You know the drill: open eyes, get up, move
yourself robotically to the bathroom, dress up, and get out. Admit it,
this is your morning routine. No wonder you’re not functioning at full
capacity. No wonder you’re having a really hard time pulling yourself
together just enough to be able to smile to your colleagues. No wonder
you complain that you can’t find anything that makes your day better.
Start feeling better about your day. Here’s a short list of 10 things that will improve your day within the first seconds:
1. Write A Short Note In Your Journal
The
morning stillness, the quiet moments before dawn are often the most
unique moments of the day. Doing some sort of journaling, or mind
emptying, at that time can be magical. It creates a flow that, somehow,
perpetuates itself along the hours, like a red string, keeping you aware
and awake. It doesn’t have to be complex. Simply, empty your mind in
your notebook for five minutes, as soon as you wake up. As simple as it
may seem, It really makes your day better.
2. Get Rid Of A Useless Object
There
is no better moment to do that than in the morning. Clear your house,
clear your closet, clear your mind. Throwing away a useless object
creates a state of clarity and a subtle feeling of being lighter. Now,
the object must be really useless, otherwise you will end up throwing
away your entire house.
3. Meditate 10 Minutes
I
cannot stress enough the benefits of meditation. Our mind, as useful as
it is for understanding the universe, can also create a lot of trouble,
if left unattended. Learning to tame the mind and make it a faithful
servant is one of the most important habits you can create. Do this by
meditating in the morning. It will set the entire day on a much crispier
and more comfortable path.
4. Exercising Really Makes Your Day Better
Imagine
your body is a huge battery holding up energy. Now, imagine how shaking
up a battery will make it produce more energy. That’s what happens when
you exercise. You create more energy and store it into your muscles.
Not to mention that your brain also creates and delivers endorphins.
This energy will benefit you throughout the day.
5. Think At Someone You Love–Intently
Imagine
your loved one waking up and starting the morning with a smile. Keep
that thought for a while. The mere thought of that person will lighten
up your soul. It may even draw that person to you.
6. Thank Someone For Something
Saying
“thank you” is underrated. Now, you may have trouble finding a person
to say thank you to just after you wake up. I know I did. In these
cases, write a “thank you” letter. You don’t need to send it, only write
the words and leave it there. If you’re appreciative first thing in the
morning, you’re inviting more opportunities into your life.
7. Learn A New Word
If
you’re learning a foreign language, that works great. Even if you’re
not, learning a new word in your mother tongue daily can be fun and
relaxing. You may find yourself repeating that word during the day, or
somehow stumbling upon it in a magazine or in a casual conversation. You
may also pick the word you want to learn with a night before which will
“set up a theme” for the following day. It really works.
8. Visualize 3 Moments From The Day To Come
This
is a very powerful exercise. You must identify and define the moments
you want to experience. This can be extremely beneficial. However, if
you also try to visualize yourself actually doing what you decided to
do, it will add magnitude to the whole thing. I often find myself in
moments almost identical with what I visualized in the morning.
9. Take A Walk
Take
a stroll in the quiet, fresh air of the morning. No pressure, no
thoughts, no worries. Move around your neighborhood and be. A quiet
morning walk can be cleansing. The personal space I create with that
walk is very powerful. Don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself.
10. Have A Glass Of Natural Juice
Drink
juice instead of your normal breakfast. This will bring more
“freshness” to your morning routine and it will improve your health.
Experiment for a while to find the type of juice that works best for
you. Oranges and apples are a delicious mix. If you’re really
adventurous, you may even replace your morning coffee with this glass of
natural juice.
11. Cuddle Your Pet Or Partner
There
are some studies that states we need at least 8 hugs a day to properly
function at the emotional level. Why not starting early and hug your
spouse as the first thing you do in the morning? From that point on,
your energies will be interweaved during the entire day.If you don’t
have a spouse, cuddle your cat or your dog. If your pet is a fish, you
may just want to gently talk to it and broadcast positive energy.
12. Take A Shower
The
trick is to make the shower a cold one. You can also do a combination
of hot and cold, which will make your blood run faster. Taking a shower
first thing in the morning may be a standard ingredient in many western
cultures, but actually using it as a tool to refresh your body, and not
simply for cleansing it on the outside, may not. Of course, this step
goes beautifully with number 4 or number 9 from the list above. A quick
run before it will also do it.
13. Avoid Reading Or Watching The News
During
the last half of the century, media has changed drastically. It’s no
longer just about news updates. Nowadays, it create uncertainty, fear,
and the desire to make you buy stuff, blindly. News is nothing more than
a stimulator these day, in a continuous battle for rating. Simply avoid
it. Your day will be far better off without this type of news.
14. Smile
They
say smiling is the second best thing you can do with your lips, and I
completely agree. Smiling in the morning will also open your day to more
tranquility and potential. People smile as a way to show they’re open,
they’re relaxed and they’re willing to start interact with you. So, look
at yourself in the mirror and smile.
Now, you
have at least 2 weeks of morning routine material in this article. Pick
the ones you like most and start practicing. Or, even better, take the
time to share your tips in the comments below, I’d love to hear from
you.
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