WELLNESS-If you’re like most Americans, you pop out of bed each morning, check your phone, emails, and social media and then hurry about with your usual morning routines without much of a conscious thought.
It is so easy to fall into this repetitive cycle and while some regularity is important, it may be time to re-think how you begin your day. The morning is quite possibly the most important time of all! How we start our day defines how it will unfold for us. If we begin feeling frantic, hurried, and caught up in the rat race from the day before, it is almost guaranteed that the hours ahead will follow suit.
As a wellness coach, creating a morning practice is something that I emphasize with all of my clients. Taking time each morning to get centered, calm, and for reflection is something that I have done each day for the past 20 years. I am convinced that this practice alone will completely transform your life for the better.
If you’re ready for a change and if you’re looking to improve your life and get in touch with that deeper part of you where all of the answers lie, begin incorporating the following for at least 40 minutes each morning and get ready for a shift:
- Meditation - We have all heard about it, perhaps even tried it, and we know the benefits. But sticking with it can be challenging. Meditation is proven scientifically to reduce stress and re-wire our brains making us happier, healthier, and more centered. Try using an app on your phone like CALM, which makes it easier than ever to commit to your meditation practice. Even 15 minutes per day has awesome benefits. Commit for 7 days and note how you feel along the way.
- Journaling - This is one of my favorite daily practices. Writing gets things out of your head and onto paper. This act alone removes the “clutter” from our minds allowing us to feel more clear and calm. Also by revisiting your old journals from time to time, it will help you to begin seeing destructive or unhealthy patterns and will make you more conscious of how much you’ve grown. Using a journal to list all of the things that we are grateful for also shifts our energy and helps us focus on what is going right rather than on what is wrong.
- Vision Work - If you have read about quantum physics then you’ll know that everything around us is made up of energy. The law of attraction goes on to say that what we see in our minds, believe is possible, and what we desire can and will manifest for us. By taking time each day to visualize and feel the life that we dream of, it messages the Universe to get busy bringing us all that we desire.
- Prayer - While I am not a religious person, I do believe in a Higher Power. Regardless of what your beliefs, taking time to connect to the Source no matter what you call it is vital. Not only take time to ask for guidance and assistance, but give thanks too for all of your current blessings.
- Uplifting Words - I’ll repeat, how we start our day defines how it unfolds. Reading uplifting books or watching videos filled with inspiration, hope, and optimism first thing in the morning sends our subconscious mind messages of positivity throughout our day. It’s so easy to get disconnected from the “feel good” energy but when we plug in each morning, it reminds us of one truth; that we are meant to feel good and to live lives filled with joy, hope, health, abundance, and energy!
Creating a morning practice has never been more important. With the increase in daily distractions, negativity in the news, and stresses of day-to-day life, our body, mind, and spirit is yearning for this vital time to re-charge, re-energize, and re-connect.
(Jay Bradley is an anti-aging, wellness, and lifestyle coach living in Los Angeles. http://www.JayBradleyLifestyle.com. He is the author of LIVE LOOK FEEL, The 12-Week Guide to Live Longer, Look Younger, and Feel Better!)
