It’s always important to make sure that we have our morning routine down to a science. It’s our way of setting ourselves up for a long and busy day at work. It’s how we can make sure that we’re ready to face any challenge that may come our way.
Here are the many ways we can elevate our morning routine. These simple steps would be good for our mind, body, and mood. And the positive effects could last us through the day, no matter how stressful and tiring it could get.
Breathing Exercises and Meditation
Many of us, unfortunately, are already up and on-the-go as soon as the alarm goes off. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It means that we’re morning persons. We’re always ready to seize the day. But perhaps it’s time to rethink this habit.
Instead, consider taking five to ten minutes just laying in bed after waking up. Use this time to do some breathing exercises and calm yourself. Do a few rounds of belly breathing. It’s the simplest form of breathing exercise and it’s perfect for waking up.
Apart from this, you can also try meditating as soon as you wake up. Before you roll out of bed, sit back for a few minutes to clear your mind. It’s one of the best ways to prepare your mind before starts reeling with the day’s list of tasks.
Fresh Air and Sunlight
If you’re one of those people who always feel groggy after waking up, then having some fresh air and sunlight in the morning would do you a world of good. If you have a dog, you can take this time to go on a walk or run with them. They, too, need their daily dose of fresh air and sunlight. And, you can take this time to bond with them.
What’s great about this routine is that it’s also your time to get some exercise. The thing about being busy professionals is that we tend to forget about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. By the time we get home from work, all we want to do is stuff our faces with fast food junk and watch the latest reality series on Netflix. So, by getting our exercise out of the way in the morning, we’re ensuring that we still get to take care of our bodies before we get tired from the day’s activities.
Healthy Options for Skincare
Of course, we all go through our own system of skincare routine. It can be as efficient as hopping into a five-minute shower. Or it could be a long and arduous process, starting from covering our bodies with a cocoa butter body scrub and ending with an hour-long makeup routine. Either way, this part of our self-care depends on our personal preferences.
But what we can improve is our choice of products. Sure, it’s great if we have our trusted brands that have worked well with our skin for years. But it’s better to be concerned about the chemicals that we choose to use on our bodies. So let’s consider using products that don’t contain any potentially harmful chemicals. Let’s opt for an improved deodorant for our personal care, a product that doesn’t have the usual aluminum content. Although this chemical does help with perspiration, studies have found that it can build up in the body.
Morning Pages
Doing our morning pages is something that many people don’t ever do. And we can’t truly blame them. After all, journaling sounds a bit too much like a “dear diary” moment. But, really, we shouldn’t be ashamed to do our morning pages. It’s a great meditative exercise because it’s a way of clearing our minds. We can just release our thoughts and feelings into a notebook. This way, we’re able to let out some of the stress that we’re already feeling in the morning.
We can do this routine as you sip your morning coffee or tea. We can do it while you’re still lounging in bed. You can even do it on your way to work if you have a driver or you’re taking public transportation.
We may not always believe this but our morning routine is one of the most important times of our days. If one thing goes wrong, it could lead to a cascade of terrible things throughout our days. If we miss our alarms, we won’t have time for a proper breakfast. We might miss our bus or train. To make matters worse, we might even miss a presentation to a client.
But with an improved morning routine, you might find yourself looking forward to it every morning. That said, you’ll always feel energized and ready to face the day.
