What if you could jumpstart everyday with energy, vitality and mental clarity? Imagine showing up to work refreshed and revitalized, ready to take on the day, instead of feeling lethargic or sluggish. You can with “the morning ritual.”
The morning ritual is a technique used by many Fortune 500 CEOs, as well as top trainers like Anthony Robbins. The premise is straightforward: The first 60 minutes of your day sets the tone for your entire day. By carefully designing you first 60 minutes, you can supercharge the rest of your day.
What should go into your morning ritual?
Jump Out of Bed and Smile
Instead of hitting the snooze button again and again, practice getting out of bed and smiling. Even if it feels forced at first, activating your “smile muscles” causes serotonin to release in your brain. About 30 seconds later, you’re actually happier and more vibrant.
Meditate for 10 Minutes
Meditating for 10 minutes is a fantastic way to build up your mental and emotional strength for the day to come. Just sit, set a timer and focus on your breath. People who take on this practice often find they have better concentration and higher productivity for the rest of the day.
Exercise
Exercise for 10 to 30 minutes. Research shows that even 10 minutes of exercise per day can greatly improve mood and performance. Exercise activates many different regions in the brain, including the parts of the brain that regulate memory. For more on how exercise affects the brain, read Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.
Eat a Healthy First Meal
Eating a healthy first meal helps you eat healthy for the rest of the day. After all, once you’ve eaten one healthy meal, it only makes sense to eat healthy on your next meal. There’s a psychological inclination to want to stay on a “streak.”
Plan Your Day
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Before you start your day, ask yourself: what do you want from this day? What would make this day a success? What’s your schedule like? What must you focus on, even if everything suddenly gets busy?
Spend a few minutes charting the course of your day. It makes a big difference.
These are just suggestions. Take the core idea, the idea of planning the first hour of your day, and adapt it to what makes sense for you.