Getting your morning off to a great start starts with a simple ritual
Rise and shine superstar…it’s time to take on the world! Every day you wake up to a world of possibilities. You have an amazing day ahead of you; during which you get to eat, work, exercise, and make your dreams come true.
So how do you make sure that this is the day that’s the start of something big?
Eat Breakfast
You’ve probably heard this one a thousand times before, but it needs to be repeated. What you eat (or don’t eat) first thing in the morning can affect you for the whole day. The problem is that most breakfast foods are starchy junk that you should only be having occasionally.
Cereal, toast, pancakes, muffins, and danishes are full of sugar and are the worst thing you can have in the morning. And don’t believe those silly cereal ads that tell you that their cereal is high in protein. Ten grams is not much protein; and protein is what you want to keep you full for longer during the day.
Read Something Inspiring
If you want to get your mind started off on a positive note, read a few pages of something inspiring. Choose a self-health book, an inspiring quotation site, or a fitness & lifestyle website (like this one!) that interests you. Make sure you’re reading something that you’re passionate about and that inspires you. Reading something with a powerful message that speaks to you will get your mind on the right track.
Take a Breather
Meditation is a great idea first thing in the morning, but if you don’t feel you’re ready for that commitment yet then try ten full deep breaths. Relax, close your eyes, breath out by drawing in your belly, hold for 3 seconds, and then release your breath by letting your belly move outward. Repeat ten times. It’s a fast, easy way to get focussed first thing in the morning. It’s also great to repeat throughout the day whenever you get stressed or overwhelmed.
Smile!
Sometimes it’s hard to get a smile going when it’s 6am and you’ve had only 5 hours of sleep the night before, but nothing gets you in a positive frame of mind more than forcing yourself to smile when you don’t feel like it. If you’re feeling especially weary, try smiling at yourself in the mirror in the morning (sounds cheesy, but it works!). If you’re feeling particularly brave, smile at the first person you see in the morning, whether it’s you’re spouse or a random stranger on the train.
Workout
Not everybody is a morning person, but if you can manage it then working out first thing in the morning will get you charged for the day. You also won’t have to deal with the “I’m too tired after work” excuse. Starting off your day right is all about having an inspiring, energizing routine that you can follow each morning. If you commit to a few easy steps, your whole day will change and the world you’re living in will better than it was before.
Ivana Chapman
