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There are just times when you’re not in a good mood when you wake up in the morning. We understand that. Sometimes, you get irritated by the fact that you’ll be doing the same thing for five days straight, which is the case for individuals who go to work or school. We are with you in this struggle and we do admit it’s hard being that energetic ‘morning person’ people name to those who can wake up to their alarm in a good mood for the whole week.
But in order to break this unwelcoming attitude towards mornings, involving the practice of mindfulness into your schedule is a small but helpful start. Mindfulness is commonly known as a type of meditation that deals with sensing the present environment, all while being aware of our current thoughts and feelings. Practicing this offers a wide range of advantages not only to our physical health but also to our mental and emotional health. It trains us to be calm towards situations, to focus on ourselves, and detach from negative thoughts that affect our mindset.
Here, we transfer our thoughts into the section of our mind that brims with positivity so that it can reflect and stay throughout the day. This can be our source of strength to get on with the challenges laid out on each day. Moreover, there are several methods in which we can check out for us to adopt a positive and sensible lifestyle that enables growth and development in all aspects of ourselves.
Below are some of the activities you can try and observe which are effective in leading you to a more positive lifestyle.
Mindfulness Activities to Try in the Morning
1. Writing down your thoughts in a notebook
Many may not appreciate this because they might not want to find the right words to express their thoughts. Let us remind you that you do not have to be a great writer or someone who is excellent in grammar or has an extensive vocabulary to be able to write in their respective journals. Since your thoughts are coming from your mind, express them the way you want them to. Any language is fine as long as you're comfortable with it. You can even list them by using bullet points or opt to write them in full-blown paragraphs. Whatever allows you to freely express yourself, stick with those writing techniques.
If you have no idea what to write, you can simply jot down all the things you’re thankful or grateful for. This will help you see the good in each day even though it all seemed that things didn’t go the way you wanted them to be. This will help you train your mind to refrain from dwelling on the negativities but see the silver lining in every bad situation. You can even include goals, may they be financial, education, or emotional related. This is a great way to help you work on what you desire and aim to achieve in all your endeavors. Journals are a great reminder that you are human - you think, feel and observe.
2. Conducting morning breathing exercises
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Breathing exercises help calm your mind and regulate oxygen flow into your body. A good exercise routine to adopt in the morning in order to prepare yourself for the day. A common breathing exercise is belly breathing which can be done while still lying on the bed. You have to sit or lay yourself flat on your back and put a hand over your belly button. Another hand is placed on top of your chest then begin taking deep breaths inwards using your nose. Focus on sensing your belly expanding out touching your hand. Afterward, breathe out while shaping your lips to whistle. Observe the condition of the air being released from your belly while your hand goes down. Do the steps for 8 straight times or when you have fully focused your mind to synchronize it with your breathing. This can also be applied during your mindfulness meditation. To better enhance your breathing exercises, look into some resources on mindfulness meditation online.
3. Chanting positive mantras and words of affirmation
The impact that words of affirmations have on individuals can contribute to their change in mindset or outlook in life. This could help them build their confidence in handling any kind of situation while remaining relaxed and composed. In this fast-paced environment, it is quite difficult to just state any positive affirmations because of the standards that we’ve built upon ourselves along with the constant pressure to meet them. That’s why it is important to remind ourselves that we’ve done good things and we have positive attributes.
We have listed below a sample of the words of affirmation to say during morning meditation. You need to pause for a moment to say each sentence or jot them down in your notebook as a daily entry to encourage you each day. How you say the affirmation is all up to you since it’s you, yourself that knows what works best for you. You only have to mean it and believe that whatever you say would manifest in reality
- I am strong and healthy today.
- I can triumph against any challenge that I will encounter.
- I feel happy and content with whatever I have right now.
- I am happy for myself and will continue to make others happy too.
- I am claiming that today is a good day!
4. Maintaining a regular exercise
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Setting your body in motion during the morning is a good discipline that allows you to be alert and prepared for the day. You condition your mind to bear positive thoughts and get ready for the things you need to accomplish. This also improves our thought process and is observant of our surroundings. When we do physical activities like jogging, brisk walking, or yoga, our body is trained to handle any physical activity we have to do for the day as well as concentrate on tasks one by one.
Final thoughts
We’ve outlined the four helpful ways to welcome mornings with a light heart and positive thoughts. But remember that not everything can be suitable for all. You just have to test out methods and decide which is effective for you. Although, you have to discipline yourself by adopting healthy habits for you to enjoy waking up in the morning. Avoid sleeping late and clinging to unhealthy habits like vices and non-nutritious food. Fix your schedule to cater to your new morning routine.