Do you struggle in the mornings?
A good morning routine can set the tone and improve your entire day.
If you’re not a morning person, getting out of bed is not the easiest thing. You may find yourself hitting the snooze button too many times, and you may struggle to get started on your day’s tasks. Fortunately, there are things you can do to make your mornings easier. Try these simple tricks for a feel-good morning.
1. Let in natural light
Natural light stimulates serotonin production in the body. Serotonin is a key hormone for well-being, feelings of happiness and positive moods. This hormone also helps with digestion. Letting in some sunlight in the morning can improve your mood and energy levels. The amount of light you let in can also have a direct impact on your appetite, concentration and other aspects of your daily life.
2. Create a feel-good playlist
The right music can be just what you need to have a good morning. Studies have shown that listening to music has a positive, stress-reducing effect. This is because music can influence feelings and alter an inner state, potentially and effectively lowering cortisol, the main stress hormone.
A feel-good playlist has other advantages. It can improve brain functionality, boost the immune system and heighten creativity. As an added benefit, really good music might get you dancing, one of the best forms of physical exercise.
3. Do Yoga
Morning yoga is a great alternative to a work out for several reasons. It’s associated with general improved mental and physical health, helps increase energy while improving mental clarity, and reduces feelings of stress and anxiety.
Establishing a yoga routine can also help you regulate your sleeping habits. Better sleeping habits mean that you eliminate the tiredness that often accompanies mornings. Furthermore, yoga is great for remaining relaxed and calm - even if your morning is hectic and stressful.
4. Prepare a breakfast routine
A healthy breakfast routine eliminates stress and gives your morning calm. Planning a breakfast routine can also help you pick the right feel-good foods ahead of time. How you fuel your body in the morning makes a big difference in how you feel throughout the day, whether you feel alert and focused - or weak and groggy as the day goes on.
Tips for breakfast:
5. Gain from gratitude
People who regularly exercise gratitude for the positive things in their life tend to have lower rates of stress compared to those who don’t. Studies have confirmed that practising gratitude makes people feel happier.
Exercising gratitude in the morning can make you more optimistic and help you improve the overall quality of your day. To get started with your gratitude exercises, take five minutes to think about and write down three things you’re grateful for. You can also list three reasons to look forward to the day.
6. Social media can wait
Red alert! Checking your social media as soon as you wake up is a bad idea. It can send stress levels soaring and ruin an entire day since it tends to make us start subconsciously comparing ourselves to other people’s social media-filtered lives.
By avoiding social media, you can focus on the here and now, without any stress, anxiety or the influx of non-essential information and messages. Start each morning freed from social media and have a much more relaxed and peaceful day.
7. Listen to an inspirational podcast
You can create some seriously good morning vibes by listening to an inspirational podcast. Hearing something that motivates, touches or teaches you something can get your mind buzzing in all the right ways.
The bottom line? Establishing a good morning routine goes a long way in improving the quality of your day, so make choices that enhance the rest of your day. YOU GOT DIS!