Mornings, or whatever time of day you get out of bed, set the tone for the day. Most mornings ooze chaos, and so it is from dawn and well past dusk. Amid kids, pets, work, poor sleep and bills, it’s a miracle any of us remembers how to breathe. But either way, your morning is a pattern of habits, good or bad. Whether or not you think you have time for much of anything in the morning, you can always dump the undesirable habits and replace them with good ones. After all, some good habits take just as much time as their bad counterparts.
For a better day, try instilling these energy-boosting habits into your daily wake-up routine:
1. Meditate
The benefits of meditation are numerous: It helps to diffuse the stress bomb, screen the noise our busy minds create, and block out negative self-talk. And a morning habit of meditation helps you slip into a “go with the flow” mindset, making it easier to deal with the challenges the day ahead of you will bring. Spilled coffee, screaming kids, traffic jams—these frustrations will be more likely to roll right off your back if you include a few minutes of meditation every morning. You might roll your eyes or cackle at the idea of having enough time in the AM to meditate, but you don’t have to be too elaborate with it. Consider meditating before you even get out of bed, even just for five minutes or so (you might need to sit up to avoid falling back asleep).2. Unplug
Upon waking, don’t immediately reach for your smartphone. The onslaught of chirpy notifications piles on the stress and loads your brain up with demands, often before you even leave your mattress. Instead, keep a journal near your bed to write down the dreams you had last night, an epiphany or a new idea, or a list of self-affirmations. If you have kids that like to jump on your bed first thing in the morning, jot down and talk about your dreams together. Give yourself a chance to be you, first, then deal with the demands of the outside world. It will help you start the day out on a positive, confident note.
