Want a great morning start? How we begin our day has everything to do with how our day will go. It determines whether we have a great morning start or not. If we begin our day hurried, disorganized, and behind, the rest of our day will most likely feel hurried, disorganized, and behind. If we start our day being triggered by external distractions, we will more than likely feel distracted all day.
We set the tone for our day by choosing what we will and will not do upon awakening. In this article, I will give you some important do’s and don’ts to make sure you have an excellent start to your day. That excellent start will ensure the rest of your day is productive and gives you a chance to make it exactly what you want it to be. Use your morning as a blank slate. A fresh start. It will ensure a great morning start.
Do’s:
- Do Hydrate: You have been asleep all night and the cells of your body are dry. Rehydrating the cells allows them to function to their maximum potential providing nutrients to all your organs. Our bodies are made up primarily of water which tells you the importance of water in our body. It is also important to hydrate with water as opposed to caffeine drinks. Caffeine is actually a diuretic. In other words, it causes you to urinate more which further dehydrates you. It defeats the purpose of rehydrating after a good night’s sleep. The research has proven that 8 ounces of room temperature water with a fresh whole squeezed lemon is best as it helps to alkalize our body’s ph.
- Do Organize: Make your bed up every morning. This gives you a sense of accomplishment right off the bat. It leads to a mindset of accomplishment. Champions do not start the day with clothes all over the floor and the room in disarray. I also make a point to have my water right on my night-stand ready to hydrate. Being organized helps with carrying out the necessary functions to make for a healthier, happier day.
- Do Get Moving: I cannot stress the importance of getting your body moving in the morning. After-all, you have been laying down all night. Movement will kick start your circulation and get the blood flowing to all of your vital organs. I recommend about 10 minutes of gentle stretching to loosen the muscles and once again, increase circulation. It is also important to do some deep breathing in combination with the stretching. The deep breathing provides greater oxygen to the cells and organs of your body. It also inflates the lungs and keeps the air sacs open which prevents secretions from pulling in the lower air sacs of the lungs. This can prevent lung infections such as pneumonia and other upper respiratory infections if done on a consistent regular basis. I recommend 10 slow deep breaths in through the nose and out slowly through the mouth focusing on relaxing every fiber of your being on the exhalation.
- Do Practice Mindfulness: For some it is done with meditation. For others it may mean going for a walk outside without distraction. For you, it may mean something else. Just take the time to be mindful and in the present moment. For me, it’s closing my eyes and focusing on my breath for 10-15 minutes. When I feel my mind start to wonder, and trust me it will, I immediately bring my attention back to my breath. Being mindful of my breath as it enters an exits my body.
- Do Wake up 45 minutes before you have to: Yes, I know. Who wants to get out of bed 45 minutes early? Trust me, the benefits will be priceless. For me, that means getting up around 4:30am. It is essential in order to get your day off to a great start. Not hurried. Not disorganized. Not feeling behind. You are deserving of that 45 minutes of extra time each morning. Your body deserves it. It is the time to focus on self. Self-awareness. Self-improvement. Better health. It may be your only opportunity to focus on self for the whole day. Wake up while everyone else is still in bed. Take in the quietness of the morning.
Don’ts:
- Don’t pick up the phone or other device: If you start your day by checking your social media, email, text, or the recent news, you are basically suffocating your ability to set intentions for your day. I know for me, just looking at social media and seeing yet another political, ignorant, racist or judgmental post makes me feel some kind of way. And not a good way. It’s like right off the bat, I am willingly starting off my day on someone else’s terms. Picking up the phone, or checking your other devices is starting the day giving others control over your emotions before you’ve had a chance to set your intentions for the day and take care of self. You start your day giving everyone else access to you before you’ve had a chance to give full access to yourself.
- Don’t hit the snooze button: You will talk yourself out of getting up early and taking care of self if you hit the snooze button. By not taking care of self, you send a message to your brain that you don’t deserve the extra time. You don’t deserve the self-care. Make a habit of getting up as soon as the alarm goes off. I have made it a practice of sitting up on the side of the bed as soon as the alarm goes off. I sit there and take a few deep breaths before hopping completely up out of the bed. Just don’t allow yourself to lay there. Get up. Get hydrated. Get moving.
- Don’t turn on the News: Oh my. What can I say about the news. It immediately fills our mind with negativity. All the crazy political news. All the crime. All the hate and division. All the war and fighting. Listening to this is not a good way to start the day. That negative energy sits in our subconscious and we tend to carry it with us throughout our day not really even being aware that that’s what is going on.
I challenge you to experiment with your morning routine and find what works best for you. The research has proven overwhelmingly that if you start your day with the Do’s, you will be more successful, happier, more content, more productive, and just overall have a better day. You will have a great morning start. Who doesn’t want that? I think we all want it. Question is, are you willing to do the work required to become a better version of yourself?
You can do it. You will thank me later. Just do it for 7 straight days. You will feel the difference. You and everyone around you will notice the difference. It will be life changing. Try it and have a great morning start.
If my writing resonates with you, please take a moment to enter your email address to receive my monthly 5-minute articles straight to your inbox. If you are on Facebook or Instagram, please also hit the follow button on those platforms and share the love. Your love, support and feedback are deeply appreciated.
Without you, there would be no me.
Much love,
Vince
Check out my “Author Page” and “Shop” page to purchase my latest book and positive quote tee shirts. Your support allows me to continue sharing. The links are below.
https://vinceshifflett.com/shop/
https://vinceshifflett.com/author-page/
awesome..thanks for sharing