How you start off your day can have a big effect on how the rest of your day goes. You can take control of your morning so you have the best chance of making it a day where you feel, ‘I got out on the right side of the bed today!’
Here are five positive morning habits:
Start your day with a tall glass of water. After hours (hopefully!) of sleeping, your body becomes dehydrated. And when dehydrated, your brain operates on low fuel. Hydrating it helps increase the flow of oxygen to make you feel alert. Drinking water upon waking also helps to purify your body.
Take time for yourself. Effective women know that her first part of the day is the one she will have the most control over – once she starts interacting with her family and her work environment, many other people will rely on her to support them. So, take some time for yourself to do a practice that helps you connect with yourself and takes care of YOUR needs for the day. Maybe you take a few minutes to have a treasured cup of tea. Read something that makes you feel inspired or write down your reflections. Or take a few minutes for deep breathing or meditation. You want to feel that you have done what you need to take care of yourself so you have the bandwidth to take care of others for the rest of the day.
Move! You want to get the juices flowing so you feel awake and alert to have your best day. Make the time you set aside for yourself a time to do a few of your favorite stretches or to mirror the yoga poses from online videos – it’s a way of opening up your body to open up your mind as well. Or you might want to make walking or biking a part of your commute. Doing some kind of movement in the morning is the best way to start your day feeling refreshed.
Set an intention for the day. Even if you only take one minute, set an intention for the day. Decide who YOU want to show up as today. Decide on the predominant experience YOU want to feel today (e.g., powerful, productive, confident) so you can remember that in the moments when everyone else’s stress starts to enter into your field.
Decide on your ‘big rocks’ and schedule them. Identify the three most important things you want to accomplish that day. Whether it’s a work task, an important phone call with someone, or connecting with someone you love—look over your day and schedule when you are going to do it. Otherwise, distractions and interruptions may take your focus away from those things that are the most important; you will end the day feeling frustrated that you didn’t do what was most meaningful. Try to do those things as early as possible in the day so you can feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment the rest of the day.
