What you do first thing in the morning can set the tone for what happens during the rest of your day. Start your day with a ritual that makes you feel powerful and alive.
A powerful morning ritual will set you up to win in your mind before stepping foot onto your battlefield each day, be it the boardroom, classroom, SEALFIT WOD, or an actual battlefield.
Mornings are a busy time for many people just getting everyone out of the door on time.
On the other hand, you and your kids may be spending your days at home. That can be just as stressful as commuting, especially if you’re concerned about your health and finances.
It is important to practice your ritual first thing in the morning, upon waking before the inevitable chaos and demands of your day kick in.
Before we list out steps, let us talk briefly about what a morning ritual is not. We are not discussing your morning habits like brushing your teeth, eating breakfast or making coffee, (we love Bulletproof btw).
We are discussing a powerful, integrated, whole-person approach that has been field tested and refined to provide optimal results.
An integrated practice includes aspects from 5 domains: physical, mental, emotional, intuitional and spiritual (this could be praying or stoking your never quit spirit). These aspects could and should overlap each domain to leverage the power of integration.
The specific flow and length of your ritual will depend on your available time. I recommend beginning with 5-15 minutes each morning. Start small and have fun experimenting. Consider these ideas for morning rituals designed to help you thrive.
Empowering Morning Rituals:
1. Skip the snooze button.
Do you feel groggy even after 8 hours of sleep? The trouble could be your snooze button. It interrupts your body’s natural waking process. That can cause sleep inertia that lasts for hours.
Developing a strong connection to your life’s purpose, and your current mission, will aid greatly in skipping the snooze button. Also, assessing 6 key areas of your life, including sleep hygiene, will assist in brining life balance and increasing your overall performance.
2. Think happy thoughts.
You can pick your first thoughts of each new day. Choose wisely.
3. Drink water.
You may want to postpone your first cup of coffee. Plain water will rehydrate your organs and make you feel more alert. This is best done upon waking, or perhaps after your immediate bathroom needs are met. Think of this as leveling up your battery.
4. Avoid technology.
Resist the urge to lose yourself in social media or the morning news. Turn off your phone or check for urgent messages only. This one is a game-changer for winning in your mind. Eliminate the all too often negative headlines and click bait that can send us spiraling down the rabbit hole of reaction.
5. Cultivate gratitude.
Count your blessings. Think of, or write down 3 things or people you are grateful for or who you need to thank today.
6. Box breathe.
Spend a few minutes each day activating your parasympathetic nervous system. This is our secret weapon for winning in our minds. In a nutshell, box breathing calms down your nervous system, keeping your fight or flight response in check.
The process uses a ratio of equally timed breath inhalation, suspension, exhalation, and retention. The standard for new practitioners is a five-count ratio, or 5:5:5:5. Unbeatable Mind has a great Android and Apple app to assist with your practice.
7. Repeat affirmations. Give yourself loving and motivational messages.
Speak in the present tense and keep your statements brief. Looking in the mirror can help you focus. Affirmations are a powerful addition to your box breathing practice.
8. Somatic Movement.
The somatic practices of yoga, qi gong and tai chi focus on your inner experience as you move and expand your internal awareness, assists in stress reduction, greater body sensitivity, and the ability to charge your body with energy each day.
Consider an on-demand platform like Kokoro Yoga which provides yoga, tai chi, qi gong, breath, box breathing, meditation and visualization practices in one affordable and convenient offering.
9. Meditate and pray.
Nourish your spirituality. If you’re a beginner, start with a few minutes of meditation and build up your time gradually.
10. Work out.
Complete your main exercise session, especially if you’ll be sitting at a computer for hours. Consider an integrated, functional fitness program like SEALFIT which integrates 10 domains of fitness to train your whole-person, body and mind.
11. Go outdoors.
Morning light wakes up your body and starts a hormone cycle that prepares you for restful sleep at night. Sit on your patio or bike to work.
12. Plan your day.
Set goals and block out your time. Otherwise, external events can keep you from focusing on your true priorities. Remember to leave yourself adequate downtime for refreshing breaks or spot drills, like 5 minutes of box breathing or 50 push-ups. Consider micro chunking your goals to avoid overwhelm. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
13. Be prepared.
Starting on tasks the night before can make your mornings more pleasant. Lay out your clothes and pack your backpack. We use this one routinely when adventuring, we ensure our packs contain the gear, water, and food we will need for the next day’s fun. This process helps ensure a smooth start to the early morning adventure.
14. Schedule your most important micro-goals first.
Endeavor to complete your 3 most important tasks fist. These are the tasks that will move you along toward achieving your goals the fastest today.
15. Continue learning.
You could use your mornings to complete your degree online or personal PHD. Listen to history and economics podcasts. Read high quality fiction or nonfiction.
16. Connect with loved ones.
Enjoy family time. Play a word game with your kids while you’re helping them get dressed. Discuss your coming day, your purpose, your dreams. Tell your partner that you love them.
Combine several or all of these practices into one powerful morning ritual.
Kick off your day with a morning ritual that will set you up to win and make you feel more productive and fulfilled. Adopt positive habits and jump out of bed with a smile.