May I ask?
How do your mornings begin?
Ugh!
I understand ... a lot of people have the same reaction.
It's normal to feel that way if you dread the shriek of an alarm, drag yourself out of bed, walk like a mummy to the kitchen for some resuscitation via strong coffee, and continue slowly from there.
It happens.
But what if I could show you a simple way to begin your day with a surge of power and purpose?
There are two blocks to my system. One is non-negotiable and the other you can add or subtract action items to tweak your energetic needs for the day.
Shall I show you now?
These are non-negotiable ... unless there's an emergency of some kind ... truly, do your best to never miss the steps of block one.
In no particular order:
It may sound silly because, of course, you have to wake up.
I'm asking you to wake up and get out of bed. No snooze. No "just another 5 minutes," you get the idea. Eyes open. Get up and out of bed.
According to HuffPost: "You’re throwing off your internal clock by getting up at 7:00 one day and 7:30 the next. And if you’re not waking up at the same time every day, your body doesn’t know when to start feeling sleepy, either, making you more likely to push your bedtime later and further deprive yourself of rest."
Better yet ... wake up at the same time every day for better sleep and more consistent energy levels throughout your day.
This is your chance to start your day with a detox.
According to Richmond Integrative and Functional Medicine, "There are four major processes our body must perform to remove toxins: defecation, urination, expiration, and perspiration."
PS: Please wash your hands afterward :)
There are a couple of variations you can try: a head-to-toe rinse in the shower or washing your face with cool water.
If you go the shower route, there's a simple way to "ease" into it vs. jumping right in.
Set your shower to the coldest temperature.
Gently expose your left leg to the water for a few seconds.
Now, the right leg.
Now, the left arm
Now, the right arm.
It's kind of like playing the Hokey Pokey ... "left leg in ... left leg out ... right leg in ... right leg out ..."
Finally, gently expose your lower body to the water and gradually work your way up to full exposure. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Then you're done.
If it's too much to do all at once, try exposing a different body part each day until you get the hang of it.
According to Runtastic, "A cold shower in the morning does more than wake you up and improve your circulation. Studies have also shown that cold water reduces sore muscles and supports recovery after sports."
There's also a phycological component to it. It's an obstacle to overcome and when you conquer that obstacle, you will strengthen your grit.
If the cool shower seems like too much, rinsing your face with cool water can be refreshing and stimulating.
This one is probably self-explanatory. Again, you're beginning your day from a position of cleanliness. Some say brushing your teeth is another form of detoxing. Either way, it's a good idea to get rid of bacteria that's been building up for the duration of your slumber.
According to The Spruce, there are 5 reasons why you should make your bed every morning:
Plus, if a Navy SEAL Admiral recommends making your bed first thing in the morning, I'd listen ;)
Believe it or not, this amazing morning routine should only take about 14 minutes.
That's a tiny investment for such huge returns ... overcoming obstacles, detoxing, cleansing, lowering stress, feeling accomplished, being more productive, and the list goes on.
And you can begin right away without spending a cent.
Make a commitment, right now, that you'll start your days off with this powerful 5-step program.
You've got this!
Brian
Founder, Redefined Yoga Online
PS: Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog where I share some of my "Block 2" techniques that'll make your morning routine next level.