We all know that one lucky person who naturally pops out of bed with a smile on their face. They’re fine with five hours of sleep. They have energy. They’re ready to attack the day every day.
Unfortunately, that’s not us. And it’s likely not you either. You like your sleep. Your bed is comfortable. Your sheets are warm. You want to stay there as long as possible, right? We don’t blame you.
But the reality is that we all have to get up and get going. What if, instead of dreading it, you looked forward to it? What if you flipped the script?
No more sleepwalking through your morning or downing unhealthy amounts of coffee. Nope. What if you finally had a plan to feel great every day?
Now you do. We’ve put together a simple three-step routine that you can follow to nurture your mind, body and spirit the minute you get out of bed.
Say goodbye to slow mornings forever:
STEP ONE: Hydration
Here’s a fact: most people wake up slightly dehydrated. Here’s another fact: most people don’t do anything about it, which compounds the problem. Rather than drink liquids that will hydrate and balance your body, too often people turn to a juice that’s high in fructose or a coffee with cream and unhealthy sugar.
Here’s a better option:
- Pour yourself a twelve ounce glass of water
- Squeeze in the juice from half of a fresh lemon
- Then add a quarter teaspoon of sea salt or Himalayan salt
- Drink
The water hydrates you while the lemon juice provides vitamin C, aids in digestion, boosts immune function and may help regulate your weight. The salt is filled with electrolytes and minerals, while also replenishing your sodium levels for muscle function. Within a few minutes that sluggish feeling will begin to fade away.
STEP TWO: Morning Meditation – 5-Minutes to Declutter Your Brain
The moment you wake up your brain is bombarded with thoughts, feelings, anxiety, to-do lists, mental notes and more. Your mind races to things you forgot the day before, stuff about your family, stuff for work… It’s a deluge you feel like you can’t control and before you know it, you’re overwhelmed and your head hasn’t left the pillow.
Rather than letting your brain run wild, after you drink your lemon water with salt, set a timer on your phone for five minutes and put it on one side of a room.
On the other side, find a comfortable place on the floor to sit cross legged in a traditional meditation pose.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Deep breaths in and deep breaths out. Meditation can take years to master, but for your beginner purposes, focus on a single word that you can repeat over and over. If you’re anxious, repeat “relax.” If you’re tired, repeat “energy” and so on.
Try your best to keep all outside thoughts from ruining your mantra. In the beginning, the five minutes will feel like hours. Eventually, it’ll feel like a matter of seconds. Either way, it often takes only five minutes to clear your mind for the day.
STEP THREE: Harness the Cold
With your body hydrated and your mind clear, it’s time to wake up and seize the day. Nothing is quicker and more effective at jolting your body and brain into a ready-state than a cold plunge or cold shower.
We know. It sounds crazy. But quite often, crazy works. In this case, it works very well.
Cold showers have long been studied for their health benefits, which may include increased blood circulation, improved neurological response and a surge of adrenaline that accompanies a feeling of happiness and alertness.
Start out with a 30-second cold shower on the first day. Then add thirty seconds every day after that and build to two or three minutes.
A 3-minute cold shower will do wonders for your energy level, your mood and your mindset.
