8 Tips To Start Your Day The Right Way.

Doing even one of these will help you start your day off better!

1. Avoid The Snooze Button

I know it’s a tough habit to break, but studies reveal that this prolonged wake up actually make you more tired and irritable.

“After you hit snooze and drift off, your brain starts its sleep cycle all over again. When the alarm goes off a second time, you’re likely at an even deeper, earlier part of your sleep cycle, which results in you feeling even worse than you did the first time.

If you regularly wake up feeling groggy, [then] the trouble may be that your alarm is going off at the wrong part of your sleep cycle…

…Try setting your alarm a few minutes later (or getting up a little earlier) and sticking to a regular sleep schedule to get a nice rhythm going.”

2. Take 10-15 Minutes To Reflect

By setting aside a little time every morning to calm your thoughts and positively reflect, you can set the tone for your entire day. This practice will help create awareness of thoughts and help to avoid “monkey mind,” or a restless or unsettled mind.

morning-meditation

[photo by: flickr]

Morning reflection will also help to clear your mind of any negativity from the day before or any unpleasant dreams, and also make you more focused and optimistic. Controlled thoughts and a focused and optimistic attitude lead to a lesser amount of stress (and, let’s face it, we all could use some weight off our shoulders.)

3. Count Your Blessings

Remembering what you’re grateful for is a key way to start the day. It’s important to do this so that you can sort your priorities and keep your mind on the bigger picture, rather than nit-picking and getting caught up in small things.

happiness-and-gratefullness

[image by: flickr]

When explaining the benefits to morning gratefulness, Robert Ringer says,

“Since every negative has an offsetting positive built into it, and vice versa, you always have a choice as to whether to focus on the abundance or the scarcity in your life. My firsthand experience has convinced me beyond all doubt that if you want more negatives in your life, all you need to do is think about the negatives that already exist. Likewise, if you want more positives in your life, focus on the positives that you already have. You’ll be amazed at the number of new positives that will almost magically make their way into your life as a result of focusing on the positive side of the equation.”

4. Set Your Daily Goals

After you’ve sorted our priorities, it’s easier to set goals. Keeping a set focus on each day’s purpose makes you more motivated and grounded. This way you can avoid the insignificant melodramas playing out in your head (truth is, they probably won’t matter a week from now or even tomorrow). Keep your eye on the target!

morning-goals-2

[photo by: Pinterest] 

Here are 3 steps to effectively execute the daily goal exercise:

  • “Each morning take a pen and a piece of paper and write down your 10 top goals. Don’t look at the day before, just think about what you want to most and write them down.
  • Remember to write them in the positive present tense and remember to set a deadline for each goal…
  • Do this for all 10 goals.

In the beginning, writing down 10 goals might be difficult. Each day they might look a bit different and some of the goals you write never come back again. If you forget a goal, it is because it wasn’t all that important and something more important has taken its place.”

What’s the biggest benefit of setting goals? A jump-start to your creativity!

5. Exercise Your Brain

You’ve already started the mental part of this exercise with meditation and goals. To enhance brain activity even more, try a simple task like reading the newspaper or completing a sudoku puzzle. Brain stimulation is an important part of waking up your senses.

morning-sudoku

[image by: Schwarts Group]

6. Exercise Your Body

Now for the physical exercise. I realize this isn’t the easiest morning habit to master, but if you can find a way to fit it in, even a short amount of time with a raised heart rate is beneficial. It accomplishes the task of calorie-burning in an even better way by kick-starting your metabolism for the day. A morning run also makes you more alert, which in turn leads to higher productivity and focus.

morning-run

[image by: Kyle Cassidy]

7. Have A Healthy Breakfast

healthy-breakfast

[image by: Pixabay]

‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.’ You’ve heard this fact since you were a kid, but here are some reasons why it’s true according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins University: Breakfast…

  • provides the energy and nutrients that lead you to increased concentration and productivity
  • helps you maintain a healthy body weight
  • prevents you from snacking on sugary and unhealthily snacks before lunch
  • gives the vitamins and minerals that you may have otherwise missed that day
  • prevents mid-morning slumps

Click here for some healthy breakfast recipes.

8. Take Time To Look Good

Studies show that when you are confident in our appearances, it helps you to be more productive and have an overall happier perspective.

mad-men

[photo by: flickr]

Here are some more reasons why it’s important to ‘dress to impress’:

  • “Confidence Builder — When you feel good about your appearance, you feel good aboutyourself. Confidence can make a marked difference in how you hold yourself and present yourself in front of others.
  • Professional Appearance — People like to work with/do business with people who look professional. It is in our nature as visually driven beings. It can give ease and a sense of trust. It’s hard to be taken seriously if you look like you just rolled out of bed and are wearing what you wore yesterday.
  • Shows Organization — Dressing professionally signals that you have your stuff together and are organized. If your clothes are clean, pressed, and professional, it shows that you went the extra effort to be prepared.”

Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.