Morning Routines to Help Ease Anxiety
Its another one of those dreadful Monday mornings. Snooze, snooze, snooze, "Just ONE MORE snooze"... and now you look at your phone to see that you have less than 30 min to wash up, brush your teeth, get dressed, eat, and mentally prepare yourself for the day. Yet you've barely opened your eyes and you're already flustered, overwhelmed, and anxious for what today may bring. Next thing you know its not even Friday, you're already exhausted and finding it more and more difficult to cross tasks off of your to-do list.
Where do you go from here? How can you make your mornings less of a drag?
Here's the secret... START A ROUTINE!
Having a set morning routine can help you clear your head to begin the day, allowing you to be more productive, setting you up for nothing but success.
6 Good Habits to Add to Your Morning Routine
1. Wake Up Early
Staying in the bed for long periods of time after you wake can have more of a negative impact than you think especially if you already suffer from depression or anxiety. Waking up early is a great way to give time to yourself before starting your day. Getting up, out of the bed to stretch, reading a few pages from your favorite book, collecting your thoughts, or even watching the sunrise once you get up are all beneficial for balancing your mental health. Busier days make it harder to find peace or alone time throughout the day. Starting your day earlier and being intentional about carving out time for yourself will make the rest of your day that much less stressful.
A self care calendar can be helpful for keeping track of your self love journey.
2. Make Your Bed
I know this sounds a little cliche and may even sound like more of a chore than a relaxing addition to your morning. However not only is making your bed beneficial for your your morning mental health, its also a great way to ensure a good nights sleep. A made up bed is a good way to help stay organized. If you practice organization from the very start of your day you set yourself up for success for the rest of the day and even the rest of your room. Having a nice neat bed can encourage you to keep the rest of your room tidy. Sometimes phones, keys, and other important items can get lost in the clutter of a messy bed, so making your bed daily may actually save you some time in the morning. Then when you get home from a long day you can jump in the bed without worrying about moving things off of it to get comfortable.
I've found Egyptian cotton sheets or Silk sheets give me the best sleep at night
3. Drink Water
Before you jump for that caramel latte or your favorite chai tea you should make sure to reach for that good ole hydrating water. Drinking water when you first rise helps more oxygen travel to the brain which increases your energy and drives higher focus levels. If you sweat a lot in your sleep you're subject to lose water. Being that your body is majority water, rehydrating your body in the morning will give you more energy. Not only is water great for hydrating your body; drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning also hydrates your skin, resulting in a nice radiating glow to continue your day with.
Infusing your water with fruits give a good detox boost and more skin benefits.
Tracking your water intake daily will motivate you to be more consistent in your routine.
4. Daily Affirmations
The best motivation comes from within. Its important to believe everything you are and believe in everything you want to become. Repeating daily affirmations can help combat imposter syndrome, fight negative thinking, and reinforce self mantras you already live by. While it may at first seem silly to talk to yourself in the mirror, it is a great way to visualize and believe the affirmations you repeat to yourself and help them to stick in your mind. If you battle with the thoughts depression brings I recommend creating affirmations that promote positivity and accommodation. This'll help reprogram your brain to remove those negative thoughts and replace them with more positive ones.
5. Workout
Skip the snooze and get right to it. Working out in the morning is less intimidating than it seems and extremely beneficial to your body and mind. You typically have less distractions when working out in the morning and it can help clear your mind to stay focused for the rest of the day. Getting a good run in or brief workout before you start your day also encourages you to eat healthier and increases your metabolism helping you reach your fitness goals. On the days you may not have as much time or energy try to opt for a morning stretch or yoga session. Your mind body and even your heart health will thank you for putting in the work in the am.
Sometimes having a personal trainer makes all the difference. If you're anything like myself you may just need that extra push for consistency.
6. Eat a Healthy Breakfast
As I'm sure you've heard before, breakfast is the most important meal of the day... Well why is that? What you first put in your body for the day sets the tone for the rest of the day be it your digestion, your energy and even your mentality. Some people, myself included get really hangry, especially after a long night so breakfast is dire to my daily routine. But what you eat is just as if not important as what exactly you do consume. Foods like bananas, eggs, nuts, and berries help contribute to short term memory. Oatmeal, yogurts, avocado, and spinach are good sources of energy in the morning. A good balanced breakfast is always a great way to set yourself up for success, so even if its starting with a breakfast bar or smoothie on the go its good to include it into your routine.
Try adding sea moss to your morning smoothies to reap the benefits of its amazing nutrients
The key to a successful morning routine is consistency. Re-enforcing a practice of good habits in the morning while removing bad habits from your daily routine will help to ease your mind and rid your thoughts of anxiousness.
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