Do you want to be more fit, smart, organized, productive, successful? Of course, you do! Who doesn’t? Every successful day starts with a successful morning. Here are five habits that you can add to your morning routine to make strides towards your goals every day.
Wake Up Earlier
One thing that most successful people have in common is that they wake up at 5 a.m., if not earlier. This allows them to focus on important tasks without distractions while the rest of the world is still sleeping. Our brains are more alert in the morning, so we are able to think more clearly and make better decisions than we would in the afternoon or evening.
Getting up early will not only give you more time to complete tasks, but it will also improve your mental health. Because you won’t be needing to rush out the door, you’ll feel a significantly less amount of stress. This will begin your day on a more positive note, which will follow you to work!
Stretch
Once you’re out of bed and on your toes - here’s how you truly wake your body up. Stretching in the morning has so many great benefits including better posture, fewer aches and pains, increased blood flow, and more energy (Livestrong).
We highly recommend that you use Dr. Chris’ Daily Stretching Routine (click here for a free download) for the best results. He’s been following it every morning for years, and it’s kept him youthful and active. If you are a beginner or senior, we recommend Dr. Chris’ Senior Stretching Routine (click here for a free download).
Meditate
Now that you’ve stretched your body, it’s time to exercise your mind. Meditating has many health benefits including reduced anxiety, enhanced self-awareness, lengthened attention span, better memory, decreased blood pressure and it can even distract you from physical pain (Healthline).
If you have never practiced mediation before, here is a five-minute meditation guide for beginners:
Journal/Write Your To-Do Lists
Journaling in the morning is a great way to not only document your life, but it also helps you set your intentions for the day or week. Writing down your thoughts and working through your emotions will help you get rid of all of the mental clutter in your brain so that you can focus on everything else.
Once you’ve journaled, you can begin to write your to-do lists for the day. This will help you plan out your schedule, prioritize tasks, feel more accomplished, and hold yourself accountable to further reach your goals.
Eat a Smart Breakfast
When you skip breakfast, it slows down your metabolism (yikes!). This teaches your body to conserve energy which results in more fat stored at lunch and dinner. Your brain will also slow down, and you’ll have a harder time remembering information without carbohydrates (energy) in your body. So not only are you missing out on a delicious meal in the morning, but your body is also seeing negative repercussions.
Good news! This can all be prevented with a high-fiber, nutrient-dense breakfast. If you have trouble eating in the morning, a banana and a protein bar will do wonders. If you love breakfast but just don’t have time to cook some eggs and bacon, that’s what waking up earlier is for! When you eat breakfast, your appetite decreases throughout the day, which can help you towards any weight-loss goals you may have.
Hopefully, you were inspired by at least one or two of these habits, and you will add them to your morning routine. They will help you to achieve your goals and become more successful. If you enjoyed this post, make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more health and wellness content!
SOURCES:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226910
https://www.livestrong.com/article/430886-what-are-the-benefits-of-stretching-in-the-morning/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation#section11
