3 Healthy Habits You Should Be Doing Every Morning
“Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life.” – Yoko Ono
How we start our day is important, but you already knew that. The way we spend those first few moments after waking up often determines the way our day will go so we have to make every second count. Yes, making our bed and brushing our teeth are essential but what else can we do to ensure a “good day?” We want to share with you the three things we do every morning to make sure we have a happy and productive day.
Our first healthy morning habit is all about checking in with us. Before we even get out of bed we like to take a few minutes to meditate. We also make sure we’re not using any technology like our phones or tablets to check the news, social media, emails, etc. Perhaps you would like to lay down or sit on the edge of your bed for a few minutes, set a timer and take some time to check in. Take note of how your body feels, and any aches and pains there may be. Observe your mood, are you feeling energetic or are you dragging this morning? Meditation is about being aware of your mind and body and starting your morning this way will help you plan your day accordingly.
After your brief meditation we make sure to drink a large glass of warm water, lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper to jumpstart our system. Then we open up the curtains to let that good sunshine in and get ready for our next morning routine step: yoga. Or, a good stretch to really wake our bodies up by showing it the care it needs before it supports us for the next twelve hours. Maybe for you this is a morning walk with your dog, a jog around the block or a yoga routine from YouTube.
Whatever way you get your body moving, it doesn't have to be complicated but it's crucial to energize your body, mind and spirit and as we already know exercise increases your levels of endorphins which are our natural mood elevators. For us, we like to do a light yoga routine, preferably a different one each day that we search for on YouTube. We recommend the Lilly Pulitzer Printed Yoga Mat that is complete with a carrying harness if you’re feeling adventurous and want to take your virtual class to the park or even to an outdoor class.
Now we’ve showered after our workout, we’ve brushed our teeth, skincare routine and we’re ready to rush out the door, but wait, slow down because we’re not quite ready just yet. We want to have good energy and radiant vibes before we leave the house so we check in with our loved ones before we leave. We grab a quick snuggle with our kids or our dog or our partners and we let them know we love them and they’re in our hearts. Connecting in this way elevates our oxytocin and serotonin levels and will increase your chances of maintaining a “good mood” throughout the day. Maybe you live alone or you don’t have a pet then call a friend or send a thoughtful text to someone you care about. Either way it's setting a good intention and can only benefit you.
It’s simple enough, right? There’s no big secret and now right or wrong way to go about a morning routine as long as the intentions are positive and beneficial to you. The way we start our day is important but it actually starts the night before with a good solid sleeping schedule. Anything after that is extra and completely up to you to decide but we felt these were three “must haves” for our AM regiment. The rest is up to you!
xo
SS
