10 morning rituals that help you steer your day positively [Part 1]

sQuashie

May 15, 2015 11:23 AM

What are your morning rituals? If you claim you don’t have any, think again. What do you do after you wake up each morning? Those are your rituals.

Couple in bed

The difference is that when you’re intentional about them, you can use the first hour of your day to improve the rest of it. Here are 10 ideas to start.

Stop pressing snooze.

We’ve all woken up a few minutes before the alarm goes off, only to bury our heads into our pillows to savor those final precious moments of sleep. Unfortunately, undefined Make a habit of never pressing snooze, perhaps by standing up and staying standing immediately after waking. Feeling brave? Buy an alarm clock without a snooze button.

Celebrate the day.

Stop waking up on the wrong side of the bed by starting your morning with a celebration. Just the ability to greet another day is celebration enough. An easy ritual is just forcing yourself to smile. It might feel ridiculous, but it’ll improve your mood and by extension your whole day. Want to do a little more work? Try playing your favorite song and having a mini-dance party. Or think of 3 things you’re grateful for to start the day with a sense of appreciation and peace.

Drink some water.

We know, the first thing you want is to reach for the coffee. But your body is incredibly dehydrated in the morning, and undefined for a much-needed energy kick. For best results, try a cup of warm water with lemon. undefined. And if you must have coffee, strive to wait an hour before having your first cup. It’s better for you anyway!

Go outside.

For most of us, the hardest part of morning is the struggle to feel awake. Jump start your brain by heading outside to bask in natural sunlight. Even if it’s not a nice day, undefined. If you really can’t bring yourself to do it, sitting at a well-lit window can have some (but not the same!) benefits too.

Ignore your electronics.

So many of us grab our phones as soon as we wake up to see what we missed through the night. But ignoring your electronics for the first hour of the day can be beneficial. Not only will you have a brief respite from any work emergencies, but you’ll also avoid ruining your day with depressing news. If you must check your phone, undefined. But do your best to stay offline. Avoid using your phone as an alarm clock, and keep it in a different room while you’re sleeping if you can. Weaning yourself off this habit can induce FOMO, but trust us. It won’t kill you.

sQuashie