How did you begin your day today?
What was the first thought that crossed your mind?
Did you start your day with awareness, or did you roll out of bed and grab your phone to check your messages or mails?
Did you get in some physical movement? What did you eat for breakfast?
Consider your mornings as an opportunity to set the tone for the rest of your day. Establishing a routine that supports your physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing can be very powerful and even life-changing. You will find that most successful and healthy people have put a routine in place that sets them up for a success in every area. Whatever the day brings, they are mentally and physically prepared to handle it with ease.
Here are 5 powerful ways to begin your day with positivity, energy and awareness:
1. Think positive
When your alarm goes off early in the morning, chances are that your first thought is a negative one: “oh no, I haven’t slept enough, I am not ready to get up.”
Here is what you can do instead tomorrow morning: think positive. And if it doesn’t come naturally, “Fake It Till You Make It!” If you do this consistently and long enough, it will become a habit.
Research has shown that we think on average 60,000 thoughts a day, and 80% of those are negative. So we think, on average, 48,000 Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) a day. We have an ANT problem. And to get rid of these ANTs we have to consciously change our thought patterns. Early morning, in that soft and vulnerable space when you first connect with the world, is probably the best time to start.
So instead of cursing your alarm clock, think “I am so lucky to have another day in this beautiful world, I am so lucky to be able to get up and go make breakfast for my family, this is going to be the best day ever!”
2. 10 Mindful Minutes
After consciously creating positive thoughts and intentions for your day, you can use the next 10 minutes to take yourself out of your head and into your body.
Whether you like to sit on the sofa in your living room, on a chair in your garden or in a meditation pose on your yoga mat, take 10 minutes to do nothing but be still and present and aware of the sounds around you, the rising and falling of your breath and the sensations in your body. Quiet your mind and be in the present moment.
This is not an easy thing to do at first. Thoughts will be whirling around your head and all you will be doing initially is working continuously to bring your attention back into the present moment.
Until on fine day you notice that you are able to quiet your mind for longer and longer periods of time. And that is meditation, the benefits of which are literally endless.
3. Kickstart your digestion
A glass of warm water with lemon will help to kickstart your digestion and detoxification. This warm drink will boost your energy levels like a cup of coffee but without causing a crash later on.
And to top that, lemon contains vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps with immune building, skin rejuvenation and body healing.
4. Move that body
Get your heart pumping, your blood circulating and your oxygen and endorphins flowing. Even if you don’t feel like it, drag yourself to the gym or onto your yoga mat or outside for a walk or run. Because you know you will feel better afterwards. You will have more energy and you will feel better about yourself.
Again, if you make this a part of your daily routine, IT WILL become a habit. Much like brushing your teeth, your day won’t feel right if you don’t exercise. It is worth waking up for and my tip is to not try to postpone till later because later never happens.
5. Have a nourishing breakfast
Breakfast is possibly the most important meal of the day. And much under-appreciated. Most people gravitate towards a carbohydrate rich breakfast: things like cereal, toast, muffins, fruit. This often ends up providing a short lasting energy boost and a need to eat again shortly after.
Instead make sure that your breakfast has all the macronutrients: healthy fats, high quality protein and some carbohydrates.
I personally love my morning green smoothie. It’s a perfect vehicle for nutrient dense fruits and vegetables, a high quality protein powder, fats, fiber and superfoods. I feel like it supercharges my day from the start.
How about a “farmer’s breakfast” with homemade sausage and eggs, some fermented veggies, a glass of green juice.
Or how about a cup of gut healing bone broth, sweet potato hash? Plantain pancakes? Paleo granola? Your options are endless but notice how each of these contain real foods that are fresh, wholesome and nutrient dense. Including protein and healthy fats in your breakfast will help you stay full until your next meal with sustainable energy levels.
Go ahead and set your intention to start tomorrow with all these 5 habits in place. And see how it affects your day. I bet you are going to have that best day ever!
X
Monique
