How many times have you woken up dreading what your day is going to be like? Often, our morning thoughts are instantly clouded by pending office work, endless emails, tight deadlines, and meetings we’d rather skip. In the turmoil of these stressful thoughts, the one thing we forget to focus on the most is being positive!
All the thoughts perceived as negative spike your cortisol (the hormone that leads to bad stress) levels. If your day starts on a negative note, it is almost guaranteed that the rest of your day is going to follow suit. What you do and think during the first few hours after waking up can heavily impact your mood, routine, and productivity.
It is important that your morning routine starts on a good note. Follow these simple strategies when you wake up, and you’ll be all geared up to be positive and happy!
1. Rest Well To Be Positive & Happy
Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right time can help protect your mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. Sleep is just as important as eating and drinking water. Despite this, millions of people do not sleep enough and experience severe health and focus issues as a result.
The way you feel while you’re awake depends partly on how well you have slept. During sleep, your body is working hard to support healthy brain functions and maintain your physical health. Prioritise a healthy 7+ hours of sleep every night.
2. Prayer & Meditation to Facilitate Clarity
Once you wake up, prayer or meditation is crucial for orienting yourself towards positive thinking. Nothing can be better than meditating for 10 minutes a day for a healthy mind.
Meditation can transform the mind. It doesn’t mean that you have to sit in a particular rigid posture and focus on a single point. The definition of meditation is different for everyone. Simply put, meditation is the art of focusing our attention 100% in one area. MRI brain scans of people who meditate have shown an increase in activity around areas that control metabolism and heart rate. It produces long-lasting changes in brain activity involving attention, memory, learning, and conscious perception.
3. Sniff Your Way Awake
Most of us start our day with a morning face wash, which helps us open our eyes properly. Similarly, the scent you wash with can have a big effect on your mood. Research suggests that lavender can help you relax, mint can stimulate your brain, and citrus can reduce stress. Scrub and sniff away!
Over and above this, a cold shower is highly beneficial. Cold water immersion radically facilitates physical and mental wellness. Regular cold showers provide long-lasting changes to our body’s immune, lymphatic, circulatory, and digestive systems, drastically improving our quality of life.
4. Get Up & Move More!
Exercise is extremely important for a healthy lifestyle. If you’re physically energized, you can devote 100% to any task. Kickstart your day with some good physical activity. Exercise decreases your chances of depression, anxiety, and stress as it helps your body release endorphins—the “feel-good” chemicals!
5. Take 2 Mins to Thank Someone
There is no harm in thanking someone for their presence in your life. People are magnets. When you’re grateful for what you have, you attract more positivity and good into your orbit.
Gratitude is contagious and may be the most important key to success; it has been called the mother of all virtues. Begin your day by putting yourself in a position of gratitude, and you will attract the best that the world has to offer.
6. Listen to Something Uplifting
Everyone loves music! It’s one of the best ways to boost your mood. Personally, I love listening to old Bollywood or Sufi music, and whenever possible, I use an alarm that actually plays upbeat music instead of a blaring tone.
Music helps you find relief from stress. If you start your day with such a great medicine, think how the rest of your day will pan out. If you listen to inspirational or uplifting material right when you wake up, you eventually condition that positive message into your mind and associate it with waking up.
7. Lighten Up The News
Try to avoid checking news channels or doom-scrolling on social media first thing in the morning to avoid absorbing negative content. If you start your day reading about a crisis, you may carry that heavy energy with you for the rest of the day.
Try something more motivational. If you read stories that inspire you or make you happy, you’re guaranteed to have a fabulous day. Try creating a bank of motivational videos or podcasts and begin your day with them.
This has been my personal experience and it has never led me astray! Try these very simple routines and gear up for success. Most importantly, begin your day with a smile!
Hope this helps! Do share your thoughts in the comments below! For more on mental health and emotional wellness, check out Healthy Reads or get these tips directly from your coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.
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