There is a Chinese proverb that says, “The year’s planning starts in spring, and a day’s planning starts in the morning.”
If you can win your morning, you can win your day. In this article, I’ll share with you the 10 best morning habits you should consider developing…
1. Wake up early
Research has proven that those who wake up early have shown better mental health symptoms. They are optimistic, satisfied, and feel positive about situations.
It also lowers the chance of mental illnesses which is usually found in those who go to sleep late and wake up late.
Many successful people wake up early…
- Tim Cook wakes up at 3:45 every morning to start work early and hits the gym at 5.
- Virgin Group founder and chairman Richard Branson rises with the sun at around 5:45 AM.
- Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz begins his day with a workout, but still gets to the office by 6 AM.
When you get up early and kick-start your day early, you gain an advantage over other people who are still sleeping soundly.
Read: How to Wake Up Early and Have The Motivation to Get Things Done
2. Enjoy the morning breeze and take in deep breaths
Open windows and let the fresh morning breeze and light into your room or home.
Make you pause for a moment and take in some fresh air through deep breathing.
This will wake up you, make you fresh, and let your body and mind know that it is time to get up for a great day.
According to Ayurveda, your mind and breath mirror each other.
A quiet mind leads to a quiet breath. A turbulent mind leads to disturbed breath.
You see, early morning is a special time of day.
The air is still and fresh, the birds are singing, and nature is priming for a new day. And your nervous system is built to respond the same way – ready for renewal.
Even if you are living in the city, there is something pure and special about this time of day.
So, practice deep breathing every morning.
The more you tune into the energy of the morning, the better you can set the tone for the day.
3. Make time for meditation and affirmation
Meditation is powerful because it causes shifts in our awareness. In short, meditation lets you become more aware and purposeful about your actions. It teaches you how to respond, rather than react, to situations in your life.
In fact, many extraordinary people credited meditation as one of the keys to their success.
Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of Huffington Post and CEO of Thrive Global says she meditates every morning. This was what she said in an interview:
“Once I’m awake, I take a minute to breathe deeply, be grateful, and set my intention for the day. Then I do 20 to 30 minutes of meditation and 30 minutes on my stationary bike, on days when I’m home. I also practice yoga most mornings.”
You can also practice affirmations to help you focus your thoughts on the positives.
Pro-tip: Meditation has been proven by science and research for its benefits and effectiveness. If you want to learn how to meditate effectively, you should check this out.
4. Practice gratefulness and be thankful
Express your appreciation and be grateful for everything you have in life. It helps you feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve your health, deals with adversity, and build strong relationships.
You can start by identifying 3 things you’re grateful for, visualize them in your mind, and feel thankful for them.
You can also start a gratitude journal and list down things you appreciate and keep on adding to the list.
Oprah Winfrey’s morning routine also involves appreciation. She referred to it as “A beautiful way to start the day.”
Read: How to Stop Playing Victim and Start Taking Charge of Your Life
5. Invest time into reading
Great leaders are great readers. One of the best morning habits you can develop is none other than investing time in yourself.
Make time to read. The more you read, the more you learn. And the more you learn, the more places you can go.
Imagine you read a book every month. In 5 years, you will have read 60 books.
And if you apply one small idea to improve your life from each book, do you think your life will be different?
You know the answer.
Commit to reading and make it your habit, my friend.
Read: 20 Best Success Books Everyone Should Read
6. Revisit your goals and dreams
When it comes to setting goals, most people get it wrong and think that it is a one-time process.
No, you don’t just write down your goals once and then forget about them. You need to review your goals and dreams every day. And the best time to do so is in the morning.
When you review your goals, you are reminding yourself of what you’re working towards. It is a great way to make sure you’re still on the right track.
Remember, your direction is more important than speed.
You want to work hard, but at the same time, you also want to make sure you are progressing toward your goals and dreams.
Pro-tip: Goal setting is powerful and it is one of the most important keys to success. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to set goals and achieve them. Check out Goal Setting Formula to learn how to do it correctly.
7. Schedule and plan your day
After you review your goals and dreams, the next best habit is to plan and schedule your day.
You can create a simple to-do list to help you go through your day with productivity. If you want to get the most out of your day, you must focus on your priority.
You want to make sure you get the most result-yielding tasks done during the day rather than wasting your time on menial things that are not giving you any results.
Just like Stephen Covey once said, “Make time for planning. Wars are won in the general’s tent.”
Read: 10 Reasons Why Planning Is Important
8. Exercise and move your body
The Virgin Group founder, Richard Branson is famous for his morning exercise routine. He says he plays tennis, goes biking, runs, and kite surf in the morning.
And this was what he wrote in his blog:
“I seriously doubt that I would have been as successful in my career and happy in my personal life if I hadn’t always placed importance on my health and fitness.”
Most successful people exercise in the morning and make it a part of their daily morning routine.
Extremely successful people like Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, Michelle Obama, etc., choose to exercise in the morning because they know if they want to have a productive day, they need to start their morning with energy.
In her best-selling book, What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, the author, Laura Vanderkam wrote, “These are extremely busy people and if they spend time waking up early to exercise, it must be something crucial that we cannot miss out on.”
Hence, make it your habit to exercise every day in the morning.
9. Take a cold shower
Do you know that cold showers pose several health benefits to the mind and body? The shock brought by cold water puts your circulatory system into overdrive.
Your body increases blood flow to warm your core and protect vital organs. At the same time, it constricts circulation near your skin.
This process stimulates blood flow, which is a good thing for your overall health.
According to research, taking a cold shower first thing in the morning can help you get more done throughout the day.
When you start your day with a cold shower, you are building your mental toughness. Not only that, but it also boosts your momentum for overcoming more challenges later in the day.
10. Take a healthy breakfast
As the word suggests, breakfast means break-the-overnight fasting. Breakfast is often called ‘the most important meal of the day, and there are reasons for this.
A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology concluded that people who don’t eat breakfast are 87% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease or stroke than those who do.
Besides that, taking breakfast can improve your productivity throughout the day as well.
Everything we eat will be converted into glucose by our bodies, which provides the energy our brains need.
And when we’re running low on glucose, we will have a tough time focusing and paying attention to the task at hand.
This explains why it is hard to focus and concentrate on an empty stomach.
Yes, you want to take breakfast, but at the same time, you want to make sure you take a healthy breakfast, not just anything.
Read: 15 Best Tips for a Healthy Breakfast, According to Dietitians
Takeaway
And these are the 10 best morning habits that will surely change your life. There’s a saying…
“If you want to change your life, you need to change your habits, and your habits will change your life.”
Bob Heilig
So, work on developing these habits and you will start to see changes in your life.