3 Morning Rituals That Can Transform Your Life

What you do right after waking up can drastically impact your entire day. Establishing a positive morning routine can not only help you feel better in the morning, but it can actually help you accomplish more throughout the day. So how do you take advantage of this effect?

1. Get your blood pumping.

While you may cringe at the thought of exercising first thing in the morning, it's one of the best ways to fit a workout into your busy schedule. And in addition to the massive health benefits, exercise has also been shown to increase energy levels. Regular physical activity may even be associated with a more positive outlook on life. What better way to start your morning than to cultivate both your physical and mental health?

Not ready to set the alarm clock back far enough to get to the gym? Consider working in a ten-minute session of light stretching or even HIIT cardio, to get some of the benefits of the morning workout without losing any shut-eye.

2. Engage in meditation, mindful practices, or self-reflection.

There's a good reason that many highly successful people report meditation, self-reflection, or journaling as key to their morning rituals. People with consistent routines of mindfulness report lower stress levels and improvements to focus, mental clarity, and even cognitive functioning.

So when you wake up, take a moment and engage in whatever mindful practice speaks to you. This simple step will benefit you not just throughout the day, but also throughout your life.

3. Get one important task out of the way.

Imagine how great you would feel if you could eat your breakfast knowing that you'd already done something productive. Dedicating ten minutes in the morning to get something real done, perhaps something you've been putting off, is the perfect way to kickstart a productive day. You're going to have to reply to that important email eventually. Why not do it right away and get it off your mind?

To increase your chances of making these habits stick, try introducing them one at a time so that you don't feel overwhelmed with lots of change at once. Overall, these three morning rituals take just a bit of getting used to, but they all have the potential to transform your life for the better.