Besides the obvious of brushing my teeth and washing my face in the morning, there are other things I do that help start my day. Here are my 5 morning habits that help start my day on a positive note. Yes I am human, so there are days that I may note be able to do these right in a right, but I find a way to get them done! They are important to me and part of my daily routine.
Drink 16 ounces of water- Well let me just start by saying, if you don't already know, water is important. Our bodies are made up of 60% of it. It's an essential nutrient that our body needs to function daily, blood to circulate, regulate body temperature, organ functions and so much more. When you go to bed, your body is going hours without water, so drinking it first thing in the morning helps to rehydrate you body, flush out toxins, improves skin health and jump starts your metabolism. Take a bottle of water or an insulated water jug and leave it by your bed side when you go to bed. That way when you wake up in the morning, its right there next to you and you don't have to walk to the kitchen. As your waking up and maybe reading a book (ill talk about that next) or completing another task, your getting your morning water in.
Read 5 pages of a book- I have only recently (like in the past year) started reading in the morning. I will admit, some days its not easy if my daughter wakes up earlier than she normally does. So this may have to be a little later in the morning, but I still always make an attempt. I didn't realize how much reading helps reduce stress and it sets the tone for my morning. Your mind is at ease and not focused on what the day is going to bring. When I read in the morning, its like I am stepping away from my crazy hectic life for a brief moment. It doesn't have to be a fiction/mystery book, or a story. It can be an inspirational article, a self development book, a blog post :-). I don't always have time throughout the day to read for pleasure, so getting it done first thing in the morning, allows me to check off another task I completed.
Make my Bed- Before you start saying you don't have enough time, or your always running late in the morning, think of this in a different way. You get home from a long day at work, or your exhausted from chasing your kids around the house. you need a space that you can go to that is calm and relaxing. That's your bedroom. When you walk in from a long day, your bed is made and it looks so peaceful. Like I mentioned previously, there are mornings that I can't always get all 5 of these morning tasks done, but if there is one that bugs me if I don't do it, it's this one (besides drinking my water) This is a simple task that can be completed each and every day. And when you go to bed, you can go to sleep knowing you accomplished one thing!
Stretch/Move my body- Get up and get moving. It's that simple. We are sleeping for hours so now we need to get up out of bed and stretch out a bit. This help relieve some tension, get the blood flowing, and wake up your muscles. Especially if you like to workout in the morning, this helps increase your mobility, and improve your flexibility and posture. A good downward dog, child's pose, knee hug or lower body twist.
Gratitude- We live crazy lives. Sometimes I go to bed wonder why there cant be more time in the day. Things happen out of our control, and we tend to allow negatives thoughts to float around. So here I am, i had my water, read a few pages in my book, currently reading "The Giver of Stars" by Jojo Moyes, made my bed, and got my body moving. Let me back up for a second. I woke up this morning. And for that, I am grateful for another day of life. We all know life is short and tomorrow isn't promised. A great way to start you morning off on a positive note is to think or write down 3 things you are grateful for. It could be something that happened the day before, maybe you found out you were pregnant, you have a roof over your head, there is food on the table. Just waking up is so special and so precious. We have to remember we cant take that for granted. So no matter what negative things come your way, always remember there are moments throughout your day that can bring a smile to your face and a positive thought in your head. Be grateful for the chance to live your life.
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