Your morning routine will make or break your day.
We know it is important to fill your own cup so you can pour into others and doing it first thing in the morning is the most sustainable way to achieve this.
No matter what happens throughout the rest of the day, there’s no chance that is robs you of your “me time.” It’s already been prioritized.
While creating a habit in each realm of wellness (physical, mental, etc.) is essential to holistic health, that exact habit you implement for each is up to you. This will take a bit of trial and error, but it will be so worth it.
Whatever you combination of habits ends up looking like, ensure its a sustainable, holistic routine that will inspire, challenge, and grow you in the long term.
Making mental wellness a priority is completely essential for a optimized, effective life.
It is of best benefit to you and the world that we continually grow, better ourselves, and optimize wellness. Not just physical wellness (diet, exercise, beauty), but also intellectual, mental, social, and environmental.
1. Environmental Wellness: Make Your Bed
I know this is pretty basic, but the impacts of a clear environment can NOT be overstated when it comes to keeping a clear mind.
Keeping a tidy, uncluttered environment first thing in the morning is vital to an uncluttered mind. It can easily add stress to an already stressful life.
The affects this stress has on the body are devastating to long-term health. Books like Outer Order, Inner Calm & The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up delve into this further. Keeping a tidy living environment is essential to mental wellness.
Making your bed first thing also gives you a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning. It also prevents you from climbing back into bed, and provides some subtle encouragement to start your day.
By keeping a clear living/work space, you are taking steps to obtaining/maintaining a clearer mind.
2. Physical Wellness
Move
Nothing new. But as important as ever.
Not only is morning movement a big feeling of accomplishment, but starting the day off with an endorphin high is quite beneficial for your mental health.
Circling back to a stress-free start to the day… movement is critical. It doesn’t matter if it’s stretching, pilates, HIIT, LISS, or a full blown weight-lifting session. Just move. Stretch. Wake your body up. This is essential to energizing you mentally and physically throughout your morning.
Caroline Williams, author of Move: How the New Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free, and Jennifer Heisz, author of Move the Body, Heal the Mind: Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Dementia and Improve Focus, Creativity, and Sleep, have written phenomenal books with thorough, detailed explanations of this process.
Robin Sharma in his book The 5 AM Club speaks of the necessity of activity in the early morning due to its cortisol-reducing effect.
In short, exercise is not optional for maximized mental health.
Plan it the night before, set out your clothes and shoes, write out the workout, set your alarm, wake up the next morning, make your bed, and do the workout.
Not only will it put you in a great mood, but it will optimize your short- and long-term mental wellness.
3. Spiritual Wellness: Journal
Okay, so far, these may seem a bit boring & predictable. But checking in spiritually is one the most important things you can do for your mental health.
Journaling is one of the best ways to clear your mind and release and mental stress.
Whether you need to write 4 pages divulging every emotion in your head, completing a simple gratitude list, or a prayer, this is a perfect way to invest in your spiritual wellness, promoting your mental clarity.
So much happens in a day. So, waking up and suddenly throwing yourself into the chaos will eventually catch up with you and your mental health. It’s not sustainable. You will eventually crash.
By waking up, and centering yourself, maybe praying, reflecting, and/or venting about the previous day can help prevent stress and negative emotion from building up internally.
By expressing gratitude, emotions (positive or negative), praying, and/or recentering ourselves, we prioritize and optimize our mental health.
4. Mental Wellness: Plan/Organize
Planning your day is essential to preventing stress & procrastination.
To effectively work, you must have a strategy. At least a simple one. At least go into the day with complete awareness of what’s required of you today and what you would just like to get done.
If you are a visual person, try color coordinating your planner into sections. This isn’t revolutionary, but it’s effective. For example, work is blue, fitness is pink, etc.
Planning is not only an extremely satisfying process, but it will allow you to visualize and process exactly what you have to do today vs. what you want to do today.
Maybe you don’t need to spend 15 minutes color coordinating everything. Maybe you just need two columns on a blank sheet of paper. Just find a organizational method that works for you.
Doing this will help prevent stress and procrastination, improve the quality of your work, in turn, optimizing your mental wellness.
