Mornings are key to setting your intentions for the rest of the day. Many people hit the snooze button several times and then rush to work on an empty stomach. This can be detrimental to your physical and mental health. As for the day, lack of nutrition and oversleeping can make you feel lethargic and become unproductive.
Let’s look at a few ways that can bring a positive change through your morning routine.
The Dream Exercise
Often when you sleep after a long workday, your mind won’t turn off. It might still revolve around the problems you were trying to solve and the previous day’s learnings. Your unconscious mind is still working on those problems. A significant number of people say that they come up with their best ideas while they are dreaming. However, most people struggle to recall dreams clearly.
Adding the dream decoder exercise into your morning routine can help work up your memory and general brain function. This can be your daily mental warm-up.
The Bed & Pillow Mission
There are two reasons why making your bed can be the best part of your morning routine. One, a clean environment enriches you in many ways. Ever notice when you tidy up your desktop, office, or bedroom, your mind feels lighter and clearer?
Two, you would want to begin your day with success. Doing so will invigorate your mind and body with a sense of accomplishment.
Take two minutes and make your bed every morning. It’s also great because, at the end of the day, you come back to a completed loop of success.
Hydrate
Start your day by drinking plenty of water. Nearly 80% of your brain is composed of water. It’s imperative to keep yourself hydrated for optimum brain function. Also, we lose significant amounts of water while sleeping, which is why your morning hydration is so important.
The Tooth Brush Exercise
How is brushing teeth good for your brain? The trick here is to brush your teeth with your opposite hand. Research shows that doing day-to-day activities like brushing or eating with your opposite hand stimulates your brain to break out from the usual groove. It helps activate both halves of your brain and creates better neural connections inside. All of which is good for boosted productivity, focus, and overall daily function
Breathing Exercise
The other important thing that your brain needs besides hydration is oxygen. A lot of people experience a phenomenon known as brain fog. Although it may sound like a mental condition, it is merely feeling sluggish or fuzzy in the head.
To avoid this, humans require adequate oxygen in their bodies. And here’s the thing, your brain is only 2% of your body weight on average, but it consumes 20% of the nutrients and oxygen, so it’s so important to do deep breathing exercises. The earlier in the day it is, the better.
Tea & Gratitude
After all the mild exercises and chores, never forget to make tea. It is always better to include good ingredients such as Gotu Kola and Ginkgo Biloba. These can help boost focus, memory, and the overall freshness of your mind.
Tea time can be made extra productive in a couple of ways. While some people use this time to check emails and messages, some update their daily journals. Making notes or writing things down boosts brain power. Plan out your day and write the things you’re most grateful for because the human brain thrives on gratitude.
A cover story in Time magazine mentioned how nuns live up to 90 years of age and above. Half of it had to do with their gratitude and emotional faith. The other half had to do with the fact that they were lifelong learners. According to the story, combining focused learning and optimum gratitude can be powerful.
To Conclude
Finally, all you have to do is take your daily dose of essential nutrients to kickstart your day. We suggest including a brief morning workout and a healthy breakfast.
While the morning exercise doesn’t necessarily have to be your core workout of the day, at least 10-15 minutes of high-intensity workout can get your heart beating. Doing so will improve your blood circulation after a good night’s sleep.
Certain foods are great for your brain. For example, avocado is a superfood you can include in your smoothie or enjoy on toast. It contains many nutrients that benefit your brain and overall health. While some people enjoy an elaborate breakfast, others finish up quickly with a smoothie or a healthy snack bowl with cereals and berries.
And that’s it. You’re good to go. Nothing compares to the feeling of a steady and fruitful morning routine. Remember, you make your habits, and your habits make you. Design the first hour of your day to be brain-friendly, and you’ll win the rest of the day.
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