5 Morning Habits You Need to Stop Today
Bad morning habits result in stumbling through the day.
The way you get up is the way you show up.*
5 morning habits you need to stop today:
#1. Planning your day in the morning.
Plan tomorrow tonight.
Urgent overpowers important.
Give yourself space between planning and execution. When planning is close to execution, urgencies dominate thinking.
#2. Looking at email in the morning.
Ban electronic notifications until you’re centered for the day.
#3. Jumping out of bed in the morning.
Be grateful before your feet hit the floor.
Your brain loves to think about problems. Think about what’s right before letting your brain drag you into what’s wrong.
4 things to be grateful for when you wake up:
- Opportunities to serve. Think of one way you will serve others today.
- Loving relationships. Think of one person who loves you.
- Problems to solve. Think of the power of problems to bring out your best.
- People who pour into you. Think of specific individuals.
#4. Rushing.
The way you start the day sets the tone for the day.
When you’re stressed in the morning – and who isn’t – you’ll be more stressed by quitting time. (If you even have a clear quitting time.)
#5. Taking shallow breaths.
Breathe deep for one minute before your feet hit the floor. Combine your gratitude practice with breathing.
When you breathe in, think of something on your gratitude list. In your head say, “I’m thankful for ….” Don’t worry about coming up with new gratitude items for every breath. Be thankful for the same thing with every breath for one minute.
Tips:
Do the same things every morning. Don’t get creative. Be boring. Morning habits set your mind free. Rituals lower stress.
After a gratitude minute, put your feet on the floor.
Good-morning-habits pave the road for good days.
What good-morning habits do you suggest?
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* Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Desk: The Effect of Mood on Work Performance
Great reminders! Thanks.
I channel my WonderWoman superpowers in the morning before my feet hit the floor, but dang if I don’t have to spend a few minutes trying to remember where I parked my invisible plane…….
Thanks Sara. Even Wonder Woman has a weakness. 🙂 … Many of the post I write are simply reminders.
I’d probably add one to the top of the list to be grateful for…
1. Life. Thank God, and Think of your life’s purpose
Well said, Davey. It’s the obvious things we often forget.
Excellent reminders! Preparing the night before does allow for a more restful sleep in addition to how I wake up…relaxed, rested but ready!
Great point, Dave. It took me many years to grasp this simple, yet powerful, idea.
I disagree with #3 only because I’m a super fan of how you react to that alarm and rising out of bed is an indicator of how the rest of the day will go. This isn’t rushing into the day either (a failure of #4). I’m a huge fan of not giving any spot for laziness or sloth into the day and jumping out of bed is the first victory IMO.
Now, once your feet hit that floor, I’m totally onboard with letting you be grateful for another day and not rushing into the mix. Maybe I’m weak, but taking deep breaths for 1 minute, while still prone, means I’ll see you in an hour… 😛
Thanks for disagreeing Jeff. Sometimes I don’t even agree with myself when I go back and read something I’ve written. 🙂
Hats off for your insight.
Key is knowing if you are better served by taking that moment horizontally or vertically. I can quite easily fall right back to sleep most mornings, so up and at ’em for me!
Being purposeful without feeling or acting frazzled is key and I am a strong follower of early morning routines, simple, practical ways of enjoying early morning. Love your suggestions about thinking and voicing gratitude and for taking the deep breath that goes with mindfulness. Thanks for sharing your ideas Dan. Positively, pauline