremonies and tons of self-help books, I have compiled a shortlist for the best ways to kickstart a happy day that works for me when I can do it:
- When you open your eyes, be grateful. Then hydrate.
As soon you open your eyes, say to yourself or out loud how grateful you are. Sometimes, when we are having a rough time, it can be hard to think of things for which to be grateful. On those days, keep it simple: Be thankful for being alive, healthy, having a job, a dog, a home or any other basic elements in your life. Just listing four or five will get your being in the mode of gratitude, setting the tone for your entire day. And ask your higher self to join you for the day, set the stage for a higher state from out of the gate!
Next, drink water! Our bodies do serious regenerative work as we sleep. Since we are made of over 75-percent water, it’s no surprise that when we awake we are majorly dehydrated. Lack of hydration means our metabolism slows and our brain is forced to operate on less fuel, making us feel groggy. To jumpstart your metabolism, drink one-liter of warm water with fresh lemon, preferably while saying your gratitude blessings. ( and even bless the water if you feel ambitious — no one needs to know ) Sometimes this even will replace coffee, (gasp! ) which if consumed too often can shoot your adrenal system and cause increases in cortisol (that’s the fat producer that you don’t need in excess).
2. Eat Breakfast
What you eat in the morning will impact how your body processes the rest of your day. Choose hormone optimizers that offer sustained energy. Ideally, fresh vegetables, a good fat and a protein, something like lentils and avocado. Celebrity fitness guru Harley Pasternak teaches that a combination of instant oatmeal, sliced apples and egg whites makes the perfect frittata to start your day and stay full longer. A smoothie can be a super healthy quick start as well, but just make sure it has protein, fat and veggies. Try an avocado, kale, lemon, apple and beet combo. Just keep it simple, prep the night before and leave everything out.
3. Do Like Dogs and Yogis
Taking ten minutes to do basic yoga stretches will awaken your body, even if its simple a downward dog. Stretching brings oxygen to the muscles that have been resting. If you can, use a foam roller to release stiffness or tightness and increase blood flow and energy. Our four-legged friends naturally do stretching whenever they rise, they listen to their bodies needs. A dogs happiness is proof enough to me that we should be as much like them as possible, upward and downward dog for a few minutes alone will reinvigorate your body and mind. Also, if you have a cat, dog or other pet, hug it. This will automatically cause love to flow from you, to them, and back to you again.
4. Consume Positive Content
If you MUST watch or read the news or scroll through Instagram as part of your morning, choose to feed yourself something positive first. Your mindset for the day is being set at this time, as well as your energy, productivity and overall mood. Listen to inspiring and motivating music, meditations or podcasts or just read positive content. This is also a great moment to sit in front of your vision board, which should be inspiring based on what you’ve chosen to include on it. Regardless of what your choice here is, stick to the positive. Tony Robbins always says to spend at least 30 minutes a day consuming positive information, starting off with it is the best way to get it done too! The news can wait! If you can make time to journal for a few minutes, or jot your vision for the day down, this can be magic, more out from your spirit than in from outside is ideal!
5. Shower
It’s OKto skip hair washing, but rinsing off clears your energy from the night before and can cleanse your mind as much as your body. If you can handle it, try a cold water blast too, it will immediately get your blood pumping and make you more naturally alert. this is why Cyro chambers are so popular and many spas have plunge pools: They are invigorating and have been shown to increase circulation and heart rate, resulting in all kinds of wakeful amazingness.
Image courtesy of Pexels.
Originally published at medium.com