by Meg Butler
Can’t seem to reach your goals? Grumpy all day? Feeling “off?” The problem could be the way you start your day. Spare five minutes for these simple morning rituals and you could change your life. After all, you are what you do every day.
WAKE UP HELLA EARLY
A poll of successful executives found that 90% of them get up before 6 a.m. on weekdays. Those early hours give them time to squeeze out some me-time before the demands of the day start pouring in.
LEAVE THE PHONE ALONE
Whatever you start your day with sets the tone for the next 24 hours. And because 63% of 18-29 year olds start their day checking their inbox, they’re starting their day focused on someone else’s needs, not their own.
VISUALIZE THE DAY AHEAD
Before you get up, visualize yourself accomplishing the goals you’ve set for yourself today. There’s power in this kind of thinking: thoughts become things. Athletes employ this method to make sure they cross the finish line. And there’s no reason that it can’t work for you too.
STRETCH
Wake up feeling stressed? Stretch. It will relieve your tension, improve your circulation and give you the energy boost you need to get out of bed.
GET IN A LITTLE EXERCISE…WITHOUT GETTING OUT OF BED
Start the day rushing at full tilt and end it exhausted? Change the pattern with a little in-bed yoga. It can put you in the perfect zen place to tackle the rest of your day.
START YOUR DAY WITH POSITIVE THINKING
Instead of starting your day moaning”It’s 7 a.m. already?” think of two things that you’re grateful for. Starting each day by focusing on the positive will give you a cheerier outlook on the rest of your day. And it can even improve your health.
MEDITATE
There are so many benefits to meditation that we don’t have the space to list them all here. Just 15 minutes of meditation each morning will erase your stress, make you more productive and even happier in the long run.
JOURNAL
Need a creative start to your day? Journal. Write down your dreams from last night, your goals for the day to come or anything else that pops into your head.
PUT ON YOUR FAVORITE JAM
Right after your alarm goes off, play that one song that makes you feel like a boss. You’ll be more likely to keep that feeling for the rest of the day.
PURSUE YOUR PASSION
You’re never going to finish that painting or work on your novel if you wait until the end of the day when you’re exhausted. Make your passion your first goal of the day. It will re-orient your priorities and help you reach your personal goals more quickly.
SCRAPE YOUR TONGUE
Investing in something as simple as a tongue scraper will change the way you eat breakfast. Your toothbrush isn’t equipped to handle the film on your tongue that’s giving you morning breath and affecting the taste of what you eat.
DO IT
Yes, that “it.” A little shenanigans first thing in the morning boosts your mood and gives you a healthy glow. Plus, recent studies have found that it can boost your immunity for the day too. So if you don’t want to catch your co-workers cold, wake him up in a great way (or fly solo for similar results).
SMILE IN THE MIRROR FOR 30 SECONDS
When you’re happy, you smile. But did you know that the reverse is true too? Over time, that 30-second morning smile will permanently boost your mood and give you a little extra me-time during the day to connect with yourself.
SPEND A LITTLE QUALITY TIME
Conflicting schedules make dinner together nearly impossible? What about breakfast. Make a standing date every morning to eat, talk about your day and connect before you go to work — even if it’s via Skype. You’ll leave feeling more grounded and strengthen the relationships in your life.
DRINK A FULL GLASS OF WATER
It sounds trivial, but there are a lot of medical benefits to drinking water on an empty stomach. Studies show that it can help alleviate medical conditions like chronic headaches, constipation, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and more.
