Do:
Meditate: Meditation has been proven to aid in alleviating mental stress and promoting healthy, sustained focus. Choose to incorporate that in your morning routine to start your day with the right focus and a reduced sense of overwhelm.
Exercise: When you exercise your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These chemicals trigger a positive emotion in your body and a sense of happiness. The release of adrenaline during exercise can also be considered a a great mood elevator and stress reliever.
Take a shower: If you are brave enough, opt for a cold shower. There is nothing more empowering than a cold shower that gets you out of your comfort zone, stimulates your nervous receptors, wakes you up and increases blood circulation. Additional benefits include a boosted metabolism and glowing hair and skin. If you can't quite tolerate a cold shower, that's ok. A morning hot shower can be relaxing and another great method of stress relief.
Set a goal: Whatever you do make sure you set a goal for the day. Refrain from setting too many goals, as this can be quite overwhelming for you. Make sure the goal you set is feasible and can be achieved within a day. I often advise my clients to add variety in their goals too and to keep a track of them- a new, easy to measure goal every day can give a great sense of progress and fulfilment.
Affirmations: Start your day with some positive affirmations. Take the time to tune into their deeper meaning when you do so and repeat until you believe. For some daily inspiration, feel free to check my Instagram page.
Visualise: Spend 5 minutes to visualise your future achievements- what will you be like when you reach your future goals, how does it feel when you turn your future dreams into reality? Transfer yourself into that future state and experience it like it is your present.
Have breakfast that excites you: Regardless of whether you love cooking or not, make sure you put some effort in the first meal of your day. Many fitness and wellness experts believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and rightly so. Choose foods that detoxify your body, boost your metabolism, support your immune system and fuel you up for the day. Opt for fresh products and stay away from fats, carbs, sugary foods.
Drink Water: Hydrate yourself with water. Choose to drink hot lemon water before you eat or drink anything else as it will work miracles in your body. Hot lemon water supports weight loss, aids digestion, freshens your breath and promotes hydration. It's also great source of vitamin C. It really can't get better than hot lemon water first thing in the morning.
Listen to uplifting music: Set your mood right with some uplifting, energising music. It will elevate your mood for the rest of the day, whilst it's also proven to help tackle depression and strengthen your learning and memory capacity.
Invest in your growth: Whether you prefer reading books, listening to podcasts or reading the newspaper, morning is the best time to do so. Your mind is well-rested and more receptive to absorbing a great amount of information. Take benefit of it!
Don’t:
Rush: Whatever you do, don't rush. Set your alarm a bit earlier and make sure you have plenty of time to enjoy your morning routine. A rushed breakfast and morning schedule will elevate your stress level and set you in a negative mood for a considerable amount of time.
Start your day without intention: Make sure you know well what you are intending to do during the day and set yourself a plan. What is it you are trying to achieve and why? Your day, every day, should form part of an overall vision of yours- for you, your family, your loved ones, your future.
Plan to tackle too many things in one day: If you want to fail, there is no better way than setting yourself too many tasks at once. When you do so, you get overwhelmed and you end up feeling like you can achieve nothing- which is far from the truth. Make sure you stay focused and organised, learn to prioritise and take one step at a time.
Skip Breakfast: Breakfast can be your source of energy, as it replenishes your supply of glucose after a night's sleep and boosts your energy and alertness levels. Don't skip breakfast because you are in rush.
Consume too much caffeine: Whilst coffee is normally used to support with energy levels and to keep you alert and productive for longer periods of time, too much caffeine can have significant side effects. Caffeine in big doses has often been associated with increased anxiety, elevated bold pressure, rapid heart rate (tachycardia) and digestive issues. Stay away from too much caffeine (which can also lead to addiction) and substitute with more natural sources of energy, from foods or exercise.
Wake up late: The later you wake up the more drowsy, lazy and fatigued you will feel. Opt for an early wake up instead to avoid emotions of grogginess and somnolence.
Consume carbs, fat or processed food for breakfast: Indulging in less natural, heavily processed foods or fatty and sugary foods can undermine your natural capacity to metabolise or digest food- leaving you with a sense of heaviness and discomfort for the rest of the day. Health wise you will be lacking the essential nutrients, which can overtime make you prone to diseases, premature ageing and skin/hair issues. You also end up needing more food or caffeine to keep you energised.
Spend lots of time online: Spending too much time in front of the screen can cause headaches and dry eyes, symptoms that can be persistent for the rest of the day. These, in turn, can bring your mood levels down and make you less eager and efficient in achieving your daily goals.
Add variety to your morning routine: A routine should be a routine. Don't look for surprises when there is no real reason to. Establishing a good morning routine and sticking to it will eventually make you feel more motivated and productive. Feel free to tweak your routine every now and then and improve it but don't resort to unexpected, surprising patterns.
Forget to nourish your mind: Our mind needs as much (if not more) nourishing as our body. In the same way we fuel our body with some healthy, nutritious food, we need to make sure we nourish our mind. Practice mindfulness, quiet your mind, take time for self-reflection or learn something new.