Ten Ways to Start Your Day Bright and Right

In the past few years, there has been an emphasis in the wellness community on morning routines. What you do when you wake up is said to influence your mood and behavior for the rest of your day. We’ve compiled a list of morning habits you can incorporate into your routine in order to start your day bright and right.

Drink A Cup of Water
Your bodies ability to function is dependent largely on your water intake. Drinking water first thing in the morning helps flush out the toxins accumulated while you slept as well as wake up your internal organs. There are countless of other benefits to drinking water in the morning. We love this article by The Healthline, which details the multitude of ways being a morning water drinker can enhance your well being.

Make Your Bed
Your environment plays a large role in your overall mental health. If your space is cluttered, dirty, or disorganized, chances are your mind is too. Making your bed first thing in the morning not only sets the mood for the day, but allows you a moment of relaxation at the end of the day as well. Such a task may not feel monumental, but it will have a lasting effect on your daily health.

Limit Screen Time
Mornings should be a time in which you can practice self care, even if minimal. If you start the day by looking at your phone you immediately open yourself up to the needs and attention of others. If possible, don’t interact with any social media or tech device until absolutely necessary.

Meditate
Meditation is one the most talked about forms of self care in the past few years. Dozens of articles have been written explaining the benefits of meditation and how to best tackle it. Starting your day with a moment to center and ground yourself can potentially help you reign in any thoughts or emotions riddling your brain. I would suggest using the Insight Timer app as it has an easy user interface and an abundance of free guided meditations. If you’d like to purchase a membership with the app you can in order to access certain series, but it’s ultimately not necessary. You may also pick how long you’d like to meditate, so beginners I would recommend starting with just a minute a day. You’ll notice a difference.

Move Your Body/Exercise
If you’re lacking energy in the morning, in addition to your cup of coffee, move your body! Exercise is proven to improve your mood, behavior, and general cognitive ability. Harvard Health Publishing claims ‘even a short bout of any cardiovascular exercise wakes us up, speeds mental processes, and enhances memory storage and retrieval, regardless of our fitness and fatigue levels.’ You don’t have to have a full blown workout, but something as gentle as cardio will positively change the course of your day.

Be Appreciative
In the flurry of your day to day, you may find yourself never taking a moment of gratitude. Despite all its hardships, life can be truly magnificent. Allow yourself to bask in all that is worth being celebrated; let the warmth that comes with feeling grateful for the good in your life flood you before you start your day. You’ll feel a difference in how you interact with the world when you consider the joyous parts life has to offer.

Journal
Taking a moment to reflect in the morning can be incredibly advantageous. Journaling any thoughts or feelings you may be experiencing will serve as an emotional release. It can be easy to repress or neglect your feelings, especially in busy times. Starting your day emotionally heightened will make it harder to process any potential challenges that may occur. The physical act of writing out your thoughts will grant you access to your full emotional spectrum, leaving you refreshed for the day.

Eat Breakfast
Along with dehydrating, your body is also fasting while you sleep. While water awakens your internal organs, breakfast gives you the kickstart of energy you need to last you through lunch time. Consistently having a breakfast packed with fruits, veggies, and your choice of protein will leave you feeling ready to take on the day.

Plan Your Day
One of the best ways to be prepared for the day is to make a plan for it. That doesn’t mean you don’t leave room for spontaneity, but that you schedule out what it is you actually want to accomplish. With no agenda or idea as to how your day will go, you can easily get sidetracked. Planning out your day will help you set your pace and ultimately give you more free time.

Set Your Intention
Each day is different and what you may want to accomplish is different. Setting an intention for the day can make you move with a newfound sense of purpose. Intentions will also help you navigate how to engage with all that you come across in your day.