What do President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Jeff Bezos have in common? They all have strong morning routines…oh, yeah, and they’re mega successful. One could hypothesize the latter is due to what their a.m. is all about. While we can’t promise a super start to your day will lead to fame and fortune, the better you start your day, the less likely it is to snowball into disaster. Here are few ways to make mornings great again:
Veg Out: No, this isn’t permission to stay in bed or just lie around all day. Instead, it’s about packing your morning meal with veggies. There’s a lot of benefits to eating vegetables, including helping you to feel full, keeping your ticker in good shape, reducing risk for disease, and so on. While the daily dietary requirement for vegetables varies according to your age, the more you can get in the better. By adding veggies to an omelet, mixing spinach into your scrambled eggs, or creating a quiche filled with broccoli and cauliflower, you reduce the number of veggies you need to squeeze into other meals.
Power Down: What’s the first thing you do in the morning after you open your eyes? Hit snooze? Brush your teeth? Start the coffee? Well if you’re like 89 percent of consumers, you look at your phone within an hour of waking up, according to the Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey of 2016. And as many as 61 percent take a peek within the first five minutes. But while you may think you’re just staying informed, research by Future Work Centre shows you may be creating anxiety based on all the things you “missed” since yesterday. This can be a recipe for a disaster when trying to plan for a positive day.
Re-hydrate: One thing is missing from a good night’s sleep: water. During the hours you asleep, your body becomes slightly dehydrated, which means your organs don’t function at their best and your digestion and metabolism slow down. A lack of fluids can also leave you feeling moody and a bit foggy. “Coffee” might seem like the quick fix to get your head back in the game, but chugging about 16 ounces of water when you wake up could be much better for your body. And since you drink about a half or full ounce of water for every pound you weigh, downing more in the morning can help crush your daily goal.
Stretch It Out: Want to increase your blood circulation while at the same time give those worked out muscles a boost in recovery? Start your day with an easy morning routine of stretching. In just a few easy movements that only take minutes, you can also improve posture, reduce back pain, and give yourself more energy to make it through your day with little or no fatigue.
Rise to Fitness: Sure, you can exercise any time of day. However, if you tend to easily find excuses not to workout, then getting it done first thing in the morning may mean more sweat sessions. In the morning, getting more sleep might be your main excuse. But wait to fit in your fitness until later, and anything from illness, chores, work, traffic, or family stuff can pop up as perfect reasons to skip.
Get Zen: No one wants to wake up to negativity, but often times the first thing you may hear after the alarm is the little bullies who live in your brain. They like to tell you you’re not good enough, other people are better than you, and you’ll never amount to anything. Instead of letting those meanies win, combat it with a powerful mantra to boost your confidence. Here are a few examples to repeat while getting ready or to use as a short meditation:
- I am good enough.
- I am enough.
- I’m grateful for this day.
- I love me for being me.
- I got this.
Ready to make your mornings matter? Start with good choices and good days are more likely to follow, if for no other reason than you don’t want to impede your progress. And should a slip up happen, you can rest easy knowing your morning measures created a healthy balance for whatever mishaps occurred later.
Carrie Anton is a freelance writer focusing on health, fitness, and sports. She's been published in Self, Women's Health, Oxygen, and Maximum Fitness.
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