The way you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day, so in a way, it can make or break your day. The habits or rituals that you practice when you wake up in the morning, can help decide whether you are going to have a positive, uplifting day or a sad and dreadful one. It’s all up to you, really.
If you are waking up with negative feelings in your heart every day of your life, then you need to establish a few positive, but effective morning rituals. These morning rituals will help you start your day on a positive and productive note. And the more you practice these, you will work towards changing your life for the better.
Here Are 11 Morning Rituals That Can Change Your Life
1. Have warm lemon water first thing in the morning.
Consuming a full glass of warm lemon water after waking up in the morning on an empty stomach, is an amazing way to kick start your day. One glass of this activates all your internal organs and gets your body going.
Make sure that the water is lukewarm, and not scalding hot, as you might not want to cause a shock to your system. Lemon helps in preparing your digestive system for the upcoming meals and adds flavor to the water. If you find it too tart, you can add a dash of honey to sweeten it a bit.
The re-hydration process
When you sleep through the night, your body doesn’t get any water for around 8 hours. So it’s vital that you change that by starting your day with a healthy amount of it. Don’t leave drinking water for later, and have other drinks and breakfast first; always start your day with a tall glass of water.
Related: 5 Strategies To Perfect Your Morning Routine And Make Each Day Good
2. Be an early riser.
If you are a nyctophile, because of how quiet and peaceful it is at night, then be rest assured that you will also enjoy the peace that comes with early mornings. Staying up very late at night might feel amazing, but it’s not really a very healthy thing to practice. So, try to shift your personal time to the early hours of the morning, and see the changes it does to your body and health.
The best time for waking up
Wake up in conjunction with circadian rhythms if possible. Civil twilight is the ideal time to wake up since you will be able to see light outside, take in the sunrise, and even hear the birds singing. Before going out the door for your work and chores, make sure that you give your body at least an hour and a half to prepare itself for the day ahead.
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3. Clean your tongue.
Once you start cleaning/scraping your tongue after waking up every morning, be rest assured that you won’t be able to stop it. Scraping your tongue every day helps you to steer clear of morning breath, and also helps in making you feel rejuvenated, as you transition from sleep to wakefulness every day.
Want to know another interesting thing about scraping your tongue? After you get rid of the film on your tongue after scraping it, you will be able to taste your food better!
Using the correct tongue scraper
Many toothbrushes come with a scraper on their backs, but in case you don’t have one, you might want to buy a scraper separately. You can get the conventional triangle-shaped one or the one that has distinctive bristles that thoroughly cleans the tongue. You can also go for a stainless steel one and a U-shaped one.
4. Stretch for a few minutes.
Stretching in the morning is one of the best morning rituals you can practice. Stretching your body after getting up wakes your muscles up and prepares them for the upcoming day. Stretch for 5-10 minutes every morning and see how invigorated and relaxed you feel.
You can incorporate your stretches into a yoga or exercise routine if you are looking to lose some weight. But make sure that you do at least a few stretches, and not skimp on it at all.
How long should you stretch?
When you initially start stretching, it won’t really matter for how long you will do it, and will mostly depend on how much time you have. If you have just 5 minutes, then stretch for just 5 minutes. The more you develop the habit and get used to it, you will find yourself stretching for a longer period of time. Go with the flow, and listen to your body.
5. Jump a hundred times.
Rebounding or jumping on a trampoline after waking up in the morning, is one of the best morning exercises out there. It doesn’t put a lot of pressure on your bones and joints and is ideal for any fitness level. Simply bounce on it lightly, as this helps in lymphatic drainage, as well as keeps your thyroid healthy.
Jumping on a trampoline energizes you in the morning, and keeps you feeling refreshed all throughout the day.
It tones your body and makes it firmer
When you jump on the trampoline regularly, with time, you will feel your body get tighter and firmer. This is because jumping works every muscle in your body, be it the lower body muscles, core muscles, and upper body muscles. This is one of the best ways of getting your juices flowing.
6. Dry brushing.
Dry brushing is an ancient, Ayurvedic practice, that gets rid of your dead skin cells, and helps in blood circulation. It also makes your skin smoother, softer, and more even-toned.
Start brushing from your extremities in circular motions, and gradually cover your whole body. Make sure that you brush towards your heart, and that should be the last step. After you are done, have your shower and apply some moisturizer to make your skin feel softer.
What kind of brush to use for dry brushing?
Go for a brush that will exfoliate your skin properly, but make sure that it’s not an extremely rough one. A dry loofah will be good for this purpose, or any brush that can scrub the skin properly. Don’t go for very soft brushes, as it will end up not doing anything at all.
7. Listening to calming music, or an audiobook.
One of the best morning rituals you can practice is listening to calming and uplifting music or a motivational audiobook. When you start your day with inspiration and a successful mindset, you are bound to have a good day. It helps you get in the right mind space to begin your day.
Your mind is always hungry for new information which it can feed on, so feed it good things every day, the same way you feed your body. Taking care of your mind is equally important as taking care of your body.
Opting for the right songs and the right audiobooks
Which songs and audiobooks you choose to listen to is up to you. But try to choose inspiring, motivating, and uplifting things so that you don’t feel restless and stressed out throughout the day.
Related: 11 Great Books To Read And The Mood That Matches Them
8. Drink green smoothies.
Now that you have woken up early in the morning, cleaned your tongue and brushed your teeth, had enough water, jumped, stretched, dry brushed your body, and showered while listening to calming music, it’s time that you provide nourishment to your body with a healthy, green smoothie.
A green smoothie is full of leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, etc which are full of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and phytonutrients, that work wonders for your body. Green smoothies also give you a much-needed boost of energy.
Choosing the right green smoothie recipe
When you decide to have a green smoothie, make sure that you choose a recipe that will be pleasant for your morning palate. There’s no point in choosing a recipe that will taste horrible to your tastebuds. Interestingly, any non-green smoothie can be transformed into a green one, just by adding kale or spinach or any other green veggies, for that matter of fact.
9. Meditate.
Meditation is again another great thing you can do after getting up in the morning. Meditating for a few minutes after waking up, clears your mind, keeps you grounded, and makes you feel calm and peaceful.
When you meditate, sit in a position in which you feel the most comfortable, and put on some relaxing music. If you don’t want music, that’s fine too. Just relax, focus on your breathing, and take in the silence around you.
Just a few minutes is enough
You don’t need to be a yogi or go in a trance to effectively meditate; doing it for a few minutes is enough for you to reap its benefits. After a few days, you will start seeing just how better, clearer. and calmer your mind feels. Stick with this habit, and see how your life changes for the better.
10. Practice smiling in the mirror for a few seconds.
Now, this may feel weird when you initially start doing it, but if you keep going, you will definitely notice a difference in yourself. When you smile at yourself in the mirror every day for a few seconds, you are boosting your self-esteem by being kind to yourself. By doing this, you see a happier version of you, and this helps you be genuinely happy.
When you smile, it doesn’t have to be a wide-toothed grin or a very goofy smile, just a small, kind smile does the trick. Smiling at yourself as if you know something that the world doesn’t, and this helps you feel confident and positive.
Self-validation in the morning.
Smiling at yourself in the mirror means you are looking at yourself for who you are, and in a way telling yourself, that you are capable of doing everything you set your mind to. Even if you don’t have the best day, at least you have been kind to yourself and acknowledged yourself at the start of the day.
Related: 10 Things Most Successful People Do Right Before Bed
11. Write a to-do list.
If you live a very busy and hectic life, then it’s only natural that you will forget things on a regular basis. In order to avoid this, write down your to-do list for the day, and then gradually check them off one by one. This list will help you stay on top of everything without feeling overwhelmed about anything.
Following an organized list
The more you organize everything, the better you will be at handling them. If you try to retain everything in your mind, then you will feel exhausted and overwhelmed after a point, and you don’t want that, do you? By following an organized list, you are bringing structure and order into your life, which in turn helps you to fulfill all your tasks properly.
4 Things You Should Stay Away From In Order To Have A Good Day
1. Don’t focus on reading/listening to every news item.
It’s a good thing to stay updated about everything that’s happening around you, but try not to read all the upsetting and disturbing things that might be happening, first thing in the morning. Reading disturbing things first thing in the morning will mess with your mind, and put you in an unhappy mood throughout the day.
2. Don’t have a big breakfast.
Even if you are having the healthiest breakfast there is, bombarding your body with a ton of food in the morning is not a good idea. Your digestion is not the strongest in the morning, and eating a ton of food, will only make you feel lazier. Focus on having a light, healthy breakfast, and in case you feel hungry, have a small snack before your lunch.
3. Don’t be dependent on stimulants.
Many people can’t start their day without a hot cup of coffee in the morning to wake them up. But try to stay away from things like this. Stimulants are just temporary solutions that cover up a lack of nutrition and sleep. Ditch these stimulants and focus on building positive habits and morning rituals.
4. Don’t sleep in for long hours.
No matter how tempting it might feel to sleep for an extra couple of hours in the morning, don’t. The morning rituals and habits that you have formed throughout the entire week, stick to them on the weekends too. Following through with this will only help you be healthier and happier.
Incorporating these morning rituals will help you live a more disciplined and healthier life, and as days go by, you will see just how your life has changed for the better.
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