The Simplest Way to Upgrade Your Life
I've been starting my days with a 3-hour intensive yoga class starting at 6am the past two weeks.
And as soon as I started, my weeks suddenly just felt...better. I felt more connected. More aware. More happy. More relaxed. More creative. More lively.
On paper, it might seem like I'd be more tired because I'm waking up a few hours before I normally do on my work-from-home schedule.
But that's not how energy works.
It's like how once you start exercising more regularly you suddenly notice you feel like eating more nourishing foods, as if by magic. One positive shift positively affects the whole.
So getting up earlier to do something that fills you up tends to end up giving you more energy during your day, not less.
And how you start your day sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Like the spiritual adage says: As in the beginning, so in the middle, so in the end.
You know how you've always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? I think that's true, but not only for the reasons old school dietitians tout.
Momentum picks up or inertia settles in based on our first thoughts and actions of the day.
So setting an enlivening tone first thing in the morning is a simple but powerful way to shift gears upward for your entire day.
Tony Robbins is famously known for starting his day by soaking in a jacuzzi and then taking a cold plunge into a pool of 57 degree water to "reset his nervous system".
But your morning ritual doesn't have to be so extreme to be powerful.
Keep it simple. Find a routine that feels good to you and rinse and repeat every morning.
If your current M.O. is to roll out of bed and let your days have their way with you, here are some simple ideas to jumpstart a more joyful (and mindful) day.
Keep a gratitude journal by your bed. First thing when you open your eyes in bed in the morning jot down three things you're grateful for.
Keep an inspiring book by your bed. Flip open and read whatever passage you land on before you get out of bed.
Set an intention for your day. Add it as a reminder to pop up on your phone a few times during the day or write it on a post-it in a visible spot.
Create some time for quiet, whether it's to meditate, eat breakfast, or sit on your porch with a cup of coffee or tea.
Listen to something inspirational on your way to work. Load up your phone with podcasts or guided meditations for the train.
Make time to enjoy an intentional, nourishing breakfast. Sit down while you eat. Take mindful bites, expressing gratitude for each.
Move your body. Maybe that means getting to bed early enough to wake up in time to go for a run or walk or to the gym before work; maybe it's a few sun salutes; maybe it's dancing to your favorite song.
Envision how you want your day to go in your mind. See it, feel it, believe it.
Pray. (Whatever that looks like for you.)
Set a mantra for your day — a phrase that feels resonant and empowering to repeat throughout the day. Write it on your inner wrist as a touchstone.
Take a few conscious breaths with your hand on your heart.
Smile at yourself in the mirror. (Yes. Seriously. Try it.)
Don't open email or touch social media until you've done your grounding morning practice.
As you shower, rinse yourself with well-wishes and gratitude.
If your current morning ritual is a less-than-energizing one, let your intuition point you toward one or more of these ideas – or your own that's calling to you – to try.
The more intentionally you start your morning, the more intentionally you'll get to live your days.
And the more intentionally you live your days, the more joyfully you'll get to live your life.
Cheers to your new day,
Lots of Love,
Melissa
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