Think about the first thing you do once you open your eyes in the morning. Are you aware to why you do it, what the reason for it is, and if its beneficial to your mental/physical health?
These are just some of the questions I continuously ask myself every day. I’m became absolutely obsessed with habitual patterns and understand what they are actually doing for me. ARE THEY MAKING ME BETTER OR WORSE?
Ex: before I hop out of bed, I start by bringing a focus to breathing slowly, rotating my ankles in circles, and rotation my head side to side? Why? Im setting myself up for calm before I stand up while also making sure that my ankles are primed to handle load when I put my full bodyweight on to them when I stand up.
No cell phone exposure for the first hour of the day. I start by making breakfast, treating myself well, and setting my body and mind up for a good day. When I have a bit more time, I foam roll my body and meditate (usually mid day is my favorite time to meditate). Brushing my teeth afterward, followed by a cold shower.
Reason our habits are especially important in the morning is MOMENTUM. Before the day’s responsibilities kick in (work, kids, urgencies, etc), its important to make sure your glass is filled first. Mentally, the exposure and the way you start the day needs to be completely in control by you. Do no view “THE NEWS” (NEGATIVITY CENTRAL), be mindful of the words that come out of your mouth. Focus on gratitude and why today is going to be a great day despite the circumstances that the day brings. BE STRONGER THAN THE DAY. This is all possible when you have a PLAN and HABITS that make you IN CONTROL of your day. This way, the small “BS things” that happen today will not affect you as much, because you have so much more to live for. THE PLAN is stronger than the little stressors of the day. DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF.
You have two decisions every day: Do you want to wake up last minute, heart rate pounding, anxiety racing, Flipping through social media while you’re brushing your teeth, panicking because you feel like everyone else is ahead of you, rushing to get out of the door, late to work and completely mentally exhausted before the day even begins? OR do you want to wake up early enough to look at the day, and tell the day “you’re mine, I’m the CEO of today,” Start it off with some productive self love and healthy habits that set you up for calm and focus. So you can actually walk out of the door, calmly, happy, and in a mindset so strong that THE DAY CAN”T MESS WITH YOU? The choice is yours. Be the average stressed out American, or be above average and conquer stress before it has a chance to attack you. WRITE YOUR PLAN DOWN. DON’T LET THE DAY WRITE THE PLAN FOR YOU. BUILD A FOUNDATION. A PLAN SO STRONG THAT NOTHING CAN PENETRATE YOUR DEFENSE.
I’ve noticed the best public speakers, lowest anxiety individuals, and people who have a strong overall sense of awareness and calm seem to all be really aware of the exposure to technology/cell phone…. It is truly unbelievable what technology can do to mental health… we absolutely have to fight the comfort / habitual response of grabbing a cell phone as soon as boredom, nervousness, or whatever the emotion happens to be kicks in…. When we battle those urges, we develop new cognitive behavior patterns and stronger mentality overall. Think of “what we grab” when ______ happens… instead, breathe through it and face reality. This is a tough dilemma for the technology generation we are in. I have to bring awareness to it every day.
How about the way you sit when you’re at your desk, driving, or at home on the couch? Is it beneficial to your spine health? How about a balance of sitting/standing and moving the body so you can optimize your join health? How about getting outside and taking in some sunlight in moderation on the skin and eye balls so that you can recharge your system and give the body the spark it needs for mental health? How about
Am I a little crazy for thinking this way? Or just absolutely love the idea of feeling my best, getting the most out of life, and living with strong intention and purpose?
I hope this article inspires others to think about how everything starts with a simple habit. Plan ahead. Use a calendar. Decide how you want tomorrow to be a better day. Whatever that means to you.
THE_HUMAN_EXPERIMENT1993 