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I’ll be the first one to admit, I’m currently not a morning person. And I say currently because there was a time when mornings were a lot more bearable. But in the past few years I’ve woken up in survival mode; I’ve grabbed a cup of coffee, fixed breakfast for my kids, and sat down to work. But one day last week, I woke up really early and before the kids did. And for the first time in a long time, I felt super energized, productive, and dare I say it, in a good mood!
Well this got me thinking, what if I started everyday in a good mood? Would I end the day in a better mood? Would I enjoy my day more than I sometimes do? Would I feel better?
I truly believe that how you start your day paves the way for the rest of it. In college, I was always running late, mad I had to get up early, and possibly still wearing makeup from the night before. I was truly terrible at taking care of myself! And now that I have kids, I find that I’m putting myself on the back burner sometimes too.
So how do you change this? How do you start your day the right way? Whether you’re a college student, mother, or business woman, we can all afford to take intentional steps in starting our day the right way.
I believe that these 5 simple suggestions will change the way you look at mornings:
1. Set an alarm everyday. When you wake up everyday at the exact same time, your body knows it’s time to start the day. You’ve most likely gone to bed at the same time, so your body has adjusted to your sleep cycle. Any more or any less sleep may cause a disturbance in your sleep cycle aka make you feel super tired in the morning.
2. A good facial cleanse. Whether you shower in the morning or the night before, you should always wash your face in the morning. Not only is it good for your skin, but it wakes you up. There’s nothing better than feeling refreshed and cleansed and this will prepare you for the day. I am loving the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit I picked up from Target. Neutrogena facial care products are currently buy 3 get one free until 9/12, and 10% off with Cartwheel until 8/29. These products smell amazzzzzzing and make my skin feel so fresh. I always use a moisturizer after washing my face so I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer Pink Grapefruit on top of it. I let it air dry before putting on make-up, which brings me to my next suggestion…
3. Hot lemon water. I’m a coffee addict; it’s the only way I survive sometimes. But I always feel SO much better when I either replace my morning coffee with hot lemon water or drink it before or after my coffee. It’s also really good for your digestive system and is a natural detox, but you can read more about that here if you want to read more in depth! After you cleanse your face, take a few minutes to enjoy your hot lemon water while your moisturizer dries
4. 5 minutes of intentional breathing/meditation. I’m totally of guilty of saying “I don’t have 5 minutes to do that!!” but in reality, I probably do. Before getting out of bed or while standing in the shower, wherever, close your eyes and take deep breaths in and exhale out. Take note in how relaxed and calm you feel and remember this moment throughout the day. If you find yourself feeling stressed out, take another 5 minutes and just breathe.
5. Eat a healthy breakfast. Again, I’m guilty of running out the door with something unhealthy or most of the time nothing at all. But my kickstarting your day with a nutritious breakfast, you’re giving your mind and body what they need to focus and take on the day. Energy people, you need energy! Sit down and eat; a bowl of cereal, yogurt with granola and fruit, an omelet if you have time. But good foods low in calories and high in fiber will keep you fuller longer and won’t leave you coming down from a sugar high like some breakfast foods do.
I wish I could say I start my morning like this everyday, but I’m working on it. I want to pave the way for a fabulous day, and by changing a few small things about my morning routine, I think that could be possible
