Mornings are rarely easy, and when they aren’t — we definitely don’t take them for granted. Whether we’re short on sleep, or wake up to a sea of emotions ranging from: anxiety, sadness, loneliness and fear it’s nice to have some gentle tactics to combat the morning blues.
Let’s jump right into the daily habits you need to incorporate in your morning routine:
1. Sunlight
The human body is very intelligent, and naturally raises and lowers certain transmitters throughout the day to preform tasks. In the morning, your body has very low Serotonin, a sleep chemical (that also controls your mood and other bodily functions), this low Serotonin can make you feel groggy, low energy, or moody. The best way, in the morning, to get a natural Serotonin boost is through natural sun rays. Our eyes have Photoreceptors inside of them, like little rods in the retina which catch sunlight and triggers the production of Serotonin. This boost will help you to feel more alert, energized, and happy.
Pro Tip — The same theory works for sleep. If you need to get to bed at a certain time, turn off all the lights. This absent of light reacts with those same Photoreceptors in our eyes; causing them to produce the sleep chemical Melatonin.
2. Hydrate
Humans are recommended to sleep an average of 8 hours every night — that is a long time to go without any water consumption. Before you grab for your morning cup of coffee, shower your body with what it desires most, hydration. ~500ml of water upon waking is essential for proper function of our Brains. It helps to flush the kidneys, plump the skin, lubricate our joints, spinal cord, enhances our metabolic rate assisting in weight loss, reduces inflammation along with the feeling of pain, and; if that wasn’t enough, it helps spread vital oxygen throughout the many systems of out body.
3. Music
Music sparks something inside of us, it’s a frequency that our cells understand. Waking up to our favorite tunes has show to increases levels of Dopamine, a “feel good” neurotransmitter which helps to elicit feelings of Joy, Excitement and Happiness while lowering the stress inducing hormone, Cortisol.
4. Movement
You definitely don’t need to go for a run, or even leave your bedroom to incorporate movement into your morning ritual. Something as simple as light stretching will help to take pressure off your bones, loosening your muscle fibers and lubricating your joints to help ease inflammation, pain and overall tightness. This is a moment for tuning into your body while helping to move the vital life source, Qi or Prana, throughout your entire system. When holding stretches, it’s important to breathe — in and out — to guide the energy. There is no need to rush, especially if you’re new to this practice. Be gentle and start with only five minutes to ease into the habit.
5. Meditation
Meditation is about checking in with your mental health. It’s seeing who is in the driver’s seat for that day. So, ending your morning rituals with a quite meditation can help to spark a positive mental attitude for the rest of the day. Set your to do list aside and feel your body. If you’re new to meditation we recommend a quick five minute body scan to get you started.
References | Psychology Today | Medical News Today | Life Hack
