Good Morning, Sunshine

Creating best practices in the morning for the best days outcome!

Every choice you have comes with options. That’s why we call it a choice. Life is full of choices. Even the decisions or ‘things’ that seem like you don’t have a choice. You do. And it starts the moment your alarm goes off in the morning. The secret to success begins right here.

Personally, I have always been a morning person. I’ve always enjoyed sunrises over sunsets. It’s easier for me to get going than to wind down. With a new year comes new goals and new hopes. But it starts somewhere else, right? At the start of each new day. Each new sunrise brings new promises and new starts and do-overs. So below are some choices we all have to make a difference in our days at the start of every morning.

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Choice 1 – Do you hit ‘Snooze’ or do you not hit ‘Snooze’? That is the question.
The answer of productive and successful people is No. It’s a choice to make the most of your time and your morning routine. But why? Simply put, studies have shown that disrupting your body’s internal clock and rhythm can cause to drowsiness and possible health problems over time. If your body is used to or even trying to get used to a new time to rise (and especially) shine it needs to adjust, and snoozing can hurt its time to do so. Allow yourself the time you set the night before to get up and rise and grind!

Choice 2 – Should you check your phone first thing when you wake up or not? The simple choice is No. But there is some science behind it. Before I get to the science part, it is proven that successful people know their schedules prior to going to bed (for the day ahead) and also check again before leaving for their day to make sure that nothing has changed. But we are talking about the first thing in the morning. Going from complete darkness to the blue light of your screen. ’If you check your phone immediately when you wake up in the morning, you’re forcing your brain to skip from delta waves to beta waves. This means your brain misses out on those vitally important alpha and theta brain waves, which can set you up for a slew of negative side effects throughout your day.‘ (source: makeuseof.com)
Make a choice to open your eyes, stretch, wiggle your toes, wiggle your fingers, and lay in bed for a quiet minute of meditation before looking at your phone.

Choice 3 – Should you drink water first thing in the morning or not? To answer this simply, Yes. Drinking an 8oz glass of water (room temperature is best) is highly beneficial for many reasons. Not only does water rehydrate your body after sleeping all night, but it jumpstarts your metabolism and helps get your body ready for the day. If you enjoy herbal teas (which I do!) enjoy a tea or light smoothie after a glass of refreshing water to jumpstart your morning! *see choice 5

Choice 4 – Do you eat breakfast or do you not? Hmmm…
The answer of those who are healthy and productive is Yes. Carve out time in your morning for a healthy breakfast. Depending on your personal diet or needs, ‘break’ the ‘fast’ with your glass of water followed by a healthy breakfast every day. Like your water, a healthy breakfast will boost your metabolism, encourage a healthy lifestyle such as reduced risk of heart disease or stroke, and also deliver necessary nutrients to the body on a more regular schedule. If time is a constraint, plan your breakfast the night before and make it something easy to grab in the morning. I know as I’ve gotten wiser (not older) breakfast has become more of a staple for me. That old cliché is true – it’s the most important meal of the day!

Choice 5 – Should you or should you not have that cup of coffee? Cheers to all the coffee drinkers out there, because the choice is Yes. Now, if you’re like me (and please don’t hate) and don’t particularly care for coffee, we can look at caffeinated tea as the same thing here. A morning caffeine boost is considered a good choice. But, let’s look at when and how. It’s suggested that about 90 minutes after you wake up is best for your cup of Joe or tea. That’s because your adenosine levels have risen and allows you to actually get the fullest effect out of your cup, producing your most enhanced alertness for your best morning! 

Choice 6 – When to get up? Should you get up early or sleep in? The best choice for the best results is Get Up Early. The old adage goes, ‘The early bird gets the worm’ is absolutely right. Those who get started with their day first, are less prone to procrastination, and more apt to setting goals and achieving them. You also have more time to get things done or have more time for yourself. If you travel to an office or out of the home on a regular basis, rising early can reduce stress as well by spending less time in traffic during high travel times. I encourage you to research the benefits of this on your own because there are lots of proven benefits. When I was younger I was a figure skater and a dancer and my trainings would be early in the morning, so my body clock seems to have set itself for the morning. I love the peace of the morning just before everyone else seems to be awake. There’s a hush, but a stir at the same time. You can feel the Earth’s energy – it’s magical.

Choice 7 – Should you or should you not be prepared for your day? Yes. That’s a choice I hope each of you make every day to do. As long as you can prepare for it. The days where we can relax and have nothing to do and nothing to prepare for – those are the blessed days we love! But of course we are talking about the other days. The other days in between the days of relaxing and mediating. Those are the days we have to prepare for. The best way to prepare for the day is preparing the night before. Don’t be rushed the morning of. As I mentioned previously in choice 2, successful people know what’s coming tomorrow the day before. As best you can and whatever works for you, make an effort to prepare for your day to reduce the stress of allowing the previous choices room in the morning.

I hope we can all have better days and look at each opportunity as a choice and make each choice better and well-informed! Start your day off right! I will look at how to end our days next!

The goal of these blogs is to set intentions and to manifest a beautiful and purposeful life! To find beauty in the ugliest of places and to find light in the darkest.
Come with me on this journey as we discover a pathway to healing, health, purpose and joy!
And remember: Don’t take life too seriously, no one gets out alive!