Simple Morning Ritual for Success

You’re either a morning person or you’re not, and if you’re not, starting your day can feel like torture. For night owls who can’t seem to surrender to a reasonable bedtime, the morning struggle makes sense. However, there are those of us for whom it makes no difference how much sleep we get, or the quality of the slumber, morning remains an unfortunate way to have to begin our day…our busy, demanding, multi-tasking, hyper-stimulating, 140-characted, triple-venti-no-foam-two-pump-vanilla-latte kind of day.

The thing is…how we start our day largely determines how we experience the day. Taking steps to set ourselves up for success by crafting our morning experience is a powerful way to own our day.

They say it takes 21-days to develop a new habit. And for optimal success, that we should incorporate only one new habit per month. With that in mind, here is a three-step morning ritual that you can incorporate over a three-month period.

1. Hydrate

Prefill a liter of water the night before and set it aside for the morning. As soon as you rise, pour your first glass and down it. Repeat until you’ve finished the whole liter by the time you leave for work or within an hour—whichever comes first. The vast majority of people on the planet walk around unknowingly dehydrated, especially after a night of sleep. Hydrating your all the cells in your body, but especially brain cells, helps in wakefulness, energy level, and mental acuity.

2. Sunlight
   

Step outside into direct sunlight for 10 minutes each morning. If you don’t have easy access to the outdoors, an open window will do. A quick blast of Vitamin D helps to regulate mood and ward off depression and anxiety. Additionally, our bodies are attuned to the rising and setting of the sun. Soaking in morning sunlight helps to align you with your circadian rhythms which lets your body know it’s time to be awake.

3. Movement

Nighttime is a time to be still and daytime is a time to be in motion. Taking 10-20 minutes in the morning to move your body will increase circulation, stimulate your internal organs, boost immune system, and raise your metabolism. It doesn’t need to be a full high-intensity workout. Even gentle movement like stretching, walking, yoga, or Tai-Chi, have significant benefits. Getting into our bodies also gets us out of our head. A clear mind helps us to function at a more effective level through the day.