Starting Your Day With Healthy Rituals
The image posted with this blog is my go to swim spot of a morning. It wakes me up, gets me grounded, clears my bed fog & washes away the previous day so I am fresh and ready for a new day of doings!!
The days I swim people often mention how vibrant I am looking (on to a good thing), so I keep doing it – as daily as possible.
Four more of my favorite daily habits that guarantee success in my day to day living follow:
1. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Ben Franklin
Yes, I know, we are not in school anymore & I completely agree with you that there is something a bit special about being up late at night, after the kids are in bed with a little glass on vino…or getting home from your dinner date, kicking off your shoes & settling in to some solid P&Q time on the couch…
But let me tell you, the biggest blessing about my work is that in order for me to perform my job (without having a mini melt down by lunch) I am usually hitting the hay well & truly by 9:30pm of an evening! I also rise at 5:15am most mornings, even on days off I am often up before 6am.
It is my absolute numero uno immunity tip when it comes to health & wellness. Not only does it feel amazing to get up & out doors for that beach walk, lighthouse run, or early morning gym pump up… but there is something magical about the quietness of the early mornings! For me it’s reflection time, goal setting time, working out what I want out of my day and how I am going to head in to it kind of time. When you are off pondering this through some morning exercise (already ticking a box) I would say that the likely hood of you ticking all of your other to do’s when you get up that little bit earlier ‘vs’ rolling out of bed after hitting snooze 3 times, is about 100 times more likely for success! Why?
The very fact you have jumped out of bed without thinking and straight in to a healthy ritual for yourself, means there has already been a success in your day.. it insures more success to follow in your day!!
2. Never Snooze!!
Don’t Hit the snooze button!! Not even 3 minutes worth. Ever noticed on those mornings when you really just want to sleep in, but you know you have to get up, so you squeeze every last little second of bed time in you can, sacrificing the shower you were going to have, breakfast you were going to cook, anything just to get some more zz’s in…. DON’T DO IT!!
As soon as you hear your alarm, get up and go go go!!!! If you are an avid snoozer & having trouble coming to terms with it, then tell yourself you will have an earlier night or a nap later, trick yourself in to reward later (it works trust me).. and allow yourself one day per week when you don’t set an alarm as a treat.
3. Ocean Plunging
I swim daily. Well not every day, but I wouldn’t miss many in the yearly cycle. If it’s winter, I throw my togs on when I get out of bed, wrap my towel around me and run straight to the ocean. If it’s warmer, I go for a walk outdoors first and then finish with a (longer) dip. Why? It is the best way to start the day afresh, with a clear mind. From pre dunk, to post dunk, I feel like a different person. Like I have acquired a new head, I am more ready for the day! Yes, I always swim in the a.m before work, and if I start work at 5:30am I always finish my morning block of clients off with a dip!!! On the days I don’t swim, I feel a fraction less like myself…
If you don’t live by the ocean, you can turn the shower on to full cold & do a cold exposure shower!!! Ooooow Yeah!!!
Cold exposure is always a great way to burn excess body fat, read more from Timothy Ferris on body fat & cold exposure.
4. Reminder & Lists
I am the reminder queen… I cop a lot from my sister for my crazy little reminder quirk, she laughs and says, “don’t forget to brush your teeth!”. However, I rarely forget anything. Before I go to bed at night, I write a list of what I need to get done the next day, and I order them in priority of 1-10 of what the most important is. I am a real believer that if you say you are going to do something, you should do it. That goes for lists as well, for a successful life, you need to create successful habits, and list writing followed by ‘tick whoooshing’ when it’s done, is a great way to feel the accomplishments of the small things each day, which equate to bigger things in the long run, success!!
Could you benefit from implementing any of these rituals if you aren’t already following them? Do you have any of your own that help keep you on track?
I would love to know, share by leaving a comment below.
Warmest,
Candice
