It’s nearly the new year! When that time rolls around, we often take a look at our life and lifestyle, knowing that it’s a great time to start new habits. Have you thought lately about your morning routine? Starting your day with intention can bring you the healthy lifestyle you desire. Here are some ideas to use as springboards for your new morning routine
#1 What’s your intention?
People are not "one size fits all". Some recommend that “every morning you should do aerobics!” or “every morning you should drink warm lemon water.”
These may be great ideas for some, but before you start diving in, why not set your intention first? What do you want more of in your day? Productivity? Better health? Joy? Figure out what your goals are, and proceed with designing your morning routine from there.
#2 What do you need to get rid of?
What are you are currently doing that are standing in the way of you living your intention? Are you checking your social media first thing when your intention is to meditate upon waking? Make a list of things you would like to stop doing so you can make space for the things you want.
#3 Set Up Obstacles
Let’s face it, we make our habits easy and comfortable to maintain. In order to change things up and create new ones, set up time or space obstacles. These challenges will keep you from making it too easy to indulge in those habits you want to break.
Some ideas:
Charge your phone in another room, so you aren’t able to grab it from bed.
Set your phone to “Do Not Disturb” so your peaceful morning is not disrupted.
Set a timer for answering emails, or time on social media.
Keep your gym clothes or workout gear next to your bed so you wake up and are immediately ready to work out.
#4 Choose Healthier Habits
Now that you have decided what you no longer want to do and have come up with some ways to help yourself stay away from them, what do you want to do instead? What kind of tasks or activities would help you reach your intention? Once you have your additions, pick your top three and add just those into your morning routine. You may want to go full throttle on all your new tasks at once, but that may prove overwhelming and may just set you up for failure. Focus on three. After a month, add three more.
Some ideas that you may benefit from:
Yoga Stretches
Journaling
Reading a chapter of a book
Exercise
Making a Smoothie
Time with Family
Time with a Pet
Gardening
Laughing with friends
Meditation
Listening to Music or Podcasts
Painting, Coloring, Writing or Doing Another Creative Endeavor
#5 Stop Snoozing
Sleep physicians say that every time you wake up, hit snooze and then roll back over, you enter a brand- new sleep cycle. Any of the “extra” sleep you do get from snoozing is light and fragmented, which could actually leave you feeling more tired.
You’ll feel more rested if you just get up with your first alarm — so either sleep later, or use an alarm with no snooze button.
#6 Get Your Breath Going
Researchers have looked at breathing patterns and found that our bodies are actually running low on oxygen first thing in the morning. So if you take a few deep breaths (or a few fantastic yawns!), it can be a dose of energy — getting you up, waking you up, and oxygenating your blood.
#7 Get Your Back in Shape
We at Healthy Life Center have found that when people get out of bed without rolling over first, they are at risk of straining their neck or back. To prevent this, roll over onto your right or left side depending on the side of the bed you are sleeping on! Then push yourself up with your arms into a sitting position before standing with a straight back. It’s the gentlest way to get up, takes the pressure off your heart and back, and is a great, easy ritual to start your morning right.
#8 Make Your Routine a Part of EVERY morning
It’s important to develop a morning routine that also works on weekends. Cheat days seems like a fun treat, but more often than not, cheat days turn into cheat weeks, that turn into those old bad habits. Routines can be an excellent balance of both work and play, as long as they are in line with your goals and intentions.
Good luck! Let us know if you try any of these and how it is working for you!!
コメント