Whilst my ideal morning ritual would be an extra hour in bed, the dreaded alarm is often looming and facing the day ahead is un-avoidable. Many of us have experienced the horror of waking up to an overly snoozed alarm to scramble out of the door and hope a few gulps of extra strong coffee will transform us back to functional human beings. But can a morning routine really make much of a difference? And is it worth it?
It’s true that setting a morning ritual is important as this sets the mood and tone for the rest of your day. Studies have also shown that a positive morning routine can help eliminate stress, re-energise and build focus. Improved mental health, well-being and productivity are just a handful of the known benefactors. So how do we give this a go without committing to a 5am alarm?
Got you covered with 6 easy pointers to improve your Monday morning mantra.
1. Avoid Your Phone
Reaching straight for your phone is a habit of many. Give yourself a break by setting a time limit before you check socials and emails etc. This helps to keep my mind clear but eliminates any subconscious influence of the odd negative tweet or grumpy email and maintains a level state of mind. Not to mention the correlation between mental health and social media use, cutting back your screen time is a no brainer.
2. Hydrate
Probably the best thing you can do for your body on a morning. Water fires up your metabolism, wakes up your brain and helps your body flush out toxins. Even though you might not feel dehydrated, your body has just gone 6-8 hours without fluids, it needs to rehydrate!
3. Gratitude
Write down three things that you’re grateful for each day. This could be on postit notes, a small notepad or even just a mental note. Acknowledging our blessings, from the small silly things to the big important stuff by expressing gratitude can reduce depression and even lower blood pressure! Adding this to your morning routine will mean starting off the day on a positive note.
4. Exercise
Without listing all the obvious physical benefits to exercise, adding this to your morning routine is the ultimate wake up call to boost your energy and jumpstart your day. This doesn’t have to be a full-blown intense workout (unless you’re okay with a 5am alarm) and can be as simple as a few sit ups or rounds up and down the stairs. Exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy, it’s as simple as that!
5. Meditate
Whilst a lot of people are still skeptical about meditation, there’s no doubt of its scientifically proven benefits to your mind and body. Morning meditation is said to be the most beneficial as you should already be well rested and have a clear mind making it easier to focus. Don’t be fooled into thinking meditation is only for the experts and hardcore hippies. If you’re struck for time meditation can take a mere 3-5 minutes out of your day. Find a quiet spot, sit comfortably, close your eyes and focus on your natural breathing. If you need help there are tons of handy meditation apps available, it is 2019 people.
6. Prioritise Breakfast
Make time for breakfast! Whether it’s a quick banana and green tea or poached eggs, avocado and all the trimmings, breakfast is one of the most important meals (and my fave, baffles me why people would skip it). By breaking the overnight fast, breakfast gives your body the glucose and nutrients to keep up your energy levels throughout the day. Overnight oats are a great one if you don’t have much time to spare in the mornings.
It’s surprising how impactful your daily routine can be on your life. If you don’t want to jump straight into the deep end, try and introduce just one ritual per week and slowly see the difference that these simple small changes can make.
xoxo
rosewhitelam 