7 things to do before 7 AM for enhancing quality of your life
What you do in first couple of hours after you wake up in the morning is a firm indicator of not only the quality of the day you’re going to have but by extension, the quality of your entire life. It’s important to have a mindful routine and ritual in place to make sure your mind and body are happy right from the moment your day starts. Committing to a few positive morning habits everyday can enormously change your life in just about every way that you can think of. Studies show that using early morning routines improve your ability to take action and change a situation to your advantage, among other benefits.
Here is list of 7 positive morning habits which can enhance the quality of your life.
1. Early to bed and early to Rise…
“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise” - Benjamin Franklin
First most important ritual is to rise early in the morning. Choose a time to get up and tell yourself that snooze button of your alarm clock isn’t even an option. When you do it for quite some time, you won’t need even alarm clock; your biological clock will ensure that you get up at the chosen time.
When I say get up early in the morning does not mean at the cost of sleep. You have to ensure pervious night you had gone for sleep early and had enough sleep during night. While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more. And despite the notion that our sleep needs decrease with age, most older people still need at least 7 hours of sleep
The practical advantages of waking up early are obvious. You will have more time for all other morning rituals, which we are going to discuss next. So, rising early can be seen as a foundation for all the other morning rituals.
2. Stay away from your smartphone
For many smartphone owners, checking their phones is among the first things they do every morning. A survey says61 % people check their smartphones within 5 minutes of waking up . You should stay away from your smartphone in the morning. If you look your phone immediately just after you wake up, it can hijack your morning routine. Turn off your phone notification or put it on silent mode.
3. Gratitude
Feeling gratitude and appreciation for those little signs and moments of joy happening in your life is probably one of the most overlooked or underestimated rituals. Feeling gratitude is undoubtedly an immensely empowering ritual to start your day. Start your day by being thankful for those positive things that happened the previous day or throughout the week. It could be something really petty and small. It doesn’t matter. You might be grateful for an unexpected friend to whom you met in the market after a long time, traffic free road when back to home, visit from a relative at home, a beautiful encounter with a kind stranger, a new opportunity or whatever it is that shines your way. Do it every morning and see the magic what happens during the day.
The real power of gratitude is that it makes you pick out and focus on what is working in your life — what is in tune with your being as a whole. It is selectively positive. It reinforces happiness and positivity by shedding light on those awesome things, small or big, that grace your every day living.
4. Meditation
Meditation is one of the best morning rituals; if you practice it consistently will turn miracles for you. It has been an age-old technique to calm your mind. Just twenty minutes of morning meditation will set the tone for the day. Keeping you focused, optimistic and at peace. Your perspective will become broad and balanced. It’s an effective remedy to deal with the stresses of daily life. You will also find yourself opting for healthier food choices. The other advantages are shrugging off the previous day’s tensions and sleeping soundly at night.
5. Plan your day
Planning your day in the morning will help you to set your daily goals. When you plan out your day as carefully as possible, your chances of successfully accomplishing your goals are high. Daily goal setting is an integral part of any successful routine because it allows us to weigh and analyze just where we stand on a day-to-day basis. Since it’s easy to lose sight of our long-term goals, especially when dealing with the millions of distractions in our lives, daily goal setting allows us to stay on track and on point.
I like to set my daily goals after my mindfulness practice, because the added calm and clarity helps me to set effective, specific goals.
6. Move your body
You should work out for at least 30 minutes every morning. Whether it’s a quick run, a group fitness class, workout in the middle of your living room or just a brisk walk outside, moving your body in the morning is a great way to jumpstart your morning. It has several mental and physical health benefits, including muscle and joint flexibility, stress relief, improved circulation and it put an end to any drowsiness. You may also practice yoga to set you up for a productive day. Yoga is good for your mind and body, and can easily be done at home.
I simply walk for 4 to 5 km and do stretching for 10 minutes. It helps to reduce stress, boost endorphins, stoke my metabolism and make me feel awesome through out the day.
7. Breakfast
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. There are so many health benefits of eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast. Breakfast provides must needed fuel to body and brain after an overnight fast — that’s where its name originates, breaking the fast. Without breakfast you are effectively running on empty, like trying to start the car with no petrol.
Starting your morning with breakfast will boost your metabolism and keep your blood sugar levels stable during the day. It helps to energize your body, keeping you active and productive until lunch. It is necessary not only for your body but for the brain as well. Eating a nutritious breakfast helps improve your concentration and productivity.
I am sure, if you adopt above 7 rituals in your daily morning routine, you will feel good throughout the day with increased energy, clarity and productivity.
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Originally published at www.invajy.com on July 21, 2018.
