A recent study revealed that more than three-quarters of the U.S. population are having some sort of physical symptom caused by stress. That’s a whole lot of stress! And while different things trigger stress for different people, we can all be proactive and do things to reduce the onset of stress.
Morning is the best time to be proactive about reducing stress, because we are fresh, rested and motivated and mornings are always a new chance for a fresh start. And as we all know, mornings set the tone for the rest of the day.
More and more people are resorting to a meaningful morning practice to dramatically reduce stress, get grounded and connected and be mentally prepared for the day ahead because starting our morning on the right foot before the craziness of the day begins can make all the difference in the world.
Here are our TOP 10 tip to start your morning positively and prevent stress.
#1 Wake Up At Least 30 Minutes Earlier
We know you don’t want to, but hear us out. Go to bed a little bit earlier and set your alarm for some time between 5 and 7am. When you get up at least half an hour before you usually get up, you’ll have plenty of time to avoid stress and calmly do your morning routine, get ready, eat a healthy breakfast and make a plan for the day ahead. The beauty about getting up earlier is that you won’t feel rushed or like you are running behind. You’ll have plenty of time to even get caught up on the news and can be ready by the time you need to leave for work. And you’ll prevent stress by knowing what the game plan for the day looks like.
#2 Breathe in Some Fresh Air
There is just something magical about fresh, crisp morning air, so stop for a moment and appreciate it. It can be extremely grounding and calming. Keep in mind, while breathing has a calming effect on our nervous system, it also affects our lymphatic system and endocrines, our digestive system as well as our immune system, which is why the breath is so helpful in reducing stress and anxiety. A great breathing exercise is to breathe into your belly for the count of four, hold the breath for the count of six and breathe out audibly for the count of eight. Repeat this cycle at least four times and feel your heart rate slow down and get more oxygen into your blood stream, which means that your brain gets the message that it’s time to relax.
#3 Drink a Cup of Tea
Another great way to start your morning is to make yourself a warm cup of tea and then take the time to actually enjoy it peacefully. If you make a cup of tea part of your morning routine you get two sources of relaxation. For one you reduce anxiety because you focus on something familiar and on the other hand, some teas are actually very calming like chamomile, passionflower and kava. You get the anxiety-reducing amino acid L-Theanine, which calms us from the inside when we sit down and drink our tea. But keep in mind, some teas do contain caffeine like green and black teas, which can make us jittery instead of calm.
#4 Meditate
No morning routine to prevent stress is complete without meditation. If you want a morning routine that truly transforms you over time, meditation is the way to go. Sure, meditating sounds easier said than done, but it has the power to make a big difference in our life. If meditating sounds too daunting, stick to the breathing exercise we mentioned above. What’s important is that you take the time to go inward, even if it’s just a couple of minutes. Don’t stress out if you can’t sit still, it will come over time and you will be able to extend your meditation practice in no time.
#5 Move Your Body
Since you got up earlier, why not include a workout to your morning routine. You get a big dose of endorphins to start your day, which has been shown to have a huge impact on being able to reduce stress. Choose whichever workout floats your boat. Whether you take a morning yoga class, lift some weights in the gym or take a boot camp class, it’s a great way to reset your brain and give your metabolism a kickstart at the same time. On top of that you will feel accomplished and ignite a stress-free fire under your butt. An added bonus is that the morning crowd is usually a lot thinner than the evening crowd, so you don’t have to fight for a spot or equipment.
#6 Journal and Prioritize Your Tasks
We all have a million and one things to do in our head at any given moment so take some time in the morning to journal everything you need to do and then prioritize your tasks to see what really needs to be completed that day. This takes the pressure of your brain to have to remember everything and you’ll be a lot more stress free because you organized your day. Ultimately, it allows your brain to be more thoughtful and creative throughout the day, you can minimize distractions and are a lot more productive.
#7 Recite Positive Affirmations
Mornings are the time to build up the day for feeling awesome, so keep a list of positive affirmations handy that work best for you. Positive affirmations can help you to build more self-esteem and it’s a nice way of being inspirational and motivational first thing in the morning. Find meaningful affirmations that are comforting, relaxing and empowering to you and you will be able to powerfully shift your mood almost instantly.
#8 Smell Grapefruit Essential Oil
An easy way to relax is to simply place a couple of drops of grapefruit or wild orange essential oils on the palms of your hands and rub your hands together, moving them back and forth about 10 times. Then cup your hands over your mouth and nose and breathe in and out for five rounds of deep breathing. You don’t need to force a certain type of breath, just let it flow naturally in and out.
#9 Drink a Green Smoothie
A lot of us depend on our morning coffee to get a boost of energy and wake up. And even though it can be a nice ritual to brew your coffee and enjoy it with your morning paper, it doesn’t give you the vitamins and minerals that your body really needs in the morning. Take some leafy greens, veggies and fruits and make yourself a delicious smoothie. It’s a much healthier morning option and gets your energy going at the same time.
#10 Make a Relaxing Playlist
Who doesn’t love to start their day with some music? You can either put on your favorite tunes and sing – or even dance along – or you can choose a calming playlist, maybe even use nature sounds, like the sound of ocean waves, birds chirping or whatever other relaxing sounds calm you down. Choose whatever music fits your mood the best and gets you ready for the day ahead.
If you want to start your day off relaxed, calm and collected, make your morning practice a priority. Keep in mind, we all have to deal with too much stress, which isn’t fun at all while we are hustling through the day and trying to stay productive. So take your time in the morning to clear your mind and take measures to reduce stress to be ready for whatever the day may throw at you.
GO SLOW, TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND SET THE PERFECT FOUNDATION FOR THE REST OF THE DAY
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked