Over the past few months, I have definitely made several lifestyle changes. I began listening to motivational speakers and podcasts (Tony Robbins, Lewis Howes, etc.), I began attending a weekly meditation session, living a more “natural” and cruelty free life, and I became vegan. I am a firm believer in the power of the mind and body, as well as the Law of Attraction.
If you don’t know what the Law of Attraction is, basically it is the idea that positive thoughts will attract positive people and life experiences. This can also be used to describe your feelings and desires, and if there is something you truly want (that you have control of) you can definitely have it. This doesn’t mean you can just wish to be rich every hour, you have to determine your goals, tell yourself you can achieve these goals, and work hard to reach those goals.
There’s many other ways to describe the power of the mind, but I think I’ll save that for a different post because I don’t want to go on a tangent!
My very recent life change is a morning routine. I just started this week, and I believe it will bring me good things with time.
So why make a habit of a morning routine?
Unfortunately, most of us don’t wake up with positive thoughts or feelings…”Ugh 5 more minutes,” followed by huffing and chuffing about getting up. Or “My head hurts, today already sucks.” A lot of this stems from unhappiness. I am guilty of this (until just a few days ago) but it is a work in progress. Currently, I am not content with where my life is at. I am thankful for where my life is, but let’s just say I want a whole different path than what school can bring me. I wake up at 5 am every weekday really exhausted and unmotivated to “get up” because I’m not looking forward to what I have to do in the day. I eventually want to change what I do in my daily life, but for now…this is how my life is, and I should be making the best of it.
There are many, many sites that discuss the importance of a morning routine. Basically, you wake up (NO hitting that snooze button) and immediately think positive thoughts. Then, you do however many positive habits work for you to start your day off right.
What is my morning routine?
Morning routines are never one size fits all. Everyone has a different schedule and goals. I wake up at 5 am and leave my house at 6, so obviously I can’t commit a full hour to a morning routine. I spend about 15 minutes doing a few positive things, and in less than a week I can tell a difference in my mind and day.
5am (5 minutes): Wake up, take out/clean retainer, wash my face
Most people say to immediately start your morning routine, but I really prefer not to leave my retainer on any longer. During this first five minutes of waking up, negative thoughts tend to creep into my mind (I start thinking about all I have to do, or I’m thinking of how tired I am, etc.) so I really challenge myself to think positively and push those thoughts away.
5:05am (2 minutes): Drink about 16 fl. oz. of water
I am bad about not drinking enough water throughout the day, so I made this a priority. I actually really struggle with chugging this first thing, but I’m hoping I’ll get used to it. I’m sure after 7 hours without water my body really needs it. Plus, I’ve heard of several benefits of drinking water first thing/before a meal.
5:07 (5 minutes): Guided meditation
I use the Calm app. I really enjoy it actually. You can choose from so many different background noises (rainfall, crackling fire, the beach-my favorite!) and then you can choose guided or unguided meditation, as well as the duration. 5 minutes may not seem like much, but even that helps to calm my mind and relax any tension I may have.
5:12 (5 minutes): Exercise/Increase heart rate
I do a legitimate workout around 6:30/7 each day, but this is nice to wake me up and get my blood flowing. I do 5 exercises, 1 minute each. I typically do jumping jacks, calf raises, plank, wall sit, standing crunches, air squats, etc. I just switch it up according to how my body is feeling.
5:17 (2 minutes): Recite positive affirmations
Affirmations are a way to encourage your mind and positivity. You repeat sayings that appeal to you, and eventually they will stick in your brain and you’ll live by those affirmations (like The Law of Attraction). I wrote down about 10 affirmations for myself and I read through them out loud sometimes up to 3 times. You could come up with your own, but I search through Pinterest for ideas! You can read them below.
- I shall stay calm in moments of stress and anxiety, so as to allow positive thoughts and actions to manifest from me
- I am in the process of making positive changes in all areas of my life
- I believe in myself and my abilities
- Action is the energy that translates my thoughts into reality
- I possess the wisdom, the power, the motivation, the inspiration, and the passion to accomplish anything and everything I choose
- I am in charge of how I feel and today I choose happiness
- I breathe in confidence and breathe out all fear
- I speak and think positively
- Good things are going to happen
- I appreciate everything I have
- I am surrounded with beauty and abundance
What should you include in your morning routine?
This is completely up to you, and like I said before, everyone has a different lifestyle. Be sure that whatever you include is positive, makes you feel good, and is achievable on a daily basis (even the weekends!!). I’ll give you several ideas though!
- Read a book or blog
- Go for a walk
- Dance/listen to your favorite music
- Stretch
- Journal
- Take a shower/bath
- Plan your day
- Write down your goals
- Play with your dogs
- Drink lemon water
- Clean
- Sit outside/enjoy nature
- Breathe deeply
- Foam roll
- Smile
- Practice gratitude
I’m sure there are a bunch more that you could do, but choose a few that excite you and start first thing tomorrow!! Remember, depending on the person, it takes about 60 days to create a habit…make them good and make them count. Improve your life and mind one step at a time. Progress=happiness!
Thank you for the info!! Very helpful.
You’re welcome, thank you for reading!!