Some people make strange morning routines such as Francis Bacon who preferred to work with a hangover, or Beethoven who counted out 60 coffee beans each morning, and developed his compositions through walking and obsessive bathing. I think everyone should experiment and the strange part is that the strangest morning routines might work best for some individuals such as W.H. Auden who took Benzedrine the way many people take a multivitamin (not preferable). However, I have selected 12 ways to wake up and feel super positive for the day and they are not as strange as the ones I recently mentioned, but they are usual (more or less). Make sure to do them in a row.
1. The no-snooze strategy
I wouldn’t state people as lazy, but hitting the snooze button every five minutes will make you lazy and ineffective. If you are a person who loves to do the “5 more minutes” thing, you should change and reconsider your strategy, or else your positivity will wait for you the next morning (to do the right thing and wake up ASAP!)
2. The burst out
The burst out, or the explosive wake up is what I always do in the mornings. It means when the alarm starts ringing, I burst myself out of the comfort, and in a couple of seconds, the next thing I know is that I am fully prepared and ready for the next 10 routines for positive outcome.
3. Two glasses of water
At first, drinking two glasses of water in the morning seemed like I was immediately going to throw up, but those two glasses, before you’re even wake, is a must if we want our apparatus cleanup. Water fires up your metabolism, hydrates you, helps your body flush out toxins, and gives your brain fuel, and may even make you eat less.
4. Pin motivational quotes
Morning inspiration is always a must. As I wake up, the first things I see are the quotes pinned to the board on the right side of the bed. I will share two of them, and I would be glad if you copy them. “You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.” – Warren Buffet It means that everything takes time. Today we might not be there yet, but we are closer than we were tomorrow. “Don’t find fault, find a remedy.” – Henry Ford Searching for the mistake might take your time and finding the remedy will fix your problem. It’s a great inspiration to fix our mistakes.
5. The motivational sentence
My motivational sentence is like a ritual, and I always write it in my journal. It’s my made up sentence that guides me through bad and resilient times. It’s my own made up sentence and I would like to keep it a secret, but you should invent yours too! Make sure to keep the sentence as your biggest secret so people wouldn’t know where you derive that motivation from. Mornings are one of the best times to remind ourselves of it.
6. Run the blood flow
Running the blood flow is a great thing to do right after you complete the 5 steps above. It means that you should do a simple push-ups and sit-ups routine to activate your blood and circulation. I do 100 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, and a head stand for 30 seconds to run my blood to my head and other way around. This routine has always worked for me. Don’t force to make 100 push-ups the first time. I have done this for six years.
7. The cold shower (optional)
Cold water has a lot of benefits, and number one is that you don’t have to pay for electricity to heat it! Besides the jokes, cold water improves the circulation which means your blood flow keeps the organs filled with warmth and keeps them in healthy shape. It keeps the skin and hair in healthy shape and if you want to remove the ashy elbows you might want to continue showering with cold water. It also makes you look brighter by closing up your pores. The third benefit is that the cold shower strengthens the immune system by moving the body’s blood flow which warms up the organs, activates the immune system and releases more white blood cells in response. Doing this stunt in the morning will blast your awareness and since you did the least thing you wanted to do, what’s going to stop you from succeeding? It’s not a must, but it’s a good try. That’s why it’s optional.
8. The sink routine
Washing our face three times (if we avoid performing the cold shower stunt), brushing our teeth and looking at the guy who is going to be awesome today, is the morning routine that promises. Make sure you look in the mirror and be 100% sure that you are going to be a rock star today!
9. Morning Smoothie or Muesli
Combining a coffee and banana smoothie is great for those mornings when your brain is still thinking of bed but your body is headed to work. With a filling banana and a hit of caffeine, you’ll be set to take on the day. Adding a dash of cocoa powder will make this smoothie extra special. Muesli contains complex carbohydrate and complex carbs are broken down into glucose more slowly than simple carbs and thus provide a gradual steady steamy of energy throughout the day. If we face some long morning work, it’s best to choose muesli over smoothie. Otherwise smoothie is a great choice.
10. Quick breeze routine
Quick breeze routine is where we enjoy a couple of minutes out in the morning weather. It’s best to take the smoothie or the muesli and enjoy a couple of minutes and clear your head, because if we want to run the days we have to start with clear head, morning breeze, and full stomach.
11. Read one motivational or inspirational article
I always spend my morning reading one motivational or inspirational article. I usually use www.lifehack.org as my morning inspiration or I visit my bookmarked websites. There are also plenty of books to start your day, such as Brian Tracy’s “The power of self-discipline”.
12. Schedule or follow the plan
Some craft their plans moon-time, but some people prefer to do them in the morning. If you make your to-do list in the morning just follow it. Since I started making a to-do list, it my life changed my life entirely! If you haven’t started, make sure to add that to your to-do list! Featured photo credit: the endorphins/Moonez via flickr.com
