To make mornings worthy of a “good morning”, what is it that you usually do? Is there something or you just start your day right after stepping out of bed? Healthy morning routines are really necessary to kick start your day.
If you want to be energetic all day long and feel good about things then you would have to give your day a start. This not only affects your physical health but also takes care of several mental health issues. So here are top 10 powerful practices to add to your healthy morning routine. Have a look:
Powerful Practices for Healthy Morning Routines
1. Drink water as soon as you get up.
Drinking water in the morning is not only supported by scientific evidence but is also recommended widely in many cultures around the world. Your body was digesting all the food you had for dinner while also performing other functions. It gets quite dehydrated and even if you aren’t feeling thirsty particularly, your body needs it.
2. Stretch
Stretching before exercising is a great way to wake up your muscles but stretching after waking up is beneficial too. It can improve blood flow in muscle groups which had little of it during night time. Stretching can also prevent muscle tear, injuries, etc and can also enhance flexibility.
3. Say no to beverages in the morning
Yeah tea has its benefits and coffee has its too. You feel energetic, active and your mind is ready to take over your world. Some may even feel that it is coffee that wakes them up and not the alarm. You need to say no to them for two reasons:
- Your body is perfectly capable of waking without them.
- Your body gets dependent on them.
The whole point here is that while you are using them to wake up you are also getting way too dependent on them. And another reason to avoid them is, a cup of coffee can have around 1500 chemicals in it. Have an apple instead, it has the same effects as coffee minus mood swings, anxiety and exhaustion after coffee wears off.
4. Hold your brush in the other hand
We all brush our teeth daily and our muscles are so used to it that our mind doesn’t even have to interact much to move the brush in the regular way. Try brushing your teeth with your other hand and not with the dominant one for at least a few weeks. Your other hand is not trained to do that and so is not your mind. It will take extra efforts from its side to control your hand. Not only it will help wake up but it will also help you in getting better at controlling your other hand.
5. Cold Shower!
You may love a hot one but we recommend you to go for a cold one. The chillness will not only wake you up but will also have many other health benefits like increased immunity, less colds, better body temperature, good for skin, good for muscles, good for eyes and the list goes on. Hot shower is good too but it is best just before bed. Try it.
6. Exercise
Don’t miss it. Even if you hate every moment/movement of it, do it. Your body is the greatest machine you will ever enjoy working with, half an hour from your 24, seems to be doable. Start with light exercises and try to include cardio.
7. Meditate
If you are stressed about your office or anxious about results then meditation should be a priority for you. Sit, relax and stop thinking about it. Overthinking is not going to make things right but a calm approach just may. Meditation has been known to significantly relieve stress and anxiety even in critical conditions. Start your day with it and feel its benefits.
8. Watch or read something good
There are thousands of podcasts, speeches, talks, articles, etc on motivation, positivity, mental health. that you can use to make yourself feel good. You don’t even have to take extra time off for that. You can listen to podcasts while getting ready, watch talks when you are commuting in a bus, listen to articles via apps like Pocket and what not.
9. Get engaged
Believe it or not but your mind loves challenges especially the mental ones. So you can solve a Sudoku, crossword, chess, or even Othello. All of it can make your brain under a little stress which is good for its health. You need to exercise to maintain your body and in the same way you need puzzles and other complex tasks to keep your brain healthy.
10. Practice gratitude
I saved the best for the last. Gratitude is not just about being modest but a lot more. Though it is a good thing to accept that you are thankful for everything you have but it would be better if you practice it regularly. Try helping someone in need without asking anything back, feed a stray, etc. Acts of kindness do help others but you will feel immense happiness as well.
So these were the top 10 powerful practices that you can add to your healthy morning routines. People are usually active when it comes to taking care of their physical appearances and of physical health as well to a certain extent. We usually forget about mental health and issues related to it. Powerful morning routine can help you to maintain both, so why wait?
Hope it helps.