Whether you realize it or not, there’s a vital time period that starts the moment you wake up.
That span of time has a lasting affect on the remainder of your day, and it can be the difference in your mood, motivation, mindset, etc.
Each one of us has some spark inside that CAN lead to success, but nurturing that spark almost every single day isn’t optional—it’s a requirement if you want to reach your potential.
Here are 5 simple ways to enhance every single day in just 30 minutes or less…
I don’t want to sound like a bad commercial telling you that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day” or something like that. But I do want to make it clear that changing the first 30 minutes of your day can have a lasting, meaningful, and positive impact on your life, and it all starts as soon as you wake up.
Try to do all 5 of these every morning, in just 30 minutes or less, for a week and see how much better you feel and perform…
1) Have a peaceful alarm
Shocking yourself out of REM sleep with a traditional, annoying alarm is simply a horrible way to enter a new day. Right away, that alarm puts you in an irritated mood and gives you more of an “I have to get up” attitude than the preferable “I get to start my day” attitude.
Try a sleep-help app or device that has the ability to use more subtle, peaceful, building alarms. That will help bring you out of sleep in a healthier way, and you’ll be amazed at how differently you feel right away.
2) Give yourself time away from screens
As much as our computers, phones, tablets, etc. help us on a daily basis, they can also be distracting and the subjects of attachment bordering on obsession.
When you wake up, give yourself 15-20 minutes without looking at your phone (as I used to do right away to check emails, messages, etc.), and relax through your morning routine. Tell yourself you’ll check what you need to check in a bit, and enjoy the morning.
3) Step outside
This is one of my favorite things to do in the morning, and it coincides with the time away from screens idea. Weather permitting, take a few moments to go out front or back, just a few steps, and take some deep breaths.
This doesn’t need to take long (just a minute or 2 is fine), but it can go along way toward your mood.
4) Stretch
Although it sounds incredibly simple, stretching (and proper breathing) will do wonders for you overall attitude and how you feel. Again, you only need maybe a couple of minutes to accomplish this affectively, but the impact will last throughout your day.
5) Have a checklist
Through my experience, I’ve found that creating a checklist for the day (something you can do the afternoon or evening before) helps me to not even want to check my phone or computer when I wake up. I can also relax through my morning because I know everything I need to do that day is already set out, and I can run through the list 1 by 1.
So, try these simple tasks out over the course of the next week and see how much better you feel in the mornings and throughout the day. And remember, virtually anything becomes habit after 30 days.
