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Writer's pictureColleen Altschul

Rise and Shine

Start your day right; the way you start your day can set you up for success. Ideally, it starts after a restful night of sleep. I know that’s not always possible if you have young children, puppies, older pets, etc, but sleep is far more important than most of us would believe. I’ll likely write more about that in the future. So you’re awake, or at least that alarm is going off, now what?  In a perfectly selfish world you only have to worry about yourself, but even if you have a family to attend to there are ways to carve out time for yourself and set up some good morning habits.

So as I mentioned, the first step is to do all you can to get on a restful sleep schedule. If you find yourself extremely tired each morning, work on moving your bedtime up 10 min at a time and see what works best for you. Set a commitment to yourself to stick to your bedtime and make it a priority when at all possible. So now that you are rested, you are less likely to keep hitting that snooze button and set yourself up to have to rush. I’m by nature a morning person, so sorry to all the night owls out there that can’t relate to waking up ready to go.

Let’s create some positive habits to start your day and get you going on a higher frequency. Meditation, movement, and gratitude are the three that I suggest. If you don’t have time for all three, you should be able to find time for at least one of them. Or if you are a multi-tasker, you can find ways to do some of them at the same time! Why not listen to a meditation while taking the dog for a walk? Maybe share some time with your kids or partner each morning on your drive or getting things packed up and talk about what you are grateful for each morning.  Meditation can be as short as only a few minutes, so find an app you like, and listen maybe as soon as you wake up (wake up a few mins earlier each day) even while still in bed. Maybe it’s as soon as you get the kids off and you have a few minutes alone. Maybe it’s even at work before you jump into that inbox. Finding that time just for yourself, honoring your mind, your space, will set up your day and create that intention of honoring yourself.

Taking time for gratitude starts the day with a positive intention. When we are aware of all the blessings and positive things in our lives, it opens our awareness to look for more, and be open to receiving more good in our lives. If you are starting your day in a flurry of rushing and chaos and negativity, you are just setting up the day to continue to spiral out of control. Even writing down 3 things a day you are grateful for, should only take you a few minutes or less. Think of it like switching the computer on each morning, time to flip on that switch of positivity. Maybe placing a post-it note on your mirror will remind you to be grateful while you brush your teeth each morning. Boom, there’s that multi-tasking again! The more often you do these simple things, the more likely they are to become a habit.

Movement usually takes longer, and I know a lot of people don’t want to exercise in the morning. It’s a lot harder to commit to carving out 30+ minutes each morning, but I tell you, if you can do it, it will change you in positive ways. Everyone has their own exercise needs and preferences, but if you can just make sure to move at least 30 mins a day in an intentional way, it will set you up to be healthier. Find what works for you. Do things that you enjoy. Even a 30 min dance party with the kids or a walk around the block with your dog will raise your vibration for the day.

Now if you want to go for the bonus round and keep yourself on track with these positive habits, use a planner or a journal where you can check off your list each day and stay accountable to creating these positive morning habits. I like to use a yearly calendar and highlight each day as I exercise and meditate. If you want to level up in life, you’re going to have to take the action. How can you create postive habits to help you rise and shine through your day?

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