Morning rituals we (almost) can’t live without
Mornings can be tricky. And changing habits can be hard. Here’s a few morning tricks that we like.
1. Exercise
This doesn’t mean we run a 10K every morning, or do an hour of Pilates before starting the day, but, one thing that never fails to start the day off right, is exercise. Whether it’s going to your local gym, doing your physio exercises or a walk around the neighbourhood, exercise has proven to be one of the most effective combatants of numerous psychological and physical conditions.
2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Hydration is key in creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After all, 75% of our muscle and brain tissue is made up of water! Because a majority of muscle recovery happens during sleep, re-hydrating first thing in the morning is an important and helpful part of any morning routine. Bored with plain water? We get it…water isn’t exactly flavourful (or exciting, for that matter). Try adding lemon or other citrus of your choosing to your morning water. We promise you’ll notice a difference in your energy levels, and your muscles will thank you too!
3. Eat a healthy breakfast
We always try to include protein in breakfast and it helps us feel fuller for longer. Blood sugar levels are typically quite low in the morning after sleeping all night, so skipping breakfast keeps our blood sugar low all morning which can leave a person feeling sluggish and very hungry come lunchtime. As a result, it is common to overeat and spike our blood sugar rapidly at lunchtime without eating a healthy breakfast. We are also more likely to fuel our bodies with the wrong type of foods such as simple carbs when we fail to eat a nutritious breakfast.
4. Electronic-free time
In an increasingly tech-savvy world, it can almost feel not quite right being away from your phone, computer or tablet. For this reason, another game changer of a morning habit is having a dedicated period of time (two hours, one hour, or even fifteen minutes — we’re not judging!) to disconnect. In doing so, you might just re-discover some time you’d forgotten you had before technology had such a hold on our everyday lives!
5. Set goals for the day
This morning habit is a game-changer! Setting goals for the day (even better, writing them down) is a great way to maintain focus on the things that matter to you throughout the day. Taking 5-10 extra minutes in the morning to set goals at the beginning of the day allows us to examine the things we need to work on and increases statistical likelihood of achieving your daily goals but simply putting them down on paper first thing! Sounds like a pretty easy way to increase productivity throughout the day if you ask us.
Just about everyone has a healthy habit or two they couldn’t live without. What are some of your favourite daily habits? Let us know in the comments below!
