5 Rituals for a Happy Morning
Your morning routine sets the stage for the rest of your day; so how can you have a happy morning that encourages all-day peace and balance? Keep reading to learn some happiness-boosting ideas for your daily routine.
by Stacy Mosel, LMSW
We’ve all had mornings where we’d rather stay in bed, and let’s face it — sometimes, it’s just hard to get going, especially when the winter season sets in and there’s less light to help us feel motivated.
And if you remember days when you’ve gotten out of bed on the wrong side, you know the impact it can have on your mood and functioning.
We know that your morning routine helps set the stage for the rest of your day, so keep reading to learn about some happiness-boosting ideas you can easily incorporate into your already busy mornings to help promote all-day peace and balance.
1. Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Scientists have found that starting your day with mindfulness meditation can boost your mood and help you better manage stress and tension that may arise later on. You don’t need to sit in lotus pose for an hour, because even just taking 10 minutes while lying in bed or sitting in a chair can produce profound benefits. If you’re not sure how to start, you can find many free apps that offer guided mindfulness meditations.
Or, try this simple breath meditation:
- Sit in a comfortable position with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting in your lap.
- Focus on your third eye (the spot on your forehead right between your eyebrows) and imagine that you’re breathing in and out from this spot.
- Take slow inhalations to a count of four, hold the breath for a count of two and then release to a count of five, with the goal of making your exhalations a bit longer than your inhalations while trying to avoid clinging to your thoughts — just let them come and go.
Commit to this meditation each day for 10 minutes and you’ll soon notice the benefits that begin to develop. To help get you going after your practice, try our GO tincture for focused energy, which combines Ayurvedic herbs with CBD to help boost your productivity, focus and energy.
2. Get Moving
We all know we should exercise and move more, but it’s not always easy to find the motivation or time, especially if you have a hard time getting going or if your mornings are already jam-packed. But this is precisely the reason to schedule your workouts after you wake up, because it gives you a chance for some uninterrupted “me” time that can provide a mood and energy boost for your entire day.
You don’t have to don your running shoes and complete a 5K — a 10-minute workout that focuses on intensity and energy can help get your blood moving and even help you feel calmer and more peaceful afterward thanks to the endorphin boost (which is an even bigger benefit on days when you’re really not in the mood). Try this free 10-minute high-intensity interval exercise routine, do a few sets of sun salutations or just get outside and go for a quick walk around the block. Afterward, use our Ayurvedic RECOVER CBD tincture to help soothe your body and promote post-workout muscle health.
3. Be Grateful
Most of the time, we’re so busy focusing on the things we don’t have and the things we want that we don’t always take time to appreciate the things we already have. Numerous studies have shown that the benefits of gratitude range from improved overall health and sleep quality to a more optimistic attitude. Keeping a gratitude journal near your bed and taking a few minutes each morning to write down five things for which you are grateful can help you gain perspective and cultivate a more appreciative and positive attitude.
4. Take an Ayurvedic Shower
It would be great if we all had time in the morning to soak our cares away in a warm bath, but an Ayurvedic shower might be the next best thing to help you start your day off feeling happier and more balanced. Begin with a few minutes of dry brushing using a natural bristle body brush to stimulate your skin, get your blood flowing and remove dead skin cells, followed by a shower of the appropriate temperature for your dosha. If you’re a Kapha or Vata, then it’s best to take a hot shower, while Pittas (who generally suffer from excess heat) should take a cool shower. Finish by rubbing a thin layer of sesame oil on your skin to seal in moisture and help your skin stay hydrated.
5. Have a Cup of Lemon and Honey Water
This is probably one of the simplest rituals you can implement, but Ayurvedic practitioners swear that it can make a big difference in how you feel, because a principle tenet of Ayurveda says that the first thing you ingest sets the mood for your day. Take a few moments to enjoy a cup of hot water infused with lemon and honey before you eat breakfast — this simple act is believed to help your digestion, boost your metabolism, improve your energy levels and promote a balanced mood. You’ll want to squeeze half a lemon into a cup of hot water, then, if desired, add 1 teaspoon of honey and enjoy.
Happy Morning, Healthy You
Making changes to your morning routine can produce profound benefits and can help you feel happier and more peaceful, but it’s also important to maintain that balance throughout your entire day.
Our CBD-infused Ayurvedic tinctures are the perfect way to take you from the a.m. to the p.m. Check out our Daily Routine pack, which includes three of our CBD tinctures: our GO tincture to help you start the day with energy and focus; our SLOW tincture to help you naturally wind down and relax after your busy day; and our STOP tincture, which eases you into a restful night’s sleep.
Stacy Mosel, LMSW, is a health and wellness writer as well as a licensed social worker, yoga enthusiast, certified Reiki practitioner and musician. She received a bachelor’s degree in music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1999 and a Master of Social Work from New York University in 2002.
References:
https://www.insider.com/morning-meditation
https://www.wholelifechallenge.com/why-10-minutes-of-exercise-per-day-is-enough-to-get-you-results/
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/30/10-minute-workout-routines-to-wake-up-your-mornings-millionaire-fitness-coach-kayla-itsines.html
https://www.livestrong.com/article/13721630-10-minute-morning-hiit-workouts/
https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/ray-of-light/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1359105315572455
https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1758-0854.2011.01058.x
https://vidyaliving.com/natural-beauty-series-dry-skin-brushing/
https://www.easyayurveda.com/2010/12/15/hot-water-bath-or-cold-water-bath/
