How to Have a Great Day...
“Every morning, I wake up saying, I’m still alive, a miracle, and so I keep on pushing.” ~ Jim Carrey
Mornings are important. You are at your best and most creative in the morning, so it’s important to use that time to set yourself to have a good day.
Why is it that some people get so much done and others spin their wheels and always complain about not having enough time?
You only have so much daylight and it’s important to spend it wisely. Today, unlike in times past, there are so many distractions…phones, email, the news!
Here are 6 things to do (and not to do) to start your morning off the right way and set yourself up for a good day…everyday!
Don’t check your phone first thing
Checking your phone first thing is like an addiction. I know, it’s hard not to check your email or Instagram first thing, but when you look at that screen, your mind starts racing and you fall into thought patterns of what you need to do and completely distract yourself from the most important time of the day. It is crucial to start you day without distractions. Instagram and email will wait (I know, this is especially hard for someone trying to make a living on social media…me!).
Do your best to keep your mind quiet and take the opportunity to spend 30 minutes to 1 hour on yourself.
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ~ Stephen Covey
If you’re doubtful, try it for a few days. Don’t plug your phone in beside your bed or even in your bedroom. Take your phone charger and move it to the bathroom or the kitchen. Wake up with an alarm clock, and have your morning routine planned!
2. Work Your Plan
So you’ve planned on the evening before to wake up and give yourself time to start the day on a positive note. What to do…? This uninterrupted time, that you’ve dedicated to yourself can be very powerful and life changing. Use this time for meditation, affirmations, visualization, reading and journaling.
“Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.” ~ Peter Drucker
There are a so many great meditation apps…I know, it’s your phone, but it’s the only thing you allow yourself to look at. Headspace is a great one, Oprah and Deepak Chopra have great meditations and I love Michael Beckwith Way of Meditation…find something that works for you and do it! I like to end my meditation with a few minutes of gratitude. There is always something to be grateful for and gratitude causes positive emotions. While you’re in the feeling of positivity, write in a journal for 10 minutes. It’s been suggested that free writing whatever comes into your mind upon awakening allows you to put onto paper the things that subconsciously came to you as you were sleeping. This is the best way to begin to achieve goals and become the best version of yourself. You begin to take responsibility for the direction of your life instead of being driven by impulses and addiction.
Confidence is built by taking actions toward a bigger goal.
3. Track Your Habits
Forming a habit, such as meditation, journaling, etc. takes time and you don’t see the desired results instantly. While you are waiting for the long term rewards of your efforts to come, you need to be able to track your progress. A habit tracker is a simple way that shows you every day that you’re on the right path. Get a calendar and cross off each day you stick with your routine. As time goes by, the calendar becomes a record of your habit streak and causes a dopamine boost. Everyday, you start off the day with a feeling of accomplishment!
Assume the feelings (emotions) of your wish fulfilled.
4. Exercise In Some Way…Everyday
Research shows that exercise not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood. Working out, or doing some form of exercise in the morning (maybe it’s 10 minutes of yoga), serves as a keystone habit. A keystone habit is defined as a small change that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.
“In a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, 2,680 college students completed a 15 week exercise program. Eacch week involved three 30 minute sessions of cardio. The students weren’t asked to change their eating patterns. Yet, those who stuck with the program made healthier food choices, like eating less red meat and fried foods. While the study didn’t test for the best time of day to exercise, the findings show how exercise can inspire healthier eating. “ ~ 13 Benefits of Working Out in the Morning
Exercise can help you to build momentum to tackle harder tasks in the day, inspire you to drink more water, and therefore help your brain to work more efficiently.
5. Drink Water First Thing
When you get out of bed in the morning, chances are you are dehydrated. Most people wake up tired, sleepy, with a headache or even slightly dizzy and these are all symptoms of dehydration. Drinking water upon awakening immediately hydrates you, Dehydration is linked to decreased mental performance, meaning that completing tasks, such as memorizing or learning new things, becomes more difficult. Dehydration can also negatively affect alertness, concentration, short-term memory, and physical performance
6. Go to bed and wake up at the same time consistently
We are all biologically wired to wake up at different times, so waking up at 5 am isn’t going to be right for every single person. I have a hard time getting up quite that early and usually get up between 5:30 and 6 every morning even when I set an alarm for earlier. This is, however quite earlier than I got up for most of my life and I changed my wake up time so that I would have time to meditate and start my morning on a positive note.
When we wake up and go to sleep at the same time each day, the quality of our sleep can improve. This can help us to feel inspired, invigorated and alert throughout the day. The most productive people on the planet are consistent. They do similar things at similar times, in similar ways every single day. If you want to manage your time, you learn to get yourself on a schedule.
We get used to what we do regularly.
Your body and your productivity benefit when you wake up at the same time. Pick a time (preferably early) that you can wake up on at a regular basis. This will help you go to bed on time every night, and to wake up knowing what time it will be, what the sun outside will look like, and more. After a while, you won’t need an alarm because you will have set a habit. That habit marks the beginning of a new and productive day!
6. Do your Big thing First…even if it’s not what you want to do!
Do the thing that is most important first (after your morning routine). It may not necessarily be urgent, but it’s probably the worst thing you have to do all day. You will gain much satisfaction from getting it out of the way! When you start your day productively, you will stay productive throughout the day.
“Ordinary people think merely of spending time, great people think of using it.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer
I will admit that I learned a lot by writing this post. I have been meditating, exercising, and drinking water, first thing, for years, but my journaling and visualizing haven’t been so consistent and I don’t track my habits. Those are things that I’m going to start incorporating into my morning routine…I’ll keep you posted!