One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to create a morning routine that sets the tone for the day.
Are you someone who rolls out of bed after a fight with your snooze alarm, then checks your emails, and grabs a coffee to go? If you are, that may not be the best way to kick off a day! A person's success can often be traced back to their morning routine. While your response to adversity will not solve everything, there is a saying that life isn't necessarily what happens to you, but rather how you react to it. If you are well-rested with the right emotional outlook, you might be more equipped to conquer your daily challenges.
Your morning routine should be unique to you, but I certainly recommend considering your physical, emotional, and nutritional wellbeing. I start my day by using my Backbridge for 2 minutes to loosen up my back and spine. While on the Backbridge, I do some deep breathing: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds. After these 2 minutes, I do 2 minutes of "tapping," which stimulates the acupuncture circuitry. Tapping is essentially tapping specific acupuncture points on your skin. The Chinese describe energy in the body as Chi, and tapping specific points can balance your body's energy. While I know this may sound a bit new-age-y for some, I urge you to try it. Tapping helps calm your body.
I suggest, at each point, tap for ten seconds while you do each of the following: close your eyes, open your eyes, look up, look down, look down and to the right, look down and to the left, rotate your eyes clockwise and then counterclockwise, hum a verse of 'Happy Birthday.'
There are 10 tapping points:
Eyebrow
Side of eye
Under-eye
Under nose
Chin
Collarbone
Underarm
Top of head
Side of wrist
Wrist between 4th and 5th fingers
If you enjoy it, a more detailed plan is in my book 3 Weeks to a Better Back (p. 227-228).
Lastly, please take a look at what you are eating and drinking for breakfast and improve it. I recommend starting your day with a tall glass of cold water. It will jumpstart your digestive system and hydrate you!
I encourage you to try this out for ONE week and see how you feel or customize your own routine. You will see a difference!
