What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Do you check your cell phone, worry about yesterday’s problems, or find yourself grumbling about all you have to do? If so, you’re waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
If you are having trouble controlling your thoughts, I suggest you start a simple morning routine that you do in bed. Eye exercises, mouth exercises, or breathing exercises are ideal for this. Other ideas are reading, listening to a podcast, or even some stretches before exercise, which can all be done in bed. This gets your mind thinking about the habit rather than all those negative thoughts. Whatever you do, find a way to control your thoughts by having other thoughts take over the automatic negative thoughts that may be haunting you. Don’t be in a rush to get up and allow yourself to wake up slowly.
The first thing you do and the first thoughts you allow yourself to have can truly set the tone for the rest of your day, so it’s important to be mindful in your first waking moments. Moreover, you think when you wake up is the last thing you were thinking when you fell asleep.
Below I am going to share some things which you need to keep in mind after waking up.
1. Snoozing your Alarm
When you push the snooze button on phone you are giving an unconscious signal of Laziness to your brain. Now your full day in the office is going to be full of laziness. you surrendered before your first task of the day now you will do the same for the rest of your day.
2. Wake up gently
Instead of hopping out of bed in the morning, give yourself an extra five or ten minutes to wake up gently. An alarm can be jarring, so set your smartphone to play happy, upbeat music or a soft chime, or consider getting an alarm that uses ambient light to help you wake up more easily.
3. Take a hot shower
Taking a hot shower is too much relaxing, it makes your heartbeat slow which makes you lazy. Instead, opt for a coldish shower, it will make you feel fresh for rest of the day. Taking a cold shower also makes the immune system strong.
4. Don’t check the phone in bed
As soon as you wake up you want to scroll Instagram and check what messages you got on WhatsApp. When you start the day by looking at your phone, you crave to check what you missed each morning. Also, your day starts as a comparison with other people’s lives. It dampens your fresh mind which could otherwise be used to accomplish fruitful things.
5. Smile after waking up
Simply smiling can change your mood and your outlook. Smiling increases endorphins, neurotransmitters that relieve pain, heighten self-esteem, create feelings of wellbeing and mild euphoria. It’s hard to feel down with a smile on your face. When I wake each morning, the first thing I see when I open my eyes are my dogs, mack, and sam. I can’t help but smile when they lie next to me and give me a good-morning kiss. If you don’t have an animal, surround yourself with your favorite things like pictures of a memorable trip or special family members.
6. Plan your day.
Before you get out of bed, let your mind wander. Envision what you’d like to accomplish for the day. Think about a task you have been putting off and formulate a simple plan to get started on it. Carve out some “me” time to do the things you like to do, like a mid-afternoon walk or a workout at the gym. Choose the positive outlook you want to have and set your frame of mind in that direction.
7. Stretch.
Now that your mind is invigorated, begin to waken your body with a few easy stretches. Body stiffness is all-too-common in the morning. It can be caused by tight muscles following the previous day’s exercise, or may simply be a result of the body’s position during sleep. Even sitting at a desk for long periods can lead to tight muscles when you wake. Light, slow stretching is all it takes to shake off grogginess and limber up for the day ahead.
8. Meditate
It’s easy to fall back asleep if you meditate right upon waking up, so I like to delay it to let the body wake up naturally. You can do activities like:
- Stretching
- Movement
- Exercise
- Yoga
Meditation can make you get grounded and balanced for the day without making you sleep.
9. Make a fresh raw green juice or smoothie
If you want to be super loving to your body, make a fresh juice such as spinach, celery, apple, lemon juice, or a hydrating green smoothie. Let that be your first meal for the first 1-2 hours of the day or follow the next step by eating something light.
10. Eat something light
Who came up with the idea of a huge breakfast? Nothing weighs you down like a heavy meal when your body is just waking up and your digestion system needs to kick in and eliminate the accumulated waste from the body rather than take in a thousand calories! Have a light breakfast. Very, very light. Eat again in a few hours.
11. Read something stimulating
Books require your focus and attention and nothing kickstarts your brain like a short-focused reading exercise. Always have books around, whether on your Kindle or in print.
12. Review your goals for the day
Whatever tool or system you use to keep you on task, review your goals for the day. If you do not set goals for the day, start now. Every day, have at least 3 goals. Know them. Review them. Knock them out first thing if possible.
13. Set an intention for the day
An intention is not the same as a goal. A goal says you’ll write 2 blog posts and a newsletter. An intention says you’ll do everything with care, put your best into every task and bring your genius to work. Intention goes deeper than goals.
Hammering the last nail, the brain remembers the last conscious thought you had and reloads it when you’re awake again. Try it for yourself. Read a book about something you’ve never dealt with before. Read it while you doze off. Most of the time, you will remember the details that caught your attention the most when reading the book. It might be a small detail, an incident, or a profound sentence. You will remember it.
Extrapolating on this a bit. The last things you read before you go to bed and the first things you read just after you wake up will remain in your memory very well.
