Did you know that adhering to a healthy morning routine will make you happier, emotionally balanced, and live a better quality of life?
Your morning routine is sacred, it’s the time of day that is completely yours. Prior to the demanding obligations of work, family, and other responsibilities kicking in, you have your morning.
And you’re free to do with it whatever you like. But how do most people start their days?
In reaction mode: checking emails, social media, negative news, etc. They fill their minds with pessimistic nonsense, political drama, and other forms of cynicism and then they start their days.
Bad way to go.
It will be hard to have a great day and maximize your performance if that’s how you start your mornings… For this reason — in addition to many others — you need a morning ritual.
This is the ritual I’ve been building on and practicing for years now. It will set you up for a successful day, and you’ll feel amazing when you adopt these habits for yourself.
Try it, it will put you in a peak state each morning so that you’re prepared to crush your day.
1. Wake up Early
Waking up early is a great way to begin constructing the perfect morning routine. Why? Because it gives you a “psychological win”, which allows you to build momentum in your morning and throughout your day.
Think about it.
All it takes is an additional 45 minutes in the morning. You make your bed, eat a healthy breakfast, get a quick workout in, read or meditate and take a shower. This kind of productivity is life-altering. And when you operate this way, you feel like you “have your act together”.
Let’s forget about a morning routine for a second and focus on the feeling of pride and self-respect that will grow as a consequence of this kind of ritual. It’s a beautiful thing.
And you don’t have to wake up at 4 in the morning to attain it either. Just 45 minutes to an hour earlier than when you typically wake up will do the trick.
2. Read Something Positive
Reading is the ideal way to ease into your morning and then segue into your day. It doesn’t require much effort, it’s calm and relaxing, and if you’re reading the right material; you can even learn how to improve your life and be a better person.
This makes it the perfect activity to feed your mind and kickstart your day! Remember, the way your morning unfolds is representative of how your day will unfold.
Here are some additional benefits of reading:
- Alleviation of stress
- Improved intelligence
- Stronger vocabulary
- Enhanced communication skills
- Strengthens memory and focus
Reading is especially good if you’re not a morning person. I personally love getting up early in the morning. But I know that’s not the case for everyone. If you’re not a morning person, reading is the ideal activity is ease yourself into the day. It’s undemanding, relaxing, and on top of it — you get to learn and expand your mind. Two birds with one stone.
3. Get Your Body Moving
The benefits of exercise are irrefutable. This single habit — given enough time — is enough to transform not only your morning ritual, but also your life. And the reason exercise is particularly useful in the morning is because it puts you in a peak state.
Most of us — even on our good days — wake up groggy or even a little disoriented. This is natural, however, it’s not ideal for a productive morning.
But once you get your blood pumping, your heart thumping, and your body moving — all of a sudden — that slow and sluggish demeanor begins to fade away.
You go into a peak state that makes you feel confident and self-assured. Exercise is just one of those habits that will embolden you and allow you to start your day on a positive note.
Some of the many other benefits of exercise are:
- Weight management
- Enhanced strength of bones, muscles, and ligaments
- Staves off anxiety and depression
- Reduces high blood pressure
- Boosts your energy level
- Bolsters your confidence
- Makes you look healthy, vibrant, and strong
- It can add years to your lifespan
I could go on, but I think you get the point. Make exercise a habit and an integral part of your morning routine, and your days (and life) will improve in ways you can’t even fathom right now.
4. Take a Cold Shower
This one is not for the faint of heart. However, if you can make cold showers a part of your morning routine, it will be one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Numerous studies have been conducted on the health benefits of cold showers. And they all come to the same conclusion: they’re good for you.
In fact, the health benefits of regular cold showers are plentiful and all-encompassing. Here are a few of them and hopefully, they will encourage you to start this habit in your own life:
- Boosted mood
- Stronger immune system
- Improvement in physical recovery
- Enhanced metabolism
- Increased productivity
- Better sleep
- More confidence
- Bolstered self-discipline
Cold showers are especially useful if you’re not much of a morning person. If you’re someone who needs 5 cups of coffee before you can become productive. Save yourself the time (and money) and just take a cold shower. When that freezing water hits your skin; washing over your body, that will be all you need to wake your ass up. Trust me.
5. Try Meditating
Regular mediation is one of the most relaxing and present-inducing practices you can engage in. It centers you emotionally and balances you out; allowing you to feel calm, relaxed, and at ease.
And what better time to induce that kind of emotional state than in the morning before you start your day? Other benefits of meditation include:
- Stress management
- Reduction in negative thoughts and emotions
- More self-awareness
- Become more present in your day-to-day life
- Bolstered levels of patience, calmness, and compassion
Meditation is the perfect habit to top off your morning routine. And over the long term, it can even produce many cognitive improvements, which can help you think more clearly, be sharper, and have a better and more positive attitude toward yourself, others around you, and life in general.
What Habit Will You Try For Your Morning Routine?
These are habits I’ve been practicing in my life for a long time — some of them for years — and they had a tremendous impact on me. Now it’s your turn, what habit will you add to your morning routine? Pick one and practice it for 30 days. See if it works for you. If not, disregard it and try another. And if it does, keep doing it and make it a part of your lifestyle.
