The first hour of your day is really important and affects what actually happens the rest of the day. Here are seven tips based on the principles of mindfulnessto help you kick start your day on the right track.
Meditate and visualize
Meditate before you get up each morning. A clear mind is a high-performing mind, and meditation improves memory retention. To meditate, close your eyes for five minutes and clear your mind of thoughts. Begin a silent mantra. With each inhalation think “so,” and with each exhalation think “ham.” (So-ham means “I am that” in Sanskrit, and matches your breathing rhythm.).Visualize your coming day, beginning to end. Imagine things happening the way you want them to happen — not what you fear will happen. This can help dictate what actually happens.
Exercise
The body was designed to move, so move it a lot. If you don’t have time for a full workout, at least take the dog for a walk,
Cuddle your pet or partner
We’re social creatures, and physical contact such as hugging lowers blood pressure and releases the neurohormone oxytocin, which lifts the mood Cuddling with a romantic partner first thing in the morning can also set up your day, Simply put, ‘When stress comes your way, you’re more likely to feel calm and complete.’
Don’t start the morning with Coffee
Don’t worry: You can still get your caffeine from drinks like chai or matcha (a kind of green tea) both of which are high in antioxidants. People don’t realize that they’re really addicted to the ritual of coffee and you can get a ritual around something better for you than coffee.
Avoid the bad News
Skip the news in the morning, unless your football team has won. Generally there is too much bad stuff on the news which tends to start you off depressed. You have to control what goes into your mind on a daily basis. You can still stay informed, just not early in the morning.
Shower Smart
Along with ,other ways to improve emotional well-being, use your shower as a health boost. Try a quick cold shower, which research shows spikes the metabolism and wakes you up with a boost of adrenaline while mildly revving up the immune system
Smile a lot.
Smiling makes people respond to you differently, because the energy you give them is different, so the energy you receive is better, indeed, research shows that smiling is one of the most powerful of human gestures. When you smile, the people around you will smile back.
