Let’s face it. Sometimes mornings are rough. I definitely don’t wake up every day on the right side of the bed. A lot of times I do. And I want to give myself some credit there. But sometimes I don’t sleep as well as I want to. I wake up tired. I wake up grumpy. And I don’t want to greet the day. Am I alone in that? I definitely don’t think so!
I’ve been working on a routine that has helped make my mornings as good as they can be regardless of how I feel when I first wake up. These tips or life hacks were not created by me and they really aren’t that special. Maybe that is why I enjoy doing them. They’re easy to do, and easy to repeat every day because of how it makes me feel. And I’ve noticed the more I do them, and do them consistently, the better my day goes. Immediately.
1. Drink at least 16 oz. of water first thing in the morning. I’m not joking. Drink an entire 16 oz. water bottle. Drink it before you get out of bed and drink your coffee, eat breakfast, or brush your teeth. You’d be surprised how dehydrated your body gets after sleeping for hopefully 6-8 hours. Immediate morning hydration has been shown to kickstart your metabolism, rehydrate your cells, and help your body wake up more in the easiest most natural way possible.
2. Do 60 seconds of activity that boosts your heart rate within 30 minutes of waking up. You may have a habit of going to the gym each morning before work. This is different. Do something for 60 seconds that causes your heart rate to increase. This can be something like jumping jacks or jogging in place. Get creative – it doesn’t really matter. Just do something to raise that heart rate for a bit. Doing so helps your body adapt and improves your heart rate variability.
3. Meditate. There are thousands of free guided meditations you can listen to or download right to your phone. Meditation has so many health benefits it’s worth it’s own blog post. I listen to a 4-6 minute meditation track every morning.
And that’s it. No bells and whistles.
If you’re interested in learning how to meditate, join us for a meditation workshop on Wednesday May 26th at 6:30 PM. Click here to register and save a seat. We only have ten spots available.
Hope you have have some awesome mornings as you begin your days!
In health,
Dr. Cameron