Knowing how to start your day the right way can have massive impacts on the rest of your life. Getting it right often means you’re already putting yourself ahead of 99% of people.
But what, specifically, should you be doing? Let’s take a look!
Hydrate Fast
Yes, it’s clichéd, but you should view hydration as a priority in the morning. The more water you can get into your body, the better. But why?
Well, you’ve just been fasting for many hours. Overnight, your body still needs water, so when you wake up, it’s critical to get it.
If you want to improve your morning hydration even further, you could opt for some filtered water with ceremonial-grade matcha. This way, you get a gentle buzz (like you would from a coffee), but also the whole tea plant in its unadulterated form.
What could be better than that?
Start Moving
Don’t just roll out of bed and slump on the couch or in the car. Instead, use the morning to get moving. Exercise as much as you can with the time you have.
Exercising at any time of the day can be beneficial. But the morning seems to be even better if you care about fat loss. Jogging or going to the gym on an empty stomach burns twice as many calories as going at lunchtime or after, according to research.
Therefore, even a few movements in the morning can have a larger impact than more strenuous exercise later in the day. You could find yourself losing mountains of weight, just by adjusting your timing in the gym.
Go Nutrient-Dense At Breakfast
Once you’ve done all that, you want to ensure you start the day with the best nutrition. Naturally, the human body wants more calories in the morning than at any other time of the day, so it’s okay to go for a big breakfast if you’re the sort of person who can stomach it.
What do we mean by “nutrient-dense”?” Essentially, it’s foods that contain a lot of nutrients.
For example, you could start your day with a green smoothie. Then, you could add in some whole grains cooked in the rice cooker with, maybe, some fruit and nuts.
These foods are all highly nutritious and give you the best chance of feeling fuller for longer. Packing these high-quality calories early in the day reduces the risk of snacking and bingeing later on.
Don’t Look At Your Screen Straight Away
Another pro tip is to avoid looking at your screen straight away, the moment you get out of bed. This habit might seem innocuous, but it is already putting you on the back foot. Instead of controlling your day, you’re reacting to what other people are doing.
Try to avoid the temptation to set an alarm as well. Again, this jolts you awake and, if it’s on your phone, causes you to start looking through your notifications immediately.
Therefore, look for alternatives. See if there’s another way you can spend the morning, like brushing your teeth or being meditative.
Don’t be one of these people who immediately feel stressed or fear missing out the moment they wake up. That’s not a life centred around relaxation and harmony.
Show Your Gratitude
Related to this, you also want to show your gratitude in some way every morning. Instead of thinking that life isn’t enough, you focus on what you have and how it means you are living the life you want.
Even if you’re in a bad place right now, that still doesn’t mean you should avoid this practice. Yes, it’s hard to feel good when your situation is awful. But when you adopt this attitude, you’ll find that you’ll go further and doors will open to you. People want to be around happy people because it makes them feel good.
This discussion doesn’t mean you have to feel grateful even when terrible things happen. But you want to make it your default mode–who you are, most days.
Once you start showing gratitude, your conversations with yourself will change. You will be happier with what you have, which, paradoxically, will lead to situations where you can get more.
Take Your Supplements
If you have supplements, you can also look at taking them in the morning. The more you focus on them in this early time frame, the more motivation you’ll have long term.
Yes, taking supplements seems simple, but you’d be surprised how many people fall off the bandwagon within a few months. Constantly doing the same thing day after day gets tiring for many people.
Therefore, focus on supplementation when your motivation is highest. Get it done in the morning to ensure you have the best possible start to your day.
Reconsider Lighting Up
If you’re a smoker, you also want to reconsider lighting up in the morning. Many people who have a cigarette early tend to go on to smoke more for the rest of the day.
Therefore, use this time to invest in new approaches. If you can, try going teetotal. If you can’t, use a coffee nicotine pouch. Whatever you do, make sure you get off to the right start. Getting the early part of the morning wrong can undo days of work or progress.
Expose Yourself To Natural Light
Another way to start your morning well is to expose yourself to natural light early, preferably within 30 minutes of waking. The more light you can get to bounce off the back of your retina, the better.
Light is critical for the circadian rhythm. If you can expose yourself to it at the right wavelengths (usually from the sun), you can experience profound results.
Remember, you want to feel energized in the morning. It should be the first thing you focus on as you start your day. Therefore, try to get some sunlight on you, even if it means poking your head out of the window for a little while.
Set Your Intentions For The Day
Perhaps the most critical step is to set your intentions for the day. What is it that you want to achieve?
Getting your intentions right is critical. The more you can do this, the better.
Some people like to plan by writing down a quick list. Others like to nail their morning routine and then use that momentum going forward.
Whatever it is, just make sure that you shine doing it. Don’t go against your nature; work with it.
Use Contrast Therapy
Finally, if you’re really struggling to get going in the morning because you don’t have any energy, try using contrast therapy. This approach will immediately give you a boost.
Contrast therapy is essentially going from hot to cold. For example, you might start with a sauna and then go for a cold plunge.
These methods sound expensive, but today, there are countless companies offering kits and systems. These products give you everything you want, allowing you to enjoy a spa-like experience at your leisure.
When you take a cold shower, you boost alertness and concentration. By contrast, when you feel warm, it gives your body the chance to carry out repair processes. The combination of the two can be powerful.
So there you have it: what we think is the best way to start your day. No, you don’t have to follow this advice religiously. But getting the basics nailed down could have a transformative effect on your morning, helping you change your life. Usually, it’s the simple things that matter the most.
Thanks for stopping by!
Magda
xoxo