Try Some Of These 5 Morning Rituals to Optimize Your Day

“Successful people aren’t born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don’t like to do.”

―William Makepeace Thackeray

Creating a consistent morning routine is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Being thoughtful about how you kick off each day sets the tone for how you’ll move through your tasks and accomplish your goals. If you start by making self care a priority — something men need more of — you will see positive results in your professional and personal life.

The morning routine helps us better control our schedules rather than allowing our schedule to control us. As we start each day fresh, we can better focus on what is in front of us, prioritize our time, and, ultimately, increase our productivity. 

A study from IDC Research found that 80 per cent of smartphone users check their mobile devices within 15 minutes of waking up each morning.

Studies show this is one of the worst ways to start our day is to turn on our phones and check texts, voicemails, emails and social media. Studies also show how it decreases our productivity and increases cortisol/stress levels.

Routines are essential at every stage of life — from childhood and adolescence to adulthood. They help us cope with change, create healthy habits, and reduce stress. And they are also a powerful mechanism to prioritize physical and mental health.

In my experience, I have found it is well worth waking up the extra hour or so for these morning rituals as they are transformational. They help prepare Awake Warriors like you (and me) for the day with greater clarity, more energy, better health, and more creativity—all the attributes that business leaders need more of. 

This is my morning routine most days, (vacations my routine is to sleep in and chill as much as possible and not have any routine)!

The time for each of these tasks varies, so the time noted below is not really carved in stone. Experiment and get up one hour earlier and you would be surprised what you can accomplish.

HYDRATE – 1 minute

Each night at bedtime, prepare an eight-ounce glass of water with freshly squeezed lemon,  (If you do not have lemon, a glass of water is sufficient.)

As soon as you wake up, drink the water. Drinking water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is an excellent way to improve your overall health.

It boosts your immune system, prepares your stomach to produce more stomach acid, and aids in healthy bowel movements throughout the day. 

Lemons contain flavonoids that help improve the absorption of Vitamin C, fight inflammation, and act as antioxidants, helping prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.

MOVEMENT – 30 minutes

After drinking your water, splash a few handfuls of cold water on your face, get dressed, and get moving.

If you can chose an activity you can do outside, even better.

Nature is healing and the new studies show one of the best things you can do for your brain is to get outside right after you wake up and getting natural sunlight.

In other words, pick an activity you enjoy that puts you into action. It could be a mind-body movement like yoga or qigong. Or, if you prefer a more high-intensity workout like swimming, jogging, or hiking, that’s a great way to get your blood moving. Even something simple like a power walk with your dog does the trick. Listen to your body and choose the activity that feels right for you. 

The point is to get your heart rate up first thing in the morning. Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes daily — if you have time, make it 50-60 minutes. Try doing a few different things a week to work different muscle groups while keeping the activity fresh and new for you. 

For example, you could do weight lifting one day and the next day, swim or jog, so you’re alternating between aerobic and anaerobic activities. High-intensity training (HIIT) is also an efficient way to combine aerobic and anaerobic exercises.

The point is, regular exercise is one of the best ways to stay healthy and improve your overall health. By doing it in the morning, you get your hardest physical part of your day completed.

The key to committing to a morning movement routine is ensuring that it’s not too strenuous and sustainable for you to do consistently. Additionally, it’s an excellent way to manage stress, keep your health markers like blood pressure and blood sugars in check, and maintain a healthy weight. 

BREATHWORK – 9 minutes

Breathwork is one of the best ways to start your day with focus and calm.

By being mindful of our breath, we help stimulate the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve as it starts in the medulla and extends to the abdomen. It’s responsible for regulating internal organ functions, such as digestion, heart rate, respiratory rate, vasomotor activity, and specific reflex actions, such as coughing, sneezing, swallowing, and vomiting.

By stimulating the vagus nerve, you send a message to your body that it’s time to relax and de-stress.

The sensory nodes on our lungs (“lung stretch receptors”) send information up through the vagus nerve and into the brain when we breathe in. The brain sends information back down through the vagus nerve to slow down or speed up the heart when we breathe out. So when we breathe slowly, the heart slows, and we relax. Conversely, when we breathe quickly, our heart speeds up, and we feel amped or anxious.

Breathwork is also one of the best ways to calm the mind and relax the mind in preparation to 

meditate. 

While it is best to find a qualified breathwork instructor to teach you breathing techniques that will work for you, there are a couple of easy techniques that you can try. 

Belly breathing:

• Start by sitting in a comfortable upright position where you won’t be disturbed.
• Put both hands on your abdomen and breathe slowly in through your nose until your/abdomen area fills up, approximately 6-8 seconds.
• Pause for one second, and then exhale through your mouth slowly, releasing all the air in your abdomen, also for 6-8 seconds.
• It is important to keep your inhales and exhales approximately the same length of time (6-8 seconds).
• Do this sequence for 1-2 minutes. 
• If you feel uncomfortable or dizzy, stop doing the breathwork and relax. 

Mindful breathing:

• Take a very slow, long inhale through your nose—as long as you can comfortably. 
• Exhale slowly out through your nose the same amount of time as your inhale. 
• Your first few times, you may inhale/exhale for 10-20 seconds, and as you practice, this will slowly increase to longer durations, say 20-30 seconds. 
• Don’t worry about the amount of time, just continue breathing slowly and matching exhales with inhales. 
• Do this exercise for 7-8 minutes. 
• If you feel uncomfortable or dizzy, stop doing the breathwork and relax. 

MEDITATE – 20 minutes

Research shows that chronic stress leads to many serious physical and psychological threats, including insomnia, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, cancer, obesity, heart disease, and digestive issues, just to name a few. This chronic stress is characterized by the “fight or flight”response, which arises from a very primitive part of our brain. Think back to the caveman days — when faced with a raging animal (or potential dinner), the caveman would need all his muscles to be in peak working condition to fight or run. It was all about survival.

During meditation, we are focused on the present moment — not on what happened yesterday, last week, or last year. And we’re not speculating about what might happen later today or tomorrow. We are calm and anxiety-free.

When you are grounded in the present moment, all the physiological effects caused by stress are reversed — your heart rate decreases, respiration quiets, stress hormones are reduced, perspiration slows, your immune system gets stronger, and your blood pressure normalizes.

Another often overlooked benefit to mediation is increased creativity and a greater sense of inner peace. Once our minds become quiet through meditation, we have access to a place of serenity and innovation. As little as five minutes per day can help, sign up to our email list and we will send you a free guided meditation.  

I also recommend learning to meditate and developing a regular practice. I practice self-transcending, mantra-based meditation. I’m happy to talk to you more about how to learn and why meditating 20 minutes twice daily is a game-changer.

COLD WATER THERAPY – 3 minutes

“We have become alienated from nature. But the cold is capable of bringing us back to what we once had lost.” ~ Wim Hoff

Cold water therapy is a growing trend in the health and wellness space, and with very good reason. 

Studies show that cold water therapy offers many benefits: it regulates and activates the lymphatic and digestive systems, increases our immune system response by activating the white immune cells, and reduces inflammation. 

It also stimulates blood flow, forcing blood to vital organs and sending oxygen throughout  your body. Cold water therapy also increases “brown adipose,” commonly referred to as “brown fat”—a metabolically active type of fat that decreases as we age.  Brown fat, unlike white fat, has been linked to increased metabolism and a lower risk of obesity.

Most of us do not have the time to prepare an ice bath every day, so one of the simplest ways to do this consistently is a three-minute cold shower every day. You could also go outside on a cold day in shorts or a t-shirt and really feel and breathe through the cold. This is also a great way to connect with nature’s elements. 

It is best to confirm with your doctor if it is safe for you to do cold water therapy. 

Here are a few books that may inspire you:

The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your LIfe, By Robin Sharma

The Miracle Morning: The Not- So- Obvious Secret Guaranteed To Transform Your LIfe, By Hal Elrod

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World, By William. H. McRaven

If this article sparked inspiration and questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help you on your journey.