Start Here: 5 Morning Practices to Support Your Best Day Ever
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde
Lately, my schedule has been erratic. We’re living in temporary housing while we build and some of my nourishing daily routines have taken a back seat. But, the one thing I stick to as much as possible—no matter what’s going on—is entering the day intentionally.
Why? Because as a self-care evangelist for the last 25 years, I’ve learned that how I “enter” the day is how I “do” the day. The state of BEING I cultivate first thing in the morning has an enormous impact on how I connect, lead and relate to others throughout the day!
Do you flop, race or ease into your day? If we take a bit of time to make conscious choices, our morning time can set the course for how creative, positive, productive and happy we are in the hours to follow. How we begin our day is key to everything.
Here are five simple things I try to do each morning to support a great start (if your current morning routine includes a large dose of news and a carafe of coffee—be gentle with yourself; start with baby steps):
- Ditch screen time and become comfortable with silence (or classical music). Be judicious about your media diet and who you allow into your head—especially for the first hours of the morning. Often, we get our best ideas shortly after waking. Give yourself some time to ease into the day without added mental clutter and unwanted noise. This can feel strange at first, but over time, you may crave this quiet. From stillness comes discernment.
- Stretch or do some gentle yoga before you get out of bed. Every morning I lie on my back and fold my right knee gently into my body, then alternate and bring in my left, stretching the opposing leg while taking deep belly breaths. Then I bring in both knees and gently rock side to side (great for the kidneys, adrenals and digestion). Want more? Read my blog post on why I do yoga.
- Drink a cup of hot water with lemon shortly after waking. This practice aids digestion, hydrates, flushes out the lymph system, helps detoxify your body, and boosts your metabolism. Even if you’ve got to have your java jolt, try starting with warm lemon water. Read more about the many benefits of this practice here.
- Pause and enter your day intentionally. Ask, “How do I want to BE today?” I believe this is the MOST important tip. Whether you meditate, pray, read an inspirational passage, journal about what you’re grateful for or choose a one-word intention that calls to you, taking time to enter your day thoughtfully and with intention has huge pay-offs. The benefits will be felt for hours to come.
- Give and receive morning hugs. Make a conscious choice to choose love over fear and embrace the benefits of hugging. Expressing care to your friends, pets and family members in the form of warm, safe touches and hugs has an enormous impact on your physical and emotional well-being and stress level. This is one of the fastest ways to release oxytocin (the cuddle hormone) and to feel more connected to those you love. Read more.
We are creatures of habit. It’s easy to keep doing the same things over and over again and remain in a rut. Perhaps you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired and are ready to experience more well-being and joy? Author Robert Puller says, “Good habits, once established, are just as hard to break as are bad habits.” For me, it always comes back to the question, “How bad do you want to feel good?”
Warmly,
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Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by transformational coach/author/speaker and self-care evangelist Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women live more intentionally and find balance through the art/science of self-care, Renee has been facilitating high-impact, interactive workshops for Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits/conferences and organizations/teams worldwide for 25 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Good Housekeeping, US News & World Report, AARP, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 450 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups/retreats based on her pioneering self-care curriculum. She’s the author of several books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Renee and her husband live in Western North Carolina and they have one son in New York City. Her latest venture is Wild Souls Nature Adventures. More on Renee here.
