Esha
ornings can be…no scratch that, they are difficult. If you do not relate to this then congrats, you are a lucky one who doesn’t know the daily, ridiculous struggle of getting out of bed. For the others, we are no strangers to groggy eyes that just won’t open. Morning sunshine doesn’t particularly elicit the beginning of a happy day. We don’t take joy in birds chirping but we most definitely feel some semblance of life just as the smell of coffee touches our nostrils.
Nevertheless, morning person or not, there are a few tiny things you can do every morning to set the tone for a better day. There are things, well within your capacity that you can practice every day to make your mornings happier and easier.
Fight the desire of JUST. FIVE. MORE. MINUTES.
Start your day with intention. Fold your hands before they can reach your phone and make you dive straight into the virtual world. Instead, start with a few “I want” and “I will” statements- “I want to finish that project today”, “I will go to the gym today”, or “I will catch up with so and so today”.
This gives your day a purpose. It sets you on a more focused and productive path.
Adding meditation in your morning routine may seem a waste of time to many. I mean, you barely make it on time to work and now this jibber-jabber about taking out time for meditation. Impossible!
But once you get over this and incorporate guided meditation and spend a few minutes before starting your morning, you will see the sense in it. Once you are out of your door, you are just trying to catch up with the daily hustle-bustle of life. It makes sense to sit back, relax and get in touch with your breath. Calm your mind before you get on with your day and you'll have more energy.
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Reduce your stress and give yourself a chance to breathe. Let your mind wander in no particular direction. Cut out the pillow to smartphone transition from your morning routine and take out a little bit stress from your day.
You know, the one that makes you feel like everything is A-Okay! Listening to your favorite soundtracks will put you in a good mood.
Listening to the news will help you get up to date with what is going on the world. For the days when you need an inspirational push, just put on a motivational speech in the background while getting ready. The satisfying or happy feeling will remain with you throughout the day.
This is very important. Let the first task of the day be making your bed. Albeit a small one, it will give you a sense of accomplishment. Another reason to make your bed before leaving the house is the magical feeling of coming home to a neat bed.
William H. McRaven says it best, U.S. Navy Adm. William H. McRaven said in a commencement speech at the University of Texas. "If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed."
Sweat it.
I am not talking about a full-blown everyday workout. Instead of setting these impossible expectations for yourself, you can start out by doing basic stretches in the morning just to activate your body for a whole day of activity ahead.
Prepare a healthy breakfast you look forward to eating. This will make your mornings a little more exciting. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate ensemble of bacon, poached eggs, toasted bread, and freshly brewed coffee; it can be as simple as a bowl of your favorite cereal.
Hydrate! And I cannot stress this enough. Add lemon or cucumber to jazz up your water- or just drink it straight up. We get dehydrated overnight and a glass of water will replenish your body’s water requirement.
Keep a diary, jot down things to do and check them off at the end of the day. Carry forward tasks that were unfinished and make your life clutter-free.
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