Do you believe that you start your day as soon as you open your eyes? If so then you and I are on the same page. I don’t know about you but after I’ve been sleeping for about 6 hours and I open my eyes for the first time in the morning, it’s nearly impossible for me to roll over and go back to sleep. No matter how hard I try I can’t trick my body into thinking it’s still resting hour.
No matter how tired I may feel, or how heavy my eyes may be, as soon as I see the light of day I get out of bed and start my day. The start of the day can be the most challenging part of everyday, especially if you wake up really early in the morning. Something that has helped me remain consistent with waking up early and maintaining high energy throughout the day is having a disciplined morning routine.
Having a morning routine helps to organize my thoughts and emotions before I engage with other people, allows me to set my intention for the day, and gives me the space and time to slowly ease into all my daily responsibilities. Seriously its life changing and without it I don’t know if I would be able to confidently tackle all my responsibilities for the day.
Not having a morning routine of some sort in place can leave you feeling a little lost about what to do to start your day on the right foot. In this blog post I’m going to share with you my favorite morning practices that are sure to help you have the best and most productive day.
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If you already have a morning routine, great, keep at it if it’s helping you maintain high positive energy for the day. However, if you don’t currently have a morning routine, then it’s time to create one. The most important thing to remember about having a morning routine is that your routine should provide you with the energy and motivation to crush all your goals for the day. It should make you feel rejuvenated after sleeping through the night and excited to start your day.
There are tons of morning routines that you can create to help you start your day off right. Of course, for every morning practice one person might enjoy is not necessarily going to be something you enjoy. So, like we’ve talked about many times before on the blog, some experimentation with what works for you and what doesn’t work will need to happen.
None the less, here are some morning practices that I swear by on a daily basis and truly do believe they can help you be a healthier person.
Morning Practices for a Healthier Self
1. Start the day with water
The first thing I like to do in the morning is drink some water. There are so many health benefits to drinking water, but doing this first thing in the morning is key to your day. Drinking water as soon as you wake up can help to clear your mind of that mind-fog we all have in the morning. Water helps to wake up your brain so that when you get your body moving you aren’t sluggish and dragging yourself to the bathroom. Water isn’t everyone’s drink of choice and I get it, it can be boring, but it’s so vital to our health. There are a couple of things you can do to motivate yourself to get into the routine of drinking water in the morning.
The first thing I recommend is to keep a cup or bottle of water by your bedside. That way when you wake all you have to do is roll over and your water is right there. This saves you the hassle of having to pull yourself out of bed and go to the kitchen to get some. Instead, it’s right there by your bed for easy access.
The second thing I recommend is to make your water flavorful if it’ll help you drink it in the morning. I like to drink my water with lemons, but you can put tons of fruits and veggies in your water. You can flavor it with cucumbers, blueberries, limes, and even strawberries. Creating flavorful water is an easy and healthy choice that can help motivate you to drink water as soon as you wake.
Depending on how particular you are about your water, you may want to allow your fruit or vegetable of choice to sit in your water overnight so that it tastes more appealing. If you don’t care all that much, simply keep some slices of lemons or whatever you prefer in a small container by your bed. That way in the morning you can get up and just add it to your water.
Flavorful water as soon as you wake up is an option, not a requirement. You can even you’re your lemon water to have during breakfast. No matter how you choose to motivate yourself to drink water in the morning I encourage you to do it. Water is the secret magic sauce that helps to jumpstart everything you will do for the day.
2. Set an intention for the day
The next thing I like to do is set an intention for the day. I believe intention setting is so powerful and this technique really helps to set my focus for the day. In the past I’ve woken up in the morning and just threw myself into my day. That often left me scattered brained, stressed, and not being able to accomplish anything I wanted to.
If you’re someone who finds themselves falling into this same cycle, this morning practice just might save your day. Setting an intention is not hard at all. People have their own unique ways for engaging in this practice but I like to keep mines short and simple. Simply close your eyes and say out loud what it is you would like take with you throughout the day.
This should be something that is positive and will bring positive energy into your life.
An intention you could set might be something along the lines of “I want to be the light today” or maybe “I will keep a smile on my face no matter how my day unfolds.” Both intentions will invite positivity into your day, and they can help you stay focused on what it is you intend to achieve.
Something I have also found with intention setting is that it helps to determine my actions for the day. If I know what my focus is and what it is I intend to achieve overall, then I’m more intentional with the types of activities I participate in, and the people I interact with. Setting an intention in the morning will help you focus your mind, focus on your goals, and be more mindful and intentional with everything you do.
While this is a very simple morning practice if done fully and correctly it can have such powerful results. One thing I have come to discover with setting an intention for the day is that it helps to manifest my biggest goals and dreams into my life. Being able to focus on the most important and meaningful responsibilities for the day helps me work towards my overall vision. This morning practice can do the same for you.
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3. Meditate for 10 minutes
Speaking of intention setting, one way you can do this is through meditation. I love meditation so much and I feel like I talk about it all the time (because I probably do). Meditation is such a powerful morning practice. If this isn’t something you are already doing before you start your day, you need to get on it ASAP.
Meditation is a mindfulness practice that can help focus your mind and allow you to check-in with yourself. Every morning is not going to be a good morning. There will be mornings when you don’t want to engage in a routine to help you jumpstart your day. Maybe you want to stay in bed an hour longer, or maybe you’re rushing to get yourself and the kids ready for the day, or possibly you just don’t have the energy.
Whatever the case may be, you’re not always going to want to wake up, jump out of bed, and immediately begin a morning routine.
Meditation is that morning practice that can help slowly ease you into your day. Most people meditate while sitting in a cross-legged position, but ideally you want to be as comfortable as possible. Which means if you want to meditate while laying down in bed you can. Just don’t go back to sleep! Meditating in whatever position makes you feel the most comfortable will give you the energy and confidence to participate in the rest of your morning routine.
The best part is that meditation takes little to no time at all. All you need to get in a good meditation session is 10 minutes. During this time, you should take notice of everything happening around you and within you. Meditation is also a great morning practice to wake up your brain, regulate your breathing, activate positive emotions.
During meditation I also like to 10 minutes of silence while you meditate is all that you need. And yes, doing this daily is life changing! I swear by meditation, and I hope you try adding this to your morning routine.
4. Do some light journaling
This is something that can help you clear your mind in the morning. I don’t know about you but sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I always start recalling whatever I can remember from my dreams. This distracts me a lot of the time from starting my routine because I love revisiting my dreams and seeing how they may reveal themselves in my life.
To help keep myself focused on getting through my morning routine I like to do a little bit of light journaling. This process usually involves me either recording my dream in full detail so that I’m not thinking about it at random moments during the day, or simply doing a brain dump where I just write down whatever comes to mind.
Journaling is also a great practice that can help you further set your intention for the day. This is the perfect time to write out in full detail what it is you intend to achieve for the day. You can even write down your goals and how you plan to work towards them. Journaling in the morning is a morning practice that can help you see on paper how organized your mind is. This of course will determine how well you will be able to navigate your day no matter what obstacles may come your way.
There really is no time limit to this practice. Ideally spending anywhere from 3-5 minutes is more than enough. Remember, this morning practice is meant to be light and serve as a technique to help you get ready to jump into the rest of your morning routine. However, everyone is different and if you find yourself needing more time than that, then go for it. There’s no right or wrong answer here.
5. Engage in light exercise
Finally do some light exercising. I love exercising in the morning as I feel it’s the one practice that really does push me to start my day. I understand that waking up and immediately exercising can be challenging for some people. Doing so requires you to plan out your morning from what time you will wake up, what activities you will participate in (including exercise), and what time you need to be done with your routine before you can officially start your day.
It can be time consuming, but I do believe it can also be beneficial depending on personal health and wellness goals you may have. However, this is a light exercise, which means your main goal during this time is just to get your body moving. A 5 to15 minute exercise routine is all you need. Most days I like to do a quick 1-minute exercise activity to help get my body moving. Other days I like to do more. It really just depends on what I will be doing for the day.
So, whether that’s a quick 5-minute workout that you can do while still in your pajamas, or a 15-minute workout that’s going to make you sweat, just get your body moving. It’s another magical secret that can help you get the most out of your day.
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Conclusion
At this point you’re ready to follow up with your morning hygiene routine, have some breakfast, and finally start your day. These are some super simple morning practices that can further help you become a healthier version of yourself. They’re quick and easy and when practiced consistently can truly be life changing.
Will you be giving any of these morning practices a try? What does your morning routine currently look like? Sound off in the comments below!
-Xo
Kimora