Beginning with intention and ending with purpose, in our days, our months and even our years, feels like a powerful mindset to embrace. As we enter the last month of the year, we might tend to “hang on” for the holidays, as the general feelings of mental and physical fatigue set in. We may start to think about how next year things may be different or better, and how we might make some better choices in terms of our health, our lifestyle and our habits.
Yet, there is another option: start with simple improvements now, and reap some of the positive benefits when the old year clicks over into the new. It can be immensely empowering to design a positive morning routine, and tailor-make it to suit your lifestyle. You may think that you are too busy or too rushed in the mornings to introduce a routine into your life, but the truth is, you already have one.
The question is, is it a positive or negative series of actions; and is it serving you, and beginning your day in the right way? Hal Elrod, in his bookThe Miracle Morningsays: “How you wake up each day and your morning routine (or lack thereof) dramatically affects your levels of success in every single area of your life… Ensuring you get enough sleep to feel energised and rested, avoiding late eating and drinking so your body doesn’t feel sluggish, and keeping work hours reasonable so your mind has time to recover – all of these elements matter and can become part of your overall design.
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Mindfulness practice:Gratitude, meditation, deep breathing – anything that works for you to focus your mind, and bring it into the present. Exercise:Moving your body first thing in the day generates endorphins, and mood follows action. It can be five minutes or 50 minutes, but moving always feels good – not always before, or even during – but definitely afterwards. Stretching: Either before you exercise, or a few minutes afterwards, or even for a few long seconds as you wake up, as a practice on its own.
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