“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” -John C. Maxwell
With all that’s going on globally – even beyond the menace of the virus – everyone is at risk of being mentally and physically affected.
The ill has made the world experience a new normal: party outfits have now been relegated to only being in closets; online sales and products have skyrocketed; people have been forced to stay at home; education is now being done virtually, even in countries that the lag did not happen; thousands of meetings are now done online; new ideas and habits are being introduced into our daily existence; prices of daily products have risen steeply; extroverts have now been forced to be introverts.
People have lost physical contact with friends and loved ones; countries have been pitched against each other; world leaders are meeting to collectively and individually combat the disaster; over half a million people have lost their lives across the world with millions of people confirmed to have the monstrous illness: and to worsen the situation, it seems like there is never going to be an end to it, like it is just going to be an endless circle of problems, probably capable of ending the whole world. Phew!
This reality is shocking. I am very certain that the person reading this never envisaged 2020 to go this way. No one ever thought that the first six months of the year will be filled with so many battles.
We were all unprepared. If one is not careful, this turbulent phase of problems is capable of getting you into a mentally and physically unsafe state. With the collection of chaos brewing, it can be really difficult to protect our mental state and maintain a high vibration which is a necessity in building a successful and healthy life.
Before I dive into today’s resource I want you to tell me how are you dealing with this mess? Do you have a morning routine in place to keep your mental and physical health in check? Have you been able to make necessary adjustments with your morning routine into the current turbulence? What is your daily routine? Do you think you can sustain your mental and physical healthiness if all of this continues for another four to five months? These are questions you need to sit down and reflect on.
In this article, I will be giving you tips on how you can create a healthy morning routine list capable of keeping you mentally and physically safe, with all that is going on.
The first activity on this routine is;
1. Journal
I am a writer and I know the power of writing when it comes to being therapeutic. When the turbulence of life starts to hit me, I pick up my journal and write out everything on my mind.
Writing out your problems will free your mind and your mental space will be able to carry out other tasks. Now, when it comes to writing, you are not writing out just your problems.
There are many things you can do with your journals. You could write a gratitude list. What are some of the things you are grateful for despite the ill currently ravaging the world? You could also write out some of your plans with regard to continuing your daily living despite the current challenges.
Are you going to introduce new habits for your morning routines? How do you intend to select these habits? What are you willing to let go of? There are hundreds of things you could write about that will help unburden your mental space.
Below are some questions that will enable you to make vital changes in your life despite the current negative surge;
- What is my end goal?
- What’s not working in my current routine?
- What change will be most effective?
- How committed am I to making change?
- How can I make the change that works for me?
2. Get Early Morning Sunlight To Energize Your Body And Soul
To understand this point properly, one needs to understand the concept of circadian rhythms. The circadian rhythm is a natural and internal regulator of the sleep-wake cycle in humans roughly every 24 hours.
Scientists have revealed that the rhythms are in plants, too. Disrupting these rhythms have been linked to many health challenges: premature aging, metabolic issues like weight gain, etc.
Now, the best way to intentionally synch your circadian rhythm is to feed your light-dark sensitive circadian rhythms. Getting some early morning sunlight, serves as a good cue for our bodies with regards to getting energized, following the natural order of the circadian rhythms.
3. Do Some Breathing Exercises
Upon waking up, you can do some breathing exercises. One of the most common ones is the Wim Hof exercise. It’s done by putting your lips in a hollow shape and constantly relaxing it a bit.
Personally, upon waking up, I make sure I do 10 deep breathes every morning, as it relaxes my body and gives me a sense of calmness, capable of helping me start my day energetically.
4. Prepare Mentally For The Day (Visualize Or Meditate)
Preparing mentally for the day is another way to keep yourself safe with the ill ravaging the globe, presently. First thing in the morning, I pray (meditation can work here, in case you do not believe in prayers), and then visualize my goals for the day. This is somewhat similar to having a to-do list but this time, mentally.
Again, we all differ. What works for Jack, might now work for Rose. I love praying first, before doing anything else. For someone else, they might just love reading. So, essentially, it is very important to know what works for you and do it.
5. Fuel The Body And Brain
Your car needs fuel/gas to get started. Without fuel/gas there’d be nothing for the car to start on. So, in essence, fuel/gas is the strength of the car. This is the same thing with the human body.
Your body needs to be well fed to function properly. There is a common statement that your breakfast is the most important meal of the day. To get your day started right, you must eat a balanced diet (lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains).
When your breakfast is right and healthy, it’ll help fuel the body and brain, and you will be able to go on with the rest of your day, with the needed energy level. You can as well fuel your body and brain by investing in consuming positive knowledge and information through books, courses, blogs and materials.
Now is the best time more than ever to consume positive content that will positively affect your life and broaden your perspective on what life and it’s journey truly entails.
6. Hydrate Your Body
One of the best ways to hydrate is to drink one glass of water in the morning after going hours in the night without a sip. And of course, there is the Ayurvedic Technique of adding lemon to a warm glass of water.
It helps to remove toxins in your body, or throat and allows your body to function effectively. Dehydration has been revealed to be one of the causes of sluggishness, especially during the day. So, to avoid being sluggish, start your day hydrated.
7. Move Your Body
This is another important thing to include in your morning routine. What is your exercise routine like? Do you even have an exercise routine? Having an exercise routine helps you stay focused while exercising.
Staying safe does not only have to do with your mental health, it also includes your physical health and so sometimes, you have to get physical. Please note, getting physical does not necessarily mean going to the gym, or having hours of jogging sessions.
You can get physical just by taking a walk every morning. Actually, I would even advise you to take a daily morning walk.
Other options include jogging, dancing, and hard-core exercises. So, as a way of keeping yourself safe in this sensitive season, try to indulge in physical exercises.
8. Make Your Bed
This is another important factor in getting yourself mentally ready. I read somewhere online that some of the world’s most successful people start off their days, by first, making their beds.
It is one of the best morning routines for success. The simple act of making your bed instills the feeling of responsibility upon waking up. And after doing it, you get a feeling of satisfaction. The first feeling, once felt, pushes you to always want to face your goals and crush them.
The second feeling -the feeling of satisfaction- avails you a sense of mental reward. These two feelings are essential to kickstart your day on the right note. As insignificant as it seems, I would advise you to include it in your routine.
9. Have A To-Do List
A to-do list is a list that includes your plan of action for the day. It is like a list that directs your path as you course through your day. Having a to-do list prevents you from giving your attention to things that are not worth it.
If your to-do list does not include visiting the nearest amusement park, for instance, and your friends come with an invitation for you, you can easily turn them down, or shift it to another day. Merely doing that would send a message to the friend that you are disciplined and, in the future, they would make proper plans.
10. Get Enough Restful Sleep
In one of my most recent posts, I wrote on the need to have a bedtime routine. A bedtime routine is a routine strictly meant to be carried out in the evening to help you have a healthy sleep and wake up to a better day. Your bedtime routine is that thing you do before going to bed.
Your bedtime routine has a way of influencing your morning. If you do not get enough restful sleep, for instance, you will never be good enough to even start your day right.
Your bedtime routine is just as important as your morning routine in your journey to productivity. So, I’d advise that you take it seriously.
So, there you have it, guys: 10 best morning routines that will keep you mentally and physically safe. These are daily routines for a healthy body and mind. I hope you have learned how to build a morning routine with this article.
Remember, these tips are greatly needed, especially with new normal caused by the plague. One secret that would help you achieve all of this is consistency.
You have to be consistent at doing them. The common narrative surrounding morning routines is that people doing them are usually very hyped up in the first week of doing them, but then the adrenaline dies off with the coming weeks. Now, to achieve consistency, you would need discipline. Sometime soon, I will make a post on this.
Also, I’d like to hear from you: do you already have a morning routine you follow through? How exactly are you holding up with all of the craziness going on, around the globe? Do you think some things are missing on the list? Feel free to let me know via the comment section, I would be happy to read your thoughts.
ACTIVITY PLAN:
Are you willing and ready to start your journey to having a good morning routine with me? Then this part is very essential for you. Please, go to Page 20 of The AfamUche Self-development Planner (Here: Goal Chaser) and fill in the blanks.
Please, be as thorough as possible. Do not forget that doing all these, is not the only thing to achieving success in your morning routines, consistency is also very key.
FOR YOU:
Hey there! Thank you for reading this article. I sincerely hope that it has been helpful to you and provoked a mental shift in you. Again, with all that is going on around the world, be sure that you are not giving a chance to depression.
Try spice up your mornings and ensure that you put all the necessary things in place. I am rooting for you and by God’s grace, this, too, shall pass. Sending love and light to everyone reading this.
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