It’s a new year, and with a new year comes the opportunity to start a clean slate, start fresh, upgrade, uplevel, and upstart your mindset, attitude, routines, and habits. In this post, I am going to offer some of my up-leveled habits to weave into your daily routine that will upgrade your mindset, your metabolism, how you feel, your immune system, and your energy level. Life requires showing up, and it is our job to make sure we can do so, and by placing priority on self-care, we can show up with presence, optimism, and grace.
Setting a Mindful Morning Routine:
Setting a morning routine that complements your unique life situation can reduce stress, increase energy, improve focus, increase productivity throughout the day, and most importantly you will fit in time to take care of yourself.
If this means you have to set the alarm a little bit earlier or set boundaries around the time and space you need then work with the people you live with to create space for yourself. Your morning routine can be as short as 15 minutes if it allows you space for yourself. Here is what my morning routine looks like:
Hydration- as soon as I wake up, I drink a 32-ounce bottle of water. Your body has just gone 6-10 hours without hydration, and the longer you wait to start hydrating your body, the harder it is going to be for your body to catch up. Drink water upon waking will also jumpstart your metabolism and support healthy digestion.
Affirmations and Meditation- The next task in my morning routine is positive affirmation and meditation. Every month I write out an affirmation that is supportive of current life circumstances that I read aloud every day. To follow this, I set a timer and meditate for 10-15 minutes. If meditation is new to you, start with 2 minutes, and work your way up. Give yourself the space to check in with how you are feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Movement- I incorporate movement into every day, and for me, the best time is morning, so my morning routine usually consists of yoga, a walk, or strength exercises, and/or stretching. Getting your body moving for even just 10 minutes to stretch, will shake of morning stiffness and set the stage for an active day.
Exercise- If fitting movement into your morning routine is hard for you, find a time that works best for your energy levels and patterns. The type of movement that you choose should feel good in your body, not like a punishment. If this is a new pattern for you it may take some time, and trial and error for you to get into a rhythm. There are a variety of classes and options at Destination Health.
If you want support with your new wellness routine the staff at Destination Health can help!
-Kristen