Waking up in the morning, especially Mondays or after a long, long weekend, can be in fact, one of the hardest things to be done. We’ve all been there where, if given the chance, we’d love to shatter the alarm just to gift us with a few more minutes to snooze back to our little cocoon of blankets. But we can’t because we got a life ahead of us, responsibilities to handle and priorities, goals to achieve. We need to wake up from that so heavenly slumber to face reality and, literally, the day ahead of us.
To ‘love’ waking up is something that needs to be practiced, a healthy habit that requires not those ordinary disposable practices but a dedicated routine. Morning routines are routines that are created and accepted by the body that automatically comes through upon waking up. It is considered a dedication that needs to be practiced continuously after you’re out from the sheets. It cannot be called a morning routine if it’s only done once a month or a year.
There are a lot of morning routines you can choose from to help you ‘love’ waking-up. Think of these morning routines as candies to help encourage you to wake-up early and faster so you can have some time to do your usual, healthy morning routines. By having and doing these routines, you get a better and nicer feel for the day ahead.
Here are some of the few effective morning routines that’ll surely help your well-being as well as your digestion
- Take a 10-15 minute walk
In waking up, early or not, the hardest thing is to shake up the sleepiness that keeps on following you, so to get rid of this, do 10 to 15 minutes of brisk walking in nature. By doing so, your sleepy muscles and neurons would be shaken up giving you that energy boost and pump to start the day. Plus, it helps in the movement of your organs for better digestion – that is, if you aim for a sexy belly of six pack.
- Read your book
Well, this sounds a little boring for some but for other people, reading a book in the morning not only wakes them up but also gives them the inspiration to seize the day. With reading, it doesn’t really work up your muscles but it does give your brains a boost to anticipate the beauty of the day that is ahead.
- Meditate
Meditating – yep, just like what you saw in the movie Eat, Pray, Love – is also a healthy and helpful morning routine that can easily be exercised. It is teaching yourself to maintain focus on one thing (either on your breathing, the sound of water or the chirping of the birds – whatever suits you) to block any distractions surrounding you. Meditation not only helps wake you up but it also helps in lessening your stresses, gives you better focus (on reaching your goals!) and increases memory.
- Drink cold water with a kiss of a lemon
Not only is this easy but this also gives you a fresher breath in the morning. Drink a glass of water with a few drops of lemon to help you wake-up faster, aid your stomach for better digestion and decrease the hungry feeling you have upon waking up. Easy as ABC, right? All you have to do is pour some water onto a glass, squeeze a few lemon drops and voila, you got a very healthy morning routine that will make your day, and your tummy too, better.
- Yoga
If you’re the gal who’s not into meditating and prefers some elite stretching, try to make yoga as your morning routine. Yoga, like meditation, can also help you have the serenity of mind you need to face the day. Aside from that, yoga is very good for your heart and lungs, too, for it helps in lowering your risks of heart disease and it increases your lung’s capacity to take in oxygen which results in more beauty from the inside and outside.
Try following a simple yoga guide online. There are heaps of videos but to be safe, why not enroll yourself in yoga class?
- Ring up your favorite dance music
If you’re not into Yoga or meditation, then better get your speakers on and blast if off with your favorite Beyonce music or Taylor Swift’s! The point here is, by listening to your favorite dance music, you are forced to stand up and dance to it.
We all want our shining moments and by dancing to our favorite tunes, we feel the power come out from us making us feel stronger to seize the day and chase our dreams. This is a little more fun, for some, than yoga or meditating but just the same in terms of giving people a powerful boost and happy hormones to face the day.
- Goal review
If you have not written your goals just yet, it’s time to write them down, now.
Write your goals on a notebook that is always with you or in your bedside table. By doing so, you get to have a tangible material that you can often look at to remind you of the things you want to accomplish in your life and, when’s the best time to be reminded of these? Yep, in the morning. So, if you want to keep track of where you’re going, review your goals upon waking up. Being reminded of your goals will surely shake and drive you to success. So, off the sheets go!
What’s next?
Having a healthy and easy to practice morning routine can give anyone a feeling of happiness and motivation. That’s what we all aim for, right?
Yes. It’s not easy to maintain a morning routine but if you really want to help you and your life to be in a better and healthier space, start having yours now. It ain’t easy but WORTH it! To get started use motivational sayings or good morning quotes and hang them above your desk to start the day motivated and take action with the above routines!
Bye-bye sheets and cheers to a happier, healthier, motivated you! Carpe Diem.