How to create a "power up" hour to find balance

Conversations around powering down at night and creating some good habits has been talked about a lot, but I noticed powering up was left behind. Creating a powerful morning routine can have incredible benefits on your body & mind and allow you to rise &thrive rather than rise &rush.

If you are a go-getter and strive to be successful, chances are you use every hour, minute and second of each day to achieve and conquer. Perhaps you get up and go, if you are lucky there is a coffee and a bite to eat (that is if you are eating breakfast). Or you like to get caught up on everything you've missed over the last 8 hours of sleep and jump straight out of bed and onto your phone or computer. Does this sound familiar at all?

We all have magnificent obsessions and mornings are often viewed as rush hour and getting going versus a time to rise &thrive. But here within lies the problem. Mornings are incredibly valuable and with the right steps, you can go from starting your day in a rush, to creating mindfulness and calm that will last well into your afternoon. So if you are serious about creating more success with less stress than this is one tool from my box that I highly recommend you start using.

Step # 1 - No tech for 30-minutes post waking

Yes, you heard me right., no tech, so no phone, I-Pad, TV, kindle...you name it. I also call this my 30-silent minutes. If the thought of being in silence gives you a sense of anxiety, you are in the right place. Perhaps this will take a few weeks to work up to, but your body & mind will not only thank you, but also reward you. Start with 5-minutes and add another 5 every week until you end up at 30-minutes.

Listen to silence it has so much to say ~ Rumi

Step # 2 - Take 10 really deep breaths

Consciously breathing deeply supplies more oxygen to your entire body, including the digestive system, making it work more efficiently. The increased blood flow also encourages intestinal action which further improves your overall digestion and the oxygen also ramps up your metabolism. As an added bonus, make your exhales longer than your inhales and you also calm your central nervous system and put yourself in a full state of relaxation

Step # 3 - Get Creative

Because your mind has not been overloaded with all the noise days bring, we are more easily able to get into our Zone, also called Flow. In Flow, we are fully submerged into the experience at hand and we are not overthinking or over-analyzing, we literally let our subconscious take over the steering wheel. The Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi described it as an “optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.” . This is when we are at our most brilliant. So bust out a pen and paper, start writing or even drawing something. You'll be surprised how many ideas may come to mind or how many problems you may solve. Need more motivation? Harvard research showed that people who have experienced this state of mind report higher levels of productivity, creativity, and happiness for up to three days after experiencing flow state. Pretty Amazing!

Step # 4 - Drink Water with Lemon

There are endless positive benefits to hydrating your body, but a glass of water with some fresh Lemon first thing will help you get going and also provide an instant burst of Energy in the morning. It will naturally help detoxify your body and flush out unwanted toxins. Make sure to drink this before anything else for the most powerful benefits.

Step # 5 - Eat Breakfast

It has long been known that Breakfast is the meal you should eat like a King! Eating Breakfast will break the overnight fasting period and replenish your body with needed glucose as well as provides other nutrients to keep your energy levels up for the rest of the day. A well balanced breakfast is a key ingredient to give your body what it needs to get you going and perform at your best, make sure to incorporate some good protein, fats from nuts & seeds or avocados as well as some fruit or veg for good carbs and extra vitamins. If you are not a big eater, have a smoothie instead. Notice your energy levels transform as you make this a routine.

So you see, mornings do not need to be rush-hour. They can become a vital part of your day and get you in the right state of mind to create more success with less stress.

Got questions or thoughts - I would love to hear from you,

Theresa