Top 5 healthy morning habits to a smoother, more optimistic, more energetic day..
We all know the basics of what we need to do to get the most out of our busy days. Eating well, getting plenty of sleep, exercise and lots of water are things that help keep us at peak performance. While these habits are awesome and I recommend them all, I’m going to take it a step further.
Whether you have a full time career, are a parent, going to school or any combination of these – you likely would welcome more energy and focus throughout your day.
Did you ever notice that eating crappy food leads to eating more crappy food? Or has it ever been easier to skip a day of exercise when you’ve already skipped it for a couple of days? How about sugar? Do you ever start craving something sweet around the same time everyday? This isn’t a coincidence – this is because somewhere along the line you started eating a sweet treat around this time. This is because we are creatures of habits – and lucky for us we can apply the same rule to good habits as we can for bad ones. The more we do something the more we want it.
I am going to share with you my top 5 healthy morning habits.
I do them in the morning because I have tested them on myself and I have found that if I do these things in the morning, the rest of my day is noticeably smoother, more optimistic, I have more energy, I smile more and best of all, I keep better habits throughout the rest of the day.
1) Give silent gratitude the moment you wake up.
I try to do this before I even open my eyes. I also try to not just give gratitude, but to feel gratitude. It is the difference between saying thank you and meaning thank you.
2) Do sun salutations.
I do at least 4 rounds of sun salutations every morning. After that, depending on how much time I have I will incorporate other yoga poses or stretches. You don’t need to go to yoga class to benefit from the technique.
If you are unfamiliar with sun salutations, find a Vinyasa yoga class and go a few times so that you get the hang of it. After that all you need is your yoga mat and a quiet room.
This will wake up your body and make you more present and focused.
3) Drink a big morning juice.
I don’t mean a box of apple juice. I mean the good stuff, the stuff that make your cells dance.
I’m talking about kale, collards, celery, carrot, apple, lime, even ginger.
By stripping all of the fiber form the fruits and veggies, you are getting a direct blast of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to your bloodstream. This will energize you and literally make your skin glow.
You can buy a juicer for as little as $80 and it will pay you back in health gold.
I recommend drinking your juice on an empty stomach and waiting 15-30 minutes before you eat. For more on juicing, I recommend the documentary, Fat, Sick and nearly Dead. If it doesn’t inspire you to start drinking kale, nothing will.
4) Meditate
By quieting our mind and focusing on our breath, we get connected to ourselves at our core.
Any daunting tasks or to -do lists can wait. Just focus on your breath on a seated position on the floor and breathe.
For me, this is incredibly humbling and reminds me that all of my to-do’s aren’t all that important and that everything will be more than fine because I have tapped into my higher self and my higher self is much wiser than my everyday, do, do, do, do self.
For more on meditation, I suggest Real Happiness by Sharon Salzberg.
5) Love
Whether its your kid, your spouse, your mom or dad, your roommate, the homeless person on the corner, yourself or your boyfriend or girlfriend, never start your day without expressing your love to them in whatever capacity makes sense to you.
Even a small gesture like a warm smile can make someones day and you will get that very love back.
I know this list might be daunting for some of you.
That is okay, it is not about perfection, it is about stretching your limits and opening yourself up to new ideas.
Even if you start with one of these things for a couple days a week, that is awesome.
You can work your way up to more – it’s all about the journey anyway.
By adopting these healthy morning habits, the rest of your day will look brighter and you will have an extra round of energy and more focus throughout your day.
About this week’s guestwriter:
Molly Patrick is Co-Author of Bold Vegan – Food of South East Asia.
She was born and raised in the United States and has been vegetarian her whole life.
She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Molly has opened and ran vegan restaurants in California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas.
Follow her on twitter: @BoldVegan
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