Start your day right with healthy morning practices such as these.
Handling your morning effectively can be crucial to getting your day started right. A good morning routine helps you feel more energised and raring to go. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, which sets the momentum for the day ahead.
Sophia Goh, a psychotherapist and founder of Sofia Wellness Clinic, offers the following tips to upgrade your mornings:
GET SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE
Getting sunlight exposure early in the morning, preferably an hour after sunrise, helps to reset our circadian rhythms, which is our internal body clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. Maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm creates an anchor for our sleep patterns, allowing us to have prolonged and consistent good-quality sleep.
As waking up refreshed is so important, you may wish to use a fitness tracker to note your sleep patterns and ensure you get a good night’s sleep. The sleep score and detailed analysis provided will enable you to make small changes to improve your sleep quality.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness has been found to be a great way to reduce stress, control anxiety, and promote well-being. Sophia recommends setting aside at least five minutes a day for a mindfulness session. Using mindfulness tracks is one way to do this. She personally likes to make use of mindfulness content on Fitbit Premium within the Fitbit app. “My current favourite is the audio track ‘A Fresh Start’ to set my intentions for the day,” she discloses.
START THE DAY WITH GRATITUDE
The practice of gratitude has been found to have a positive impact on both our emotional and physical well-being. Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what is already present in our lives. It helps us notice and find joy in the small things in our lives, instead of holding out for the big things to make us happy.
EXERCISE
Physical exercise helps the body to release chemicals called endorphins, which triggers a positive feeling in your brain and body. It also stimulates the production of energy for your brain, which boosts your mental output. Therefore, you would tend to feel more energetic and enthusiastic after a workout session. Whether you start your day with some light stretching exercises, a yoga session, or a cardio workout, they are all equally beneficial in making you more productive for the rest of your day.
Sophia advises following up your session with breathing exercises. She herself ends her exercise with two minutes of guided breathing on her Fitbit, but you could simply do deep breathing for two to five minutes on your own.
Setting a proper routine that prioritises your well-being and sticking to it will give you important me-time, as well as provide you with more discipline to handle your workday.
