Start Small: 7 Morning Rituals for A Happy and Healthy Day

One of the greatest pieces of advice I have heard about starting my day right was to start small. You set the tone for the entire day by taking and improving on one small step after another. Over time, these small steps will turn into habits that benefit your mind and body, and also help you accomplish more throughout your day. Sounds good, right? Read on for some Happy & Healthy Morning Rituals we all like to practice here at MindPlace. Note: these are small steps, add one, or all, but also feel free to take it slow and no pressure.  

1. Drink Water

After sleeping for several hours, our bodies need to rehydrate and flush out toxins. Drinking water in the morning has been said to help rid the body of toxins, improve metabolism, strengthen immune system and improve complexion and skin radiance. It will also help you wake up and keep you hydrated through the day.

2. Write Things Down

Journaling or simply listing your day’s task will help you capture your thoughts on paper. This helps clear your mind, process your emotions and focus on your goals. It can also encourage progress because you will have a record of your thoughts and actions that you can later evaluate. 

3. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is intentionally becoming aware of your present thoughts, feelings and surroundings. When you wake up, remember you are waking up to a new day and pay attention to the simple morning sensations. Try sipping your tea or eating your breakfast slowly with intent on tasting all the different flavors. You can also take the time to pay attention to your senses or your body movement. Experience life, emotions and the simple joys that make your days worthwhile. 

4. Meditate

Surely you have heard about all the health benefits of Meditation. It is a wonderful practice for the mind and body no matter what time of the day you engage in it. However, meditating in the morning can be very beneficial to setting a clean mental state so you can conquer the tasks of the day ahead. Pick an app, download an audio track, or slip on your Kasina headphones and choose your favorite session. The Kasina offers a folder title Accelerate that has 6 guided meditation tracks for morning motivation.

• Before Learning - Designed for use before class, studies, this starts at 9 Hz and targets 4.5, 7.83, 11.25, and 18 Hz.
• Cheer up - Starting at an alert 12 Hz, Cheer Up steps up to a vigorous 35 Hz before making its way back to a calm 10 Hz.
• Create - This session moves between 7, 14 and 10 Hz, and is intended to encourage novel thoughts from the subconscious to emerge for conscious consideration.
• Energize - Stepping up from 15 Hz to 30 Hz, Energize promotes alertness and vigor. Not recommended before sleep.
• Focus - Repeatedly ramps between 12 and 16 Hz, minimizing tendency to be distracted and promoting a flexible working state.
• Wake - 18 Hz throughout, you many not need coffee or tea after this session. Not recommended before sleep.

When meditating, concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in, quiet your mind, watch your thoughts for ten minutes. That’s it. Nothing more. Everyone has ten minutes. Start there. 

5. Stretch

Get your body moving first thing in the morning to alleviate any tension or neck and back pain from sleeping. It will also aid circulation and increase oxygen to the brain to make you sharper. 

Did you know that stretching is also known as a keystone habit? This means it is one of the few habits that will create ripple effects on other areas of your life. It can help you gain confidence, develop focus and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

6. Express Gratitude

Ok, just so you know, this is not just a self-help trick. It is backed by science. Expressing gratitude has been found to improve psychological and mental health. Say what you are grateful for out loud, maybe to your dog or cat, or write it down in a gratitude journal (even if it is an old spiral bound notebook). Doesn’t have to be fancy or take long, but just a little bit of time spent on this will make a world of difference.

7. Wake Up earlier

Why wake up earlier? For one, it will help you accomplish some of the earlier mentioned morning rituals. Waking up earlier will give you a no-distractions opportunity to drink water, write things down, practice mindfulness, meditate, stretch and write in your gratitude journal. It will basically give you a head start on your day ahead, before anyone else can ask for your time. 

Small Steps and Consistency

All of these morning rituals can be practiced on their own or together as one big Happy & Healthy routine. Following the path to a healthier, stronger you starts with a single step and the decision to try. Setting the morning off on the right foot can shape your entire day, helping you to make better health decisions. The most important thing to remember is that starting now is always better than tomorrow.

Do you have any morning rituals to add to this list? What are they?