Best Ways To Start the Day

We’re all looking for ways to improve our multifaceted lives. I dare say, a great way to begin those improvements is by starting your day off in a positive way.

I’m practicing a new routine that I want to share with you. It is changing my life for the better every day. The routine I’m sharing with you has become part of the journey. If you come along with me on this journey, I’d love to hear how your journey is going and if you are doing something different. I can’t wait to hear from you.

Every Step I Take

I wake up before the sun most days. Before I open my eyes, I thank God. Sometimes I thank Him for waking me up. I have other days when I thank God for waking me up and for the specific thing I woke up with on my mind.

My next “move” is to stretch. Yes, I stretch from bed. Of course, it’s not a full on yoga routine from bed, but it gets my blood pumping, warms up my stiff muscles and puts me in a good mood. Like many people these days, I looked through a lot of stretching videos on YouTube to find something I would actually do and stick with. I wanted something short, but effective. I landed on this video that I really enjoy. Meghan Livingstone takes you through a nice and gentle stretch.

Again, there are many videos to choose from on YouTube. So take some time to find a routine that works for you and your needs. For example, I have back issues so I look for exercises that won’t irritate my back or are specifically for people with back problems.

Give stretches from bed a try for a week. After being consistent for a week, evaluate how you feel. If you don’t feel worse, keep going. If you feel better, keep going.

At this point I’ve made it to my feet. I’m off to do the bathroom routine. Before I have my morning cup of coffee, I now have water. I add the juice of half a fresh squeezed lemon or two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a bottle of room temperature water. I drink my water while I make my coffee. [Insert water graphics]

Drinking water first thing in the morning is a way to wake your body up from the inside. When I start out my day drinking water I actually end up drinking more water throughout the day. On the flip side of that, I know for certain that most of the days I go straight for the coffee I don’t drink as much water.

When you start your day out in a positive way, even when obstacles come, you are in a better mind frame to handle them.

Benefits attributed to drinking water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach include cleansing your bowels….Yeah, I really started with that one. Drinking water on an empty stomach creates an urge to go. That’s definitely a benefit for us women who can oftentimes have trouble going. You will also feel lighter. Okay…..I’ll move on.

Drinking water on an empty stomach is also touted to increase energy. Stimulated red blood cells populate faster, which in turn boost energy levels. Who couldn’t use more energy? I’m all in.

This is a good one…..Drinking water on an empty stomach speeds up your metabolism. Your metabolic rate increases by 25 percent when you drink water on an empty stomach. I will run and grab my water on that note…..

There are more benefits to drinking water at any time. Those are just a few to encourage you to start your day with water…before coffee.

The next part of my morning routine that I wanted to share is journaling. Journaling can be great therapy…..and it’s free! [Insert Journal Image]

Why should I start journaling? Journaling allows you to unload. Unload anything that is causing you stress, things you may be having difficulty dealing with and things that bring you joy. Many times we are busy looking at what is right in front of us and have trouble seeing things that surround us. You’ve probably heard someone say, “you can’t see the forest for the trees”.

Journaling allows you to put everything down. Many people feel less burdened just getting things out, even if only on paper. It may be enough for you to just get it out of your head. You may not have to do anything else when it comes to that particular issue. Once you “unload” there is the opportunity to read back what you’ve written. Are there issues that you need to address? Can you make steps to address the issue and resolve it? What plans can you come up with and put in place to make things better in regards to the issue.

Whether what you put down on in your journal is something that needs to be resolved, a note for the day or putting an event down that you want to relive at another time, journaling can be free therapy.

How do you start writing a journal? Some of you may be tech savvy, but my recommendation is to start your journaling with pen and paper. When you write down your thoughts and feelings, you connect with them more than you will using a digital platform.

The first and most important thing to remember is that journaling is for you. Your journal will be filled with what is important to you. You are the author and reader. You don’t have to be concerned about what anyone else will think about your inner most thoughts, fears, desires or goals. So write away.

You pick the time to write in your journal. I like to write early in the morning when it is quiet in the house. However, I don’t restrict my journaling to mornings only. There are times throughout the day I feel the need to put something down. It may only be a sentence or two. If I am away from home and have a thought I want to work through later, I will use an app on my phone to put in a quick note to refer back to when I have my journal in hand. I also have evenings when I have a lot to say about something that happened during the day. Every day will be different. Choose the times that are best for you. Like me, you may find some days with am and pm entries, while other days only have one.

Another tip for journaling is to not be hard on yourself if you don’t do it every day. There will be days that are busy and days you just don’t feel motivated. A good practice for the day you journal after skipping, is to write down what happened on the day you skipped. If you were busy, what occupied your time? If you didn’t feel motivated, what was going on that disturbed your spirit?

What should I write in my journal? My last point goes to what you might write in your journal. Why you should write in a journal is simple. Your journal is for your benefit. You can write whatever you want. Document your journey. Whether you are going through something new or in your current routine, write it all down. Write down your hopes, fears, goals and your plans.

It’s your journal and you can write what you want to.

[Insert affiliate links to water bottle and journal]