#1. Wake up Early
Choosing to awaken a little earlier in the morning not only allows you to begin your day with mindfulness but also extends the amount of time you have to enjoy life.
Give it a try for a week or so. You may be surprised at how much more you enjoy your mornings with just a few extra minutes.
#2. Awaken with Gratitude
When we begin the day with gratitude, we train our minds to look for the positive rather than focusing on the challenges, frustrations, and slights we have encountered throughout the week.
The key to making this habit effective is not the number of things you feel grateful for or even the amount of time you spend in gratitude, but rather the intensity of focus and feeling you have around the effort.
A mindful gratitude practice means immersing yourself in the emotion so that you feel deeply and profoundly blessed.
#3. Do a Mindful Body Scan
The simplest way to get in touch with how you’re feeling is to do a mindful body scan. A body scan is a meditative practice in which you focus on each part of every area, often beginning at the toes and moving to the head.
The key here is to train your attention on each specific part for a moment and pay close attention to how you feel.
#4. Practice a Morning Breathing Exercise
Do you pay much attention to your breathing? Practicing mindful, focused breathing, even for ten minutes a day, reduces stress and promotes relaxation.
Slow, deep, rhythmic breathing causes a reflex stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which results in a reduction in the heart rate and relaxation of the muscles.
#5. Notice Your Thoughts
If you allow negative thoughts to run rampant first thing in the morning, you lose the best time for creativity and productivity. Many people wake up feeling anxious and filled with dread, as the cycle of rumination and negative thinking begins the minute their feet hit the floor.
Once you’re aware of this bad habit, you can begin to change it by adopting a very simple new habit—observation. When you separate yourself from your thoughts and simply notice them with detachment, you remove some of the power they have over your emotions.
#6. Make Your Bed Mindfully
Do you make your bed every morning? It may seem like a waste of time on a rushed morning, but there are many great reasons to adopt this simple habit.
Making your bed is considered a “keystone” habit. Making your bed in the morning is correlated to more productivity, a sense of well-being, and even better budgeting skills. It sets the tone for accomplishment throughout your day when you complete this one task the moment you get out of bed.
#7. Follow a Bathroom Ritual
View the steps you take to get ready in the morning as an attentive ritual rather than just a means to get out the door.
By paying more attention to the actions you take, you return to the present moment with focus and gratitude, rather than allowing your random thoughts to set the tone for the day.
When you practice shower meditation, the calming effect of warm water puts your mind on autopilot, which frees it up to come up with inspirational ideas.
#8. Practice Shower Meditation
For most people, a shower is already part of their morning routine. But when you add a quick meditation session to this ritual, you can focus on practicing deep thinking and creating positive thoughts for the day.
Sure, shower meditation might sound hokey, but look it this way: You know how you often get your best thoughts in the shower? Well, the same principle applies here. The calming effect of warm water puts your mind on autopilot, which frees it up to come up with inspirational ideas.
Shower meditation is one of the mindfulness exercises that are great because they doesn’t require you to do anything new, just do the same stuff differently. In a more thoughtful and mindful manner.
#9. Drink Water
Drinking water is another habit like the mindfulness exercise above. It is nothing new, it is just about taking the time to do a normal good habit in a more mindful manner.
There are so many health benefits to drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning. Your body has been without hydration for seven to eight hours, so it needs water to rehydrate—especially if you’re going to follow up your water with a cup of caffeinated coffee or tea.
Drinking a large cool glass of water after you wake also fires up your metabolism by 24% for ninety minutes according to a research study. It also increases mental and physical performance during the day. When you’re dehydrated, you can feel tired and drained, and you may experience headaches and mood fluctuations.
#10. Smile in the Mirror
Does that seem ridiculous? It might feel that way when you first practice it (especially if someone walks in on you). But smiling at yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning has many positive benefits for your well-being.
In fact, British research scientists concluded “that smiling can be as stimulating as receiving up to 16,000 Pounds Sterling in cash.”
Smiling slows the heart and relaxes the body, and it releases endorphins that counteract and diminish stress hormones. It also has been shown to increase productivity while a person performs tasks.