A Morning Routine Could Be Just What You Are Missing!

2021, we made it!! A new year is here, and even if things do not feel different in our surroundings, that doesn't mean we can't start to feel different internally. With all the stress of lockdowns, potential sickness, work, bills... It can begin to feel pretty heavy at times. Which is why we wanted to emphasize the importance of a Morning Routine!

The way we start off our morning, sets the tone for how the rest of the day pans out. A morning routine is said to boost happiness, increase productivity, reduce stress levels and get you grounded and settled for the day. It’s about getting started on the ‘right foot’.

We have all been there, the alarm goes off; we hit snooze. We then rush around figuring out what we are going to wear, what to eat and it can leave us feeling frantic and stressed for the rest of the day. 

I know what many of you are thinking, a morning routine... How much earlier would I have to wake up than normal? Well that depends, what works for one person, won't always work for another. As a rule, 1 hour prior to your usual wake up time is a great place to start.

The beautiful thing about implementing a morning routine, is that you can look at it as "me time", the time before anyone else is up and you focus on YOU! Even better if you don't look at social media and emails for that power hour, it's all about you.

Now what exactly would you add into a morning routine that would be beneficial to you? Well we like to refer to it as, what are the things thatgoing to elevate your "Mind, Body, and Spirit"

 Mind: 

Basically, this has to do with your mind, including thoughts, beliefs, values, goals, hopes, dreams, desires and plans.

Set some goals for the day- Make lists! Which can be done the night prior (if easier), but if we have the important things written down, then we can free up some space in our mind for more important thinking. 

Journaling, there is a wonderful book called the Artist's way. It teaches us that if we free write first thing in the morning, it helps to free our mind of the inner chatter that can lead to anxious, overwhelming thoughts. Just getting it out on paper will help to process thoughts and feelings. 

Read something that feeds your mind, whether it be the newspaper, self help books, affirmations, or anything that lightens up your mood. 

  Body: 

One major way to really kickstart your day off right, is to drink a nice tall 8-10 oz glass of water. Even better, squeeze some lemon juice in it, to help deeply hydrate your organs and get your bowels working! Even even better? Have a green drink, greens are an incredible source for putting your body into an alkaline state. When we are in an alkaline state, we have sharper focus, stronger immune systems, more energy and a better overall state of being. 

A couple green blends that we suggest: 

Progressive VegeGreens Powder:

Benefits:

• Increases energy & renews mental clarity
• Helps to cleanse your body, strengthen immune function & balance pH
• Supports your heart, liver and digestive health

Features:

• A combination of over 60 ingredients
• Land, sea and cruciferous vegetables
• Super green foods, plant oils, phytonutrients, herbs & extracts and botanicals
• Nutrient equivalent of 6 to 8 servings of fresh vegetables
• Naturally flavored and sweetened
• Professionally formulated and bioenergetically tested

NAKA's Vital Greens Liquid Boost:

This one is nice and easy, you just take one table spoon a day. Balancing your body's pH level is going to help stop cravings for sugar. It will boost your mental clarity and truly set your day off right. 

• NON GMO
• Gluten free
• Non Irradiated
• 100% Vegetarian
• Ginseng to help energize
• Chlorophyll to detoxify and deodorize
• Nutrients and botanicals help with digestion
• Superfood Complex to aid pH balance and help stop cravings
• Take just one liquid tablespoon a day!

Let's talk about movement now! This past year has been a struggle with gyms being closed, so what can we do in our home to help get our blood pumping and endorphins flowing?

Yoga is always a great option, stretching is one of the most beneficial things we can do to ease tension, build strength and calm the mind. Youtube has a wonderful selection of videos, all for FREE! Even if you are a beginner, there are tons of great options on there. Our favorite channel being Yoga with Adriene.

Going for a walk around your neighborhood, depending on where you live, it can be a wonderful way to start the morning as well. 

Getting some endorphins flowing have so many benefits, one major one being, battling depression. When we allow our body to become stagnant, it is much easier to slip into heavy feelings, experience more stress and have anxiety as well. 

Spirit: 

 Not everyone has a spiritual practice, or follows a religion. However, having something that gives us faith or an inner sense of peace is important.

Meditation is our biggest recommendation for connecting to yourself and something greater than self. It does not have to be complicated either, even 5 minutes a day overtime would make an impact. Calm is a great app to use, some people put on guided meditations on, and some people just set a timer. 

One tool that is extremely helpful to help calm the mind and body is Frankincense essential oil. 

Newco's Organic Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense's aroma is sedative and enhances moods by diminishing feelings of stress and anxiety, while improving concentration and memory. You can apply this topically with a carrier oil (coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil etc) to your temples, neck/chest, and the bottoms of the feet before you plan to do a meditation... Putting a couple drops on your palms and taking some deep inhales, will help to bring you into a state of calm as well. 

Another way to uplift your spirit is to throw on some fun music, and dance around in your kitchen or living room, or even in the shower...Sing your heart out! Connecting to you inner child, and acting silly is one easy way to uplift your spirit :) 

Now we have given you a bit of an idea on ways you can make your morning yours! You will be happier, more productive, healthier and less stressed as a result. Please feel free to message us on www.everydayvitamin.com if you have any further questions.