“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 ofSports 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.
Source :
www.powerofpositivity.com