Savvy Ways to Get Your Morning Going
By Sandy Schroeder
Most of us agree, if the morning gets off to a flying start, the rest of the day may turn out OK. What the morning launch looks like depends on you, but fueling the body, focusing the mind and fitting in some exercise may feel pretty good.
Focus the Mind
Get up 15 minutes early to just sit and sip your coffee to begin the day.
Meditate – Take a few minutes to prepare for the day, clearing your head and shaping your focus with a simple meditation. You may feel stress, and anxiety lifting as you try out a simple breathing exercise, explore mindfulness meditation, or do a few yoga poses as a moving meditation. See what appeals to you.
Review your schedule – Look over the day and spend a few minutes discussing the day with your family, nailing down any last-minute changes to confirm where everybody will be. Hopefully this avoids a lot of hysterical follow-ups later as the day unfolds.
Let your calls and emails wait – Early morning is your time for you and your family. If you can, let your emails and other messages wait until you get to work. If not, run through the messages and respond to critical ones, responding later to the rest, dealing with them as a batch.
Fuel the Body
Nobody runs well without power.
Eat the best breakfast – Enjoy a homemade egg-on-a-muffin with coffee and juice, or fix a bowl of hot old-fashioned oats swirled with dark chocolate cocoa and topped with a scoop of Greek yogurt. Define your favorites but make sure there are enough nutrients to carry you through to lunch without a single donut. Make sure everybody at your house starts the day with their choices in healthy breakfasts.
Fit in Some Exercise
An early morning fitness boost may make your day.
Early morning walks, runs or jogs – Getting up a little early may let you do a loop around the block or take a short run to the park. The people that I know who do those early morning exercises always look a little smug, and usually manage to power through the whole day.
Fifteen-minute breaks mid-morning – If you cannot fit exercise into the morning routine at home, make it a must mid-morning as you begin to sag. A quick 15-minute walk may do a lot more for your mental clarity than a double espresso.
As you remodel your morning, try out a lot of different options to find the ones that please you. Those options may become lasting habits that just keep working.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Flower Mound, Tex.