Do you want to wake up feeling your best — grateful, happy, focused and motivated to tackle the day ahead? This five-minute morning routine may change your life.
Below are seven steps adapted from motivational speaker Mel Robbins and bestselling author Neil Pasricha. Before giving this morning routine a try, set yourself up for success by preparing the night before. Set your exercise clothes out ahead of time, and have a journal or an index card and a pen ready.
Here’s how to change your mornings for the better in as little as five minutes:
1. Get up immediately (5 seconds)
When your alarm clock sounds, use the five-second rule: Count 5-4-3-2-1 and then immediately turn off your alarm and get out of bed. Counting down from five activates an area in your brain responsible for decision-making. The countdown is also a prompt to act with courage and confidence.
2. Don’t look at your phone (0 seconds)
Avoid the impulse to look at your phone, check your email or scroll social media when you first wake up. Not only does this save you from wasting time, it allows you to put yourself first rather than letting the world in.
3. High five your heart (10 seconds)
Close your eyes, put your hands on your heart and repeat your personal mantra at least three times. For example: I’m worthy. I’m strong. I’m loved. High fiving your heart grounds you and helps you to start your day with some self-love.
4. Put your exercise clothes on (20 seconds)
This step is easier if you’ve prepared the night before by laying your clothes out nearby. For example, keep them on the floor next to your bed! This creates a clothes trap — you can’t step around them, so you have to put them on. Committing to exercise may be hard, but making it a goal to put on your exercise clothes is easy.
5. High five yourself in the mirror (10 seconds)
Take a moment to be with yourself, see yourself and high five yourself. Yes, literally high five yourself in the mirror. It sounds silly, but this action of self-kindness is a powerful habit backed by research.
6. Get your heart rate going (2 minutes)
Take just two minutes to exercise and get your heart rate going. For example, do jumping jacks, squats, yoga, push-ups or planks; walk; jog or simply march in place. New research shows that just two minutes of exercise gives your brain a major boost of focus and productivity. If after the two minutes you want to keep going, go for it! But two minutes is the goal.
7. Set your daily intentions (2 minutes)
Grab your pen and the journal or your index card you laid out, and write down your daily answer to the following three prompts:
• I will let go of…
• I am grateful for…
• I will focus on…
These prompts are purposeful and backed by science. Writing down what you will let go of empowers you to release regrets and rid yourself of unnecessary worry and stress. Research shows that writing down what you are grateful for increases your physical health and happiness. Finally, writing down what you will focus on helps eliminate decision fatigue so you can achieve success.
All you need is five dedicated minutes in the morning to start your day off right. What are you waiting for?
By: Megan McKee