How often do you groan when the alarm goes off? Maybe you hit the snooze button and repeat until it’s essential you must get up. Now you’re running late – so you grab a coffee, stagger out of the door still yawning, skip breakfast and start the day feeling rushed and resentful.
Or perhaps you begin your day scrolling through emails and social media before you even get out of bed, so your mind is distracted from the get-go, and you miss the opportunity to start your day on a more positive note.
There are some simple things you can do to start your day calmly, mindfully, and purposefully before you reach for your cell phone. Try these three techniques to get your day off to a better start:
Technique 1: Breathe mindfully and connect to your inner self
Before you get out of bed, before you even open your eyes completely or throw off those warm and cozy covers, take a few moments to focus your breathing and connect deeply to your inner self.
Take three long, deep breaths through your nose, breathing into and expanding your belly, then gently and slowly exhale out through your mouth. Place a hand on your belly so you can feel the rise and fall as you breathe deeply.
Count to yourself and intentionally slow down and deepen your breathing. Then return your breath to its normal pattern, noticing the breath, and the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe. How do you feel after that influx of oxygen? Make yourself a promise that you’ll practice deeper breathing a few times a day when you feel your emotions rising or feel a sense of stress coming on.
Technique 2: Bring to mind your intention for the day
How do you want to feel? What state of mind will support you best? How will you choose to connect with others?
Resolve to check in with, and set, your intention during the day and adjust your mindset and behavior accordingly.
What impact do you want to have in the world today? How can you take the best care of yourself as you go about your daily business?
Set a simple, authentic intention for how you want to be in your day. Make it a positive, straightforward statement – an affirmation. It can be as simple as “Today I want to be kind to myself and others” or “Today I will stay calm and grounded.” Make it appropriate for where you’re at and what you have to do.
Technique 3: Hydrate
You know you need to drink more water. Make it easier on yourself by starting the day with a big glass of water, before coffee, before breakfast, before exercise.
You can keep a water glass or bottle on your night table so you can start the day as you mean to go on – well hydrated! Follow your first glass with another before you have your coffee.
Make your second glass an Ayurvedic drink of warm water with lemon. That is a traditional way of giving you a boost of Vitamin C, detoxing and stimulating your metabolism. Getting your day off to a relaxing and more well-hydrated start is a great way to start setting a new habit of giving your body what it needs to support you through your busy, crazy days.
Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming – incorporate one or more of these techniques into your life for the next 21 to 28 days, and you’ll be on your way to establishing a positive and simple routine to help you start each day with purpose.
