How do you spend the first hour of your day?

When I was sprinting up the corporate ladder, my mornings were all about caffeine, hard core exercise (for the calorie burn), and conference calls WHILE applying my make-up on my drive into the office. (OK, I know, but mostly I applied while sitting stationary on the 101!)

Then I had a health crisis which inspired me to change my life. My mornings became about getting centered and calibrating my energy and attitude for the day ahead.

“The first hour of the morning, is the rudder of the day.” ― Henry Ward Beecher via
@Terri_Cole (Click to Tweet!)

I love this simple powerful quote. The first hour of your morning is much like a boat’s rudder as it determines the direction of your day. This time has a powerful effect on your mood, mindset and energy for the remainder of your day.

An EXPANDED morning leads to an INSPIRED day.

Even if you can’t spend the first hour unplugged completely, maybe you can incorporate some of the suggestions below.

As little as ten to fifteen minutes of any mindfulness practice can increase your focus and energy and lift your mood for the day ahead.

Meditate

Meditation is always my first morning activity. Any amount of time spent in stillness and silence daily will positively impact the quality of your life and relationships. It provides you with a more reflective and less reactive stance to bring into the interactions of your day. For me, morning meditation is like taking a shower, it washes my mind clean of any mental ‘dirt’ from yesterday.

Move

You don’t need sixty minutes of anything to get your blood flowing. Spending as little as ten minutes taking a quick morning walk around the neighborhood can clear your mind and elevate your mood. Don’t let your own imposed rules and beliefs about what it really means to ‘exercise,’ get in the way of doing something.

Eat and Hydrate

Calories are key. After getting seven to eight hours of sleep your body is ready to refuel. Start with a warm cup of lemon water followed by eight ounces of regular water. If you drink coffee or tea it is best to consume it with food to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Some of my favorite morning meals include fruit, millet or oatmeal, avocado toast or a green smoothie. If you’re on a tight schedule try to prepare your breakfast the night before but don’t skip it!

Journal

Write to make space. Consider trying a morning, Mind Dump, where you write without editing just to clear brain congestion to make way for intentional thoughts. (Kind of like morning pages, from Julia Cameron’s, The Artist’s Way.) Then spend some time writing down your intentions and goals for the day.

When you prepare yourself in the morning, both mentally and physically, you control the rudder of your life. When you start your day consciously, your results are intentional.

Now I’d love to hear from you. If you are a morning disaster, what will you do differently this week? Do you have any non negotiable morning practices that set you up to succeed? Give me some of your best tips, as I am always looking for new ways to spice up my morning routine. 🙂

To another week dedicated to, as always, taking care of you

Love Love Love
Terri

Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist, transformation coach, and an expert at turning fear into freedom. Sign up for Terri’s weekly Tune Up Tips and follow her on Twitter.

Image courtesy of Tony Worrall Foto.