The Power of a Morning Routine
Often, it’s the little things in life that make a great difference. Developing a morning routine is almost guaranteed to set you up for a better day and enhanced wellbeing and success.
Give these sure-fire tips a try:
Prepare your Morning the Night Before: Set out everything you can to be ready to go in the morning. This includes what you’ll wear, what you need to bring to work, the pet stuff, and if you have kids, everything you can prep to have a more relaxed get-out-the door.
Plan and prep your own food for the next day as much as possible. These few minutes the night before will ensure you have the food you need to stick to your weight loss program or to maintain your weight loss goal. And the same for the kids’ lunch and snacks.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Whether it’s a grab-and-go Ideal Protein shake or bar, or a sit-down full meal, kick-start your metabolic engine with nutrition.
Ditch the Snooze Button: First of all, the quality of sleep as you snooze for an extra 5 minutes is poor quality and likely will make you more groggy and perhaps even cause a negative attitude. When your alarm goes off in the morning, make it a habit to get right out of bed and start your positive morning routine.
Drink Water: Starting the day with a tall glass of water will do wonders for your metabolism, digestion, energy, mental clarity, and skin glow.
During the night, our bodies get dehydrated along with a slower metabolism. Have your water container or glass at your bedside to drink when you first sit up, or place it next to your coffee maker as a visual reminder. You might enjoy a “hot-water tea.” Simply hot water with a squeeze of lemon can be invigorating,, or switch up the coffee routine and try lemon-ginger tea.
Practice Gratitude: Have a small gratitude book and each day write at least three good things in your life. Simply bullet-point whatever comes to mind. Usually, you’ll think of more than just three. This little attitude-of-gratitude will put a positive spin on your day and help sustain you through the challenges to come.
Make Your Bed: Studies have shown that making your bed every morning can help lower stress and add to a positive state of mind. Take a few minutes every morning to fluff those pillows and make a beautiful bed. Your mental well-being will thank you later!
Work Out – Even for 10 Minutes! Getting to the gym or out on the trail is a great lifestyle habit, but many of us don’t have the time or the desire to do that. So keep it simple. Just 10 minutes of sustained physical exercise, including walking, can make a huge difference in how your day goes and add to your health and wellness over the long term.
For fun, try this 10-minute total-body workout — or find endless choices online for something you’ll have fun doing.
From the super hero stay-at-home mom to the incredibly busy entrepreneur, morning routines will help all of us optimize the day! CARPE DIEM!
