It really starts the night before, with not only sleeping well but the right way. I know for many people this can be difficult and it is an issue that we deal with in coaching often. This is because you need to give yourself something to work with, a vessel empty of energy cannot give effectively to the day ahead. Most adults function realistically on 7-9 hours’ sleep, generally I function best on the lower end of this, but it’s important to bear in mind if you are engaged in physical labour, recovering from illness or injury this needs to be longer. This may seem harsh for those with packed work and family schedules, but the physical and mental wellbeing benefits outweigh the need to put in more hours.
1) Wake up.
This sounds obvious but its important to wake during the lightest part your sleep cycle, if you wake from deep sleep you will wake groggy failing to feel rested and refreshed or ready to start the day. I don’t use the snooze on my alarm as it disrupts the sleep cycle which then causes sleep to become fragmented.
2) Stretch, meditate and affirm.
I stretch as soon as I wake, this can be in bed, sitting, standing or a combination there are plenty of sites from which you can take inspiration, but stretching can just be what feels natural and comfortable to you to get your blood and lymphatic system flowing. I take time to affirm my goals and meditate quietly grounding and centring myself for the day ahead. It is a good way to align your physical, mental, emotional energies, empowering your physical and mental beings. Sometimes I do this with general music and other times just with the sounds of the sea and the seagulls soaring overhead.
3) Drink water
Drinking throughout the day is essential and its something I am very conscious off, drinking every time I enter the kitchen and water bottle by my side with lemon cucumber for the rest of the day particularly when I am coaching as i am 100% focused on the client. Drinking water rehydrates the body particularly first thing in the morning as it aids digestion and helps to flush toxins from the liver, improving hydration throughout the day which will boost your energy and focus your mental clarity.
4) Breakfast
It is good to start the day with a high protein breakfast and my preference is a vegetable or salmon omelette, avocado and tomatoes on seeded wholemeal toast or poached eggs and salmon on toasted muffins with black coffee. High protein breakfasts further boost your energy and clarity and are packed with slow realise energy that will keep you fuller for longer. But the nature of life is that this is not always possible. I normally rise at 5am an hour before the household on a school day, but even the best laid plans don’t always work out and life gets in in the way.
Generally, it is best to stir away from boxed cereals regularly as they comprise mostly of refined carbohydrates and their sugar content can be high. You could always prepare overnight oats the evening before ready for the next morning. If I am running late or later after my sea swim I will grab a banana as they are filling.
1) Move your body.
I have mentioned stretching but I am also a photographer Sky Laureate (www.facebook.com/sky-laureate105283911560995/ ) and I specialise in sunrise and sunset photographs. So, living near the sea I go for a morning stroll to the beach, I love the sounds of the sea, the weather, the gulls overhead, no matter what the weather is, I am in awe of the power and magnificent beauty of the sea and sky. You may enjoy some yoga poses or going for a jog, it’s a personal choice, do what feels good for you to further boost energy, fight fatigue, promote energy throughout the day.
2) Promote positive thinking.
As a neurolinguistic coach this is important from the time I wake up, we have touched on affirmations and meditation and how they can align your energy and improve your mindset and direction for the day. There however many other options and research has proved that as little as 2 minutes positive thinking when you wake up can improve your mindset and mood for the day ahead.
a) Journaling and gratitude
Journaling is a good way of collecting your thoughts, particularly before bed to calm your mind, but in the morning you could make a list of all the things you are grateful for and 5 reasons why the day will be awesome.
b) Set goals, intentions and visualise the day.
This can be part of your journaling routine or you could pin it somewhere more obvious where you will see it throughout the day. It is important to reflect on the things that are really important to you, visualising not only your goal but the steps you need to get there, such as a fitness goal, a project at work or a particular act of kindness, aims make a productive and meaningful day avoiding the trap of autopilot.
c) Be inspired.
Soaking up inspiration towards your goals, releasing creativity and imagination are important skills to cultivate, which often are downplayed in adult society. You could do this reading or listening to a podcast or webinar on the move, with sites such as TED talks or read books in 15 minutes on Blinklist.
3) Health and beauty routines
With time at a premium for many of us health and beauty routines often fall by the wayside let alone pampering. These simple routines oral hygiene, skincare and regular haircare can have soothing and restorative benefits. Taking time in the week for a pamper, essential 'you' time, a warm bubble bath or face mask, has the power to relax and restore mindset at the end of the day. One of my essential pampering rituals is a warm shower after my sea swim with Himalayan salt finished with a moisturizing skin care routine, it sets me up for the day, boosting my energy levels and focusing my clarity on my schedule for the day.
You may feel that these ideas are great in theory but with your commitments it is never going to happen. However, you would be surprised how much you can achieve just waking up half an hour earlier. You are in the end in charge of your thoughts and actions and how you schedule your morning. Rescheduling your sleep routine to go to bed earlier in order to get up earlier can be difficult to get used to but once your body and mind have adjusted to the new routine you’ll feel great.
The over all purpose of creating a positive morning routine is to boost and align your energy, focus clarity and make you feel great throughout the day.
I hope these tips and a look at my routine has helped to give you some inspiration, take what you need to develop a positive morning routine that works for you.
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