Starting Your Day Off Right
I know for many of us, as soon as we hear the beep beep beep from our alarm immediate dread starts to fill our bodies from head to toe. We begin to think of everything that could go wrong with our day and the long list of to-dos that must get done. But what would happen if instead we thought of what could go right?
We have the power to choose our attitude and our attitude in the morning depicts what the rest of our day is going to look like. If we wake up grumpy and worried, chances are our day will feel long and drawn out and a whole day will be ruined just because our attitude wasn’t in the right place. When we change our perspective we give our day the possibility to be amazing and that in itself lets us flourish.
I always try to start the day on a positive note because then you are putting in as much effort as possible to have a good day. I wanted to share a few of the things I do to make my mornings great!
Instead of having a loud annoying alarm, I set my alarm to my favorite song so I can wake up and jam out. I’ve found that I like waking up to a song that is super up beat and that I can sing along to.
I know everyone reading this is going to roll their eyes, but try to stay off you phone in the morning. Looking at your phone and social media can trigger jealousy, anxiety, and more and that is not how you want to start your morning. Some people use their phones as a way to slowly start waking up their bodies, instead either try to immediately turn on a lamp or light or meditate.
The first thing I do after I turn my alarm off is smile and say “Today is going to be an amazing day!” When you start to tell yourself how you should feel, your body and mind will eventually catch up.
Washing my face at the beginning of my day helps me to get energized and feel refreshed. As soon as the water hits my face, all of my exhaustion slides away.
As I have mentioned many times before, meditation is one of the best ways to start your morning off right. Breathing calms my nerves and allows me to compartmentalize and think of the positives of my day. I set my intention for the day. My intentions are never about school or what I need to get done, instead I focus on my attitude. For instance, if I have a test that day, my intention might be to stay calm and breathe through the day.
Making my bed makes me feel like I have already accomplished something and it makes the whole space around me feel so much cleaner. I just wanted to mention though that I never ever used to make my bed until a few years ago. I thought making your bed was useless, but since I have learned how much better it makes me feel.
Stretching even for a few minutes gives me time to release any knots in my body.
One of the best parts of my day is doing my morning affirmation. I stand in front of my mirror and repeat “I am beautiful. I am loved. I am smart. I am strong. I am brave. I am powerful. I am worthy. I am enough.” I say this three times and these words make me feel like I can take on the world. I end my affirmation by saying “today is a great day to have a great day, go slay the day.”
As many of you know, I am an extremely anxious person and my brain is constantly working. In the morning, I have made a rule for myself that I am not allowed to think about anything that needs to get done. Whether that be school, ACT, Ellavate work, etc. This has helped me create a positive and relaxing time in the morning for me to just simply be with my thoughts. On the same note, I leave my phone in my room until after I eat breakfast to ensure I eat in peace without any interruptions from technology.
After breakfast though, I enjoy listening to my favorite podcast while I prepare for my day. My podcast has made getting ready and driving to school so much more fun. I listen to the podcast, Wild Til’ Nine.
I always think of one part of my day, unrelated from school, that I am excited about. I challenge you to think of one positive part of your day every morning.
The more positive you make your morning, the more likely you will be ready to take on the day. Try to get out of bed with a smile!