This Morning Routine Will Improve Your Mood
Start your morning off strong
Mornings are my favourite part of the day. Yet, also the part of day that I find most anxiety provoking because at the moment I wake up, I know I have to make a choice: I can either start the day off well, or I can get off on the wrong foot—fast.
Time and again, I’ve learned that some morning habits improve my mood and positively impact my whole day. Here are some of those habits you might try adding to your morning routine.
Set the alarm so there’s enough time to take your time. Although it might be tempting to grasp hold of every minute of sleep and wake up as late as possible, I try to make sure I set the alarm slightly earlier than I have to so I don’t wake up feeling rushed.
Take a mindful minute (or several). You can practice mindfulness in a number of ways, such as taking deep belly breaths or following a guided meditation. The goal is to intentionally observe and bring awareness to your present moment. The benefits of mindfulness are empirically supported. My personal favourite benefits are: reduced ruminations, decreased emotional reactivity, and improved ability to focus.
Move your body in a way that feels good to you. Whether this means a yoga flow session, a morning run/jog, gentle stretching, walking your dog—whatever the activity and however long of a duration you decide on, commit to moving your body each and every morning before the daily grind begins.
Set priorities and make a rough plan. Surely our list of to-dos can be long and overwhelming. Mornings are a great time to assess and prioritize what is on the list in order to make a rough plan that will help you focus. Be realistic about what can be accomplished in one day. Once you have a list of, let’s say, 3-5 tasks to focus on today, remind yourself: do one thing at a time.
I hope you will give these a try. You may want to log doing so for a week and track the difference. Let me know how it works out and if you have any questions or would like some support in getting started, chat with me. Have yourself a good morning.
