What Are Your Morning Habits?

[bbrennan1986]

Well I start my day at 4:25 a.m. my Pandora is set to Bob Marley radio usually wake up before my alarm though. (Weekends included.) I usually sit on the side of my bed for five or ten minutes just there feet on the ground breathing in and out while I think about what I almost know for sure is in store for me on this particular day. Brush my teeth turn the kurig on and jump in the shower. 10 to 20 mins later depending on what I ate for dinner and I have a cup of coffee in my hand and I'm headed to my room for 20 mins of what I really hope is meditation. Not the only time I'll meditate in the day but I like the idea of starting my day with it. Then I get dressed socks first.... is that weird? Well fuck it if it is because I've been doing it that way since I'm a Lil kid. After i get dressed but before i put on my boots i sneak in my sons room like a creep and kiss him on the forehead. Before I walk out the door at 5:40 I do a final check of all my stuff make sure I'm not forgetting anything and take a few giant bong rips before I head out because I have an hour long commute. I feel like even my commute has been ritualized anyone else feel that way 

[Wilm]

18 hours ago, moonwolf said:

alex doesn't cold water make u sick in the winter ? it's hard to beleive it's safe to do.. 

No, quite the opposite is true. It can really benefit your health if you get exposed to cold frequently. Maybe you've heard of the "Iceman", Wim Hof. I've followed a workshop from him, really good stuff! See http://www.icemanwimhof.com/innerfire for more info.

[iamswjr]

when I was working in sales they taught us some techniques on morning rituals and things we can do to kickstart our day. first of all the first 90 minutes of your day will determine how the rest of your day will go, so it is vital that you get as good a start to your day as possible. some of the things that stuck with me and i find really important for me too have a great day are:

 

• Eat a good breakfast (it can be fast and easy).
• Gratitude shower (repeat over & over 5 things you're grateful for)
• Self Talk/ Self affirmation 
• 20+ minutes basic exercise/weight training
• Listen to your body clock. Do creative work when it feels best.
• Set an alarm to wake up and an alarm to go to sleep.
• Disengage: Zero notifications from apps and phones at night. (dont involve yourself with media for the first 90 mins at least!)
• Develop a morning routine that works on weekends, too.
• Track your habits to better understand yourself & get into a routine of having good habits

 

[Joshua Kls]

Hello, 
I am a student in Germany and  can you give me more inspiration for the morning routine?
What is the best time to get up?
And what is the best time for mediation?
 

[thortho]

On the days I have a morning shift (starts at 7 am), I get up at 5 and do this:

1. Do some simple exercises, mostly bodyweight but a little kettlebell work. Nothing too heavy, just enough to get the blood flowing and any stiffness softened up. Takes about ten minutes or so.

2. Prepare the coffee. I'm using one of those press things, so it's just measure in the coffee, boil the water and pour it over.

3. While the coffee's stewing, a short meditation (10-15 minutes or so).

4. Drink the coffee while writing for about twenty minutes/a few hundred words. Kind of a journal-thing, but not very focused; can be whatever that's on my mind at the time, or just plans for the day/week, or even just something fictional.

5. A quick breakfast - something like yoghurt, oats and maybe raisins.

6. Pretty much just "kill time" (anything from reading a bit to doing the dishes) until it's time to go to work - it's about ten minutes' walk from where I live, so I normally have a little spare time.

 

It's pretty similar on days off/late shifts, except that I take more time for preparing breakfast and rather than going to work, I go do something else - read, go for a walk, do chores, or whatever. And I sometimes sleep a little longer, too; even without an alarm, I usually wake at around 6, and then decide if I'm going to get up or sleep in for a bit.

[Guest]

Recently started waking up 30mins earlier so I can extend my ritual. Here's how it goes:

• Wake 6.30
• Bask in the mindful bliss of a morning wee
• Read my mission statement
• Make my commitments for the day
  • (20mins Italian practice, 15mins exercise, 30mins yoga, and whatever single goal is my focus from these categories: (a) technique, (b) mindset, (c) social. At the moment that's (a) polyspecialise, (b) Beginner's mind, (c) be passionate in conversation)
• 10 minutes meditation
• 5 minutes visualisations, 5 minutes affirmations
• Pop a handful of supplement pills, down with my morning shake (oatmeal, ground seeds, desiccated coconut, banana, apple, soya milk)
• 80mins creative pursuit/ miscellaneous personal development stuff (reading, journalling, etc)

@Wilm Reviewing goals is a great idea, I'll add that to mine!

@Jasmine I'm working through those sentence completions too. Didn't even realize how much they've helped me until the other day I was shocked to remember that a few months ago I actually felt the need to buy a book to improve my self-esteem!

@Neill Bolton 1-2 hours meditation - wow! I'm impressed.

[Fishy]

1. Toilet and writing down my dreams.

2. 15 min work out.

3. Shower.

4. Breakfast.

5. 20 min meditation.

6. Brushing teeth and stuff.

7. Work.

[Greys0n]

i hate mornings 

[DefChef]

1. Awake at 5:00a
2. Refresh
3. Watch 30min. of Les Brown (Shoot for the Moon) -Youtube
4. Watch 30min. of Leo (Actualized.com)
5. Eat Breakfast
6. Workout for an hour

Now I'm fortified and qualified to face the world!

 

[DJ]

1. Wake up and make tea

2. Fire up the laptop and browse the national and local news for anything important. Catch up on email, favorite websites.

3. 5 minute ab exercise (I go to the gym after work)

4. 10 minute meditation

5. Journal

6. Shower. On Mondays I listed to Leos's latest YouTube video.  Otherwise, I find another personal development video while showering and getting ready.

7. Make veggie/fruit smoothie

8. Drink home made kefir

9. Off to work

 

[Fer Lazo]

My mornings are the most important part of my day since it defines how well I will be feeling the rest of the day. I will admit. in the beginning it was a struggle but now that I am used to it, I wouldn't change it for nothing.

1. wake up 5:30 AM

2. Run, usually 10k or mountain bike or Road bike.

3. come back home, stretch while drinking a green smoothie.

4. Shower and meditate for 20 minutes.

5. get dressed, make breakfast and while doing so, put on my headphones and listen to Leo, TED Talks or any interesting self help and knowledgeable ideas.

6. 10AM go to work all day as an insurance Agent. BE happy, SELL SELL SELL!!!  

[r3v0]

I am dad of 6month old twins. I have a full time job where my shifts vary between 5 and 9 hour in length and start/end somwhere between 7am and 10pm plus I am freelancing 2 to 3 nights a week (Webdesing, Illustartion, ect.).

Somehow i manage to get enough sleep (6 to 8 hours)  doing 10 to 20 minute naps at my breaks in the office and  everytime my kidz nap, I nap. 

I am gettin a more and more disciplined person. I work out 3 to 4 Times a week (40 to 60 minutes bodyweight plus 30 minutes running) but i am not able to build a good morning routine.

I solved the problem of hitting the snooze button by placing an nfc tag on my mirror in the bathroom and use nfc only to dimiss my morning alarm.

But I can't get it going for the first 2 to 3 hours of the day i am just like numbed. Don't get me wrong. I am functioning (making brakefast, getting dressed and so on...) but i am completely energyless.

 

My mind is so weak in the morning. Can you give me some tips or recommend me some  strategies, meditaions for beginners etc. to bring a bit more focus to my morning hours. I am not feeling like the entusiastic, focused person i am in the evening or when i go to sleep.

 

(I also wanted to thank leo and you all for this awesome place on the interwebs. Nice greets from austria ;-) )

 

Edited February 22, 2016 by r3v0

[ElenaO]

On 2/22/2016 at 9:05 PM, r3v0 said:

But I can't get it going for the first 2 to 3 hours of the day i am just like numbed. Don't get me wrong. I am functioning (making brakefast, getting dressed and so on...) but i am completely energyless.

 

My mind is so weak in the morning. Can you give me some tips or recommend me some  strategies, meditaions for beginners etc. to bring a bit more focus to my morning hours. I am not feeling like the entusiastic, focused person i am in the evening or when i go to sleep.

 

(I also wanted to thank leo and you all for this awesome place on the interwebs. Nice greets from austria ;-) )

Hey! When have you got into the habit of waking up early? It may take some time to get used to be awake in the early hours. Try it for a month straight and see if it works. Just a suggestion.

[QandC]

1. Wake up

2. Make my bed

3. Eat breakfast

4. Brush teeth

5. Clean the entire house (every day, so not a lot to clean teehee)

6. Meditate 25 minutes

7. Shower

Done! 

[Thomas]

My first experience with waking up early and morning routines started from a TEDx talk, 
I did #21earlydayschallenge and woke up every day at 4 am, proceeded to go and do training session, then make some tea and head to work.

What I do now is the way that fits my goals, lifestyle just a little better.

1. Wake up at 5 am
2. Make green tea, (that'll be ready to drink when I exit home)
3. Do foam-rolling (15 min)
   1. Whole back 
   2. Mid back
   3. Laterals
   4. Pectorals
   5. Serratus-anterior
   6. IT-Bands
   7. Glutes 
   8. Hip flexors
   9. Quads
   10. Groins
4. Shower & Dress Up (15-20 min)
5. Strong determination sitting / Do nothing meditation (40-60 min)

 

[Thomas]

On 22.02.2016 at 8:05 PM, r3v0 said:

My mind is so weak in the morning. Can you give me some tips or recommend me some  strategies, meditaions for beginners etc. to bring a bit more focus to my morning hours. I am not feeling like the entusiastic, focused person i am in the evening or when i go to sleep.

 

(I also wanted to thank leo and you all for this awesome place on the interwebs. Nice greets from austria ;-) )

 

Keep the routine simple - A terrible mistake I made at first, when I tried to do all and everything in the morning and had like 30 steps in the routine, it's more confusing than efficient.
I re-invented my routine so that it has no more than 6 tasks to perform in the morning, but these are core - 1 to 2 high priority tasks that have to be done (e.g. meditation, reading), 2 medium priority (e.g. stretching, cleaning house) an the rest are mundane, but obviously have-to-be-done tasks.

Start with something energizing - reading or meditating right after getting up, may just put You into sleep back in Your case, so the first task may be simple, but get your body moving. Tony Robbins would advise to jump and do some affirmations or even go outside, Eliott Hulse would say to do bioenergetics and shake Your body like crazy and scream, just do the thing that works for You. For me, the more stupid movement I have to engage, the more aware I'll become, because I have to face some resistance also. 
Ice-cold morning showers  are my personal favourite, but they're brutal and brutally effective.

When it comes to energy & alertness in the morning, a lot depends on the quality of sleep and here are some tips coming through my mind right now:

1. Blue light emitting devices such as smartphones, tablets, PC's (basically everything with electronic display) suppresses levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, reduces the amount and delays the timing of REM sleep, and reduces alertness the following morning.
   Solution: Minimize the use of electronics at least 1 hour before bedtime, install on Your PC third-party software such as f.lux that adapts the colours of Your display based on the time of clock, also reduces blue light.
2. Keep Your bedroom nice-n-cold, it's easier to fall asleep and the chance of waking up at night is reduced significantly.
3. No alcohol at least 3 hours before bedtime, no caffeine at least 5 hours before bedtime.
4. I'd suggest to sleep 7-8 hours a night for 10 consecutive days and see if anything has changed, because restriction of sleep produces a neural sleep wave pattern that is sometimes observed in depression, so 
5. If You are going to do some blood test in near future, You could also check Your fasting glucose, testosterone, serum cortisol and thyroid, cause even 90 minutes chronic restriction in sleep pattern may affect significantly Your health, Your sleep & functioning as well.

[Thomas]

On 11.02.2016 at 10:55 AM, Joshua Kls said:

Hello, 
I am a student in Germany and  can you give me more inspiration for the morning routine?
What is the best time to get up?
And what is the best time for mediation?
 

1. Can You see benefits in doing a morning ritual?
How would it impact Your life compared to now if You had a very strict, organised plan / idea of what You're going to do in the morning a.k.a. how would You start Your day?
Do You think You could delegate some tasks to do every single morning?
If You did that and proceeded to get done maybe just 1 task of Your choice, every-single-morning - How would it feel like after doing it considtently for a week?
For a month?
For a year?
Would You develop some momentum from little succesess and turn it into HUGE drive helping Your self-esteem and executing much, much bigger tasks?

2. Honsetly, here is the thing I use - I know that I have to sleep 8-9 hours a day to function properly, so I take this time and alocate on the timeline the way it fits my current lifestyle and daily tasks. Exempli gratia: To get to the college I have to exit home at 6:50 am, my latest task of the day which is reading or styduying ends up about 7-8 PM. My morning routine takes approximately 1h30 - 2h, so right after doing it I can continue the day.
From that timeline I just go to sleep after last task, at 8-9 PM and wake up at 5 AM.

3. NOW.
Honestly, it's been bothering me if I should meditate twice a day with shorter sessions length or one big in the evening, maybe in the morning.
Locate Your meditation session the way You can maintain doing it consistently - For me doing it before sleep for 1 hour was great, I adapted it to do in the morning by thinking it'll give me more benefits with social interactions and it gives a small edge over the nocturnal session, but the thing is:
Meditating > not meditating. The difference is small when You compare the times of when You perform meditating session as opposed to HUGE difference whether You did meditated the day before or did not.
But consistency is the most important, if something happens that I can't do it in the morning or maybe do half of the time - I will meditate later in the day for sure.

 

Greetings from a neighbour from Poland.

[JimmySmalls]

I'm experimenting with doing all of this in one go in the morning for 10 days from tomorrow instead of spread out like usual to see what's better (apart from exercise later and another 2 affirmations while I stretch). Then i'll review it and see what changes I want to make for good. I usually switch on at night so we'll see how this goes.

- Start with an audiobook / self improvement or inspiring video on my phone that I loaded up the night before as I get up and eat. Helps shift into a positive mindset right away.

- Go outside and get 15 mins sunlight if available or use SAD light if not. Repeat 2 affirmations for 4 minutes each ( I am always driven to succeed & I am always focused on the positive )

- Meditate for 15-20 mins (mindfulness based), followed by 15 mins visualisation (currently around energy and succeeding financially)

- Read 'You are the placebo' or 'The willpower instinct'. Either one, alternating if I want.

- Finish up and ask "What do I want to do right now that's in allignment with my goals?", then act with a clear purpose.

Total time should be: Around 1 hour 30 mins out of 16 hours wake time