3 Amazing Morning Tips to Make Everyday Happy & Bright
- Holistically Julie
- Mar 31, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: May 13, 2020
I’ve been using this quarantine to create really great daily habits. Now, I feel like I have always naturally been a morning person but somewhere along the years shit went sideways. Getting out of bed was a mission and I did not want to get out one second earlier than I REALLY needed to.
My mornings looked like this:
· You don’t really need to take a shower; hit snooze one more time
· Just throw on a pair of black tights and a sweater; hit snooze one more time
· Toast only takes 2 minutes to make; hit snooze one more time
· No will notice is you don’t put mascara on; hit snooze one more time
I’m laughing at myself right now but these are the legit conversations that would go down, followed by hitting snooze one more time. It didn’t matter if I slept 3, 6 or 9 hours, the morning bullshit was all the same.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing everyday expecting a different outcome:
YOU NEED TO BREAK THE CYCLE!
It might be a good idea to start incorporating these tips on the weekend or your days off so they don’t seem overwhelming and you don’t feel the pressure of accomplishing these things before work, or maybe that pressure is the fire you need to make change. Either way, incorporate each tip one at a time or all at once. Be mindful that this is not creating extra stress in your life and if you feel stressed out by the idea of creating more time for yourself in the morning you really need to stop and ask yourself why. What’s the worst that can happen if you elevate your morning routine? What are you scared you will lose? What are you scared you will gain? Never discredit our natural urge to self sabotage, it’s actually crazy but true.
TIP #1: No Screens for the 1st Hour of the Day
I never realized how autopilot I was in the morning with regards to my emails and social media. I am not even sure when it got so bad, but I would reach for my phone and scroll before I even got out of bed. This tip is all about taking back the day! If you spend the first hour of your day checking emails, scrolling through the gram or creeping Facebook, you can very easily trigger a stress response and work yourself up with everything going on in the world and your to-do list. You start the day by giving your power away and letting ‘someone’ else set the tone for your day. Put your phone on airplane mode, invest in a real alarm clock or just exercise some serious willpower to break this cycle.
TIP #2: Morning Meditation
I wake up, make my bed and set myself up for a quick meditation. 10 -15 minutes is more than enough time to connect to myself and my breathe. If you feel your mind is racing with the to-do’s and plans for the day, start with a Brain Dump. Get it all down on paper and then you’ll have a better chance to focus. I personally use the Calm app, challenging I know as its on my phone and ipad. I download the session that I am doing so that I don’t need to be connected to use them. I put my headphones on to block out any possible distractions and follow along with my meditation for the day. There are lots of great apps and recording for guided mediation (Headspace, Gaia, YouTube). If you can’t handle the temptation of using your phone to meditate and not go on social media keep it simple. Set a timer for 10 minutes and say to yourself: inhale I am breathing in, exhale I am breathing out. Take your time, mindfully breathing in and out.
TIP #3: Lemon Chia Water
Hydration is key after a restorative night’s sleep! I started implementing chia water into my morning routine and prepare it the night before so it’s not extra work in the am. 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, juice of half a lemon and 500 millilitres of filtered water. Lemons helps with hydration and gives you a little energizing boost. Chia seeds add healthy fats, protein and fiber. Many are quick to grab a cup of coffee to kick start their day but are actually further dehydrating themselves.
Change can be tough but remember that it's worth it. You DESERVE to give yourself time, love and attention. That's what an AMAZING morning routine is all about. Setting the pace and focus for your day. In my Daily Gratitude Journal, the comes with my e-books, each day has a daily affirmation and uplifting quote. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the #bossbabes we are! Majority of our days are devoted to other people, our work, our families, Netflix lol, it's no wonder we are so stressed out, anxious and depressed. We are not doing enough to enrich OUR OWN LIVES, and that's the biggest shift that needs to happen. With that the balance, happiness and freedom will come.
Julie is a holistic nutritionist and wellness coach. She graduated from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition and George Brown College, and received her 200 hour yoga teacher training in Costa Rica. Her passion and creativity all came together when she launched Holistically Julie in 2020, a place where she could share her knowledge and help others.
A lover of food, health and wellness, she walks the walk and talks the talk.
"If you want something you've never had,
then you've got to do something
you've never done"
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