10 HIGH LEVEL MORNING HABITS
by: Remie Longbrake | published: Aug 1, 2022
Having good, healthy habits is the foundation to seeking the best of your day. Many of our days are full of stress so getting in these habits can help relieve stress and feel better. Use these 10 morning habits to build good steps for your day and help work towards and productive, successful day ahead.
1. Get up early
Getting up early can have a positive impact on your wellbeing. Although much of schedules are dependent on our work and personal lives, getting up sooner rather than letter can help us feel more relaxed and less stressed when we give ourselves time to prepare and not rush so much.
Although getting up early typically requires getting good rest, you’ll also likely need to go to bed earlier too, which can be easier said than done. Depending on who all is in our household, including pets, going to bed earlier may not always be an easy endeavor. But when you do get enough sleep, we can wake up refreshed, get in our good habits, and be on our way to a great day!
2. Make your bed
Success is about motivation and accomplishment. Making your bed is an important first task that gets you an easy win to your morning. Although making your bed might seem silly, it can be powerful as rewards the mind for accomplishing something to start the day. This first success can help build momentum for the rest of the day, which would include the rest of these habits plus work successes and family life successes, which can be whatever you want it to be, and that’s a cool thought.
3. Drink water
Do you drink enough water? Probably not. Water is not only great for hydration, there are other benefits such as aiding digestion, regulating blood pressure, and flushing out bad bacteria.
How much water should you drink, well that depends on each of us, however the tried and true 8 glasses or 8oz is sufficient for many of us. Those more active, on their feet more or have more strenuous jobs may opt for more water intake. You can also try your water with a lemon wedge or try alternating fruits to find if any are more satisfying to your taste buds.
4. Find quiet time
Find adequate quiet time to think or do what you want to do. This can include for meditation and prayer, but doesn’t have to be. Even if it’s just 5 minutes, finding some quiet time can be highly rewarding. Of course family dynamics can sometimes make it difficult to get some quiet time, so be flexible if you need to. Find a quiet room, go outside, take a walk, taking a shower is another way. Regardless, take at least a few moments for yourself each day. Use it how you wish, it could be doing nothing but being thoughtful about blessings. Could also include writing, coloring, painting or some other relaxing activity you enjoy.
5. Give thanks
Giving thanks should include praise for our blessings. Don’t dwell on what you don’t have or stress about what happened yesterday or what might occur today. Find things to be thankful for, including your blessings, family, friends, co-workers, and those in your life. You can also do prayer, and give thanks where it’s due. Life is a wonderful gift. Understand we all get stressed from time to time, however being thankful, even for the little things in our life can increase our awareness and thoughtfulness. You’ll likely find you will be more at peace throughout your day.
6. Journal
Journaling is a powerful tool to ease the mind and prepare for the day. Journaling can include whatever you want it to be, which is freedom in itself. I think that is a lot of the power of journaling is that it can be a structured as you want it to be. Could include your daily goals, your motivations, affirmations, what you are thankful for. Could also be used as a tracker for exercise, nutrition, sleep patterns, ect.
Journaling helps get your emotions on paper, find inspiration through thought, and reduce stress and anxious feelings and even reduce anger just by being present and thinking out your feelings.
7. Stretch
There are great benefits to stretching. Increasing flexibility for one. Also stretching can decrease muscle and joint pains and reduce chances of injury. Be careful to not overdue stretching, especially prior to exercising. There is a risk of over doing it. However stretching can include push and pull movements, squats and planks given your flexibility and comfort.
8. Exercise
Although you don’t necessarily have to exercise in the morning, it’s still important to get some sort of exercise in each day. This could be as simple as walking or other activities such as yoga, biking, running, swimming or weight lifting, among others. The key is to get exercise in each day and move the body. Regardless of age its still important to move around according to your ability. Exercise helps strengthen the body, keep joints in motion, and relieve stress.
When it’s nice out, try to get outside rather then stay indoors. Of course this is to your comfort level, but being in outside, especially in nature can help relieve tension, increase creativity and focus, and we tend to move more when outdoors as well. Bring a friend if desired or your pet!
9. Eat nutritiously
Get a good breakfast in before going about your day. Try to go with less sugar, carbs, and fats and go with eggs, oatmeal, lean sausages, whole wheats, yogurt and berries. Give your body the nutrients it needs each day.
10. Don’t be rushed
When it’s your workday, try not to leave at the last minute and give yourself time. Although this is true for anything else your doing. When rushed, we feel stressed, down, even anger can creep in. None of these emotions are healthy or productive for your day ahead. It is easy to get behind however as distractions are always present, especially with kids and pets in our lives.
Give yourself enough time (and enough sleep) to prep and recuperate for the day ahead.
In closing
You may say this is too much for your morning routine. And it may be. Some good advice would be go slow. Incorporate just one thing per week or every other. The idea is to help build good habits to remove stress and these tips can do so when in practice for the right reason. Remember to give thanks for each day before you leave the door. You got this!