This is a guest post by Scott Gardiner, and a testament to how small changes can add up to make a big difference. Enjoy!
I used to wake up in the mornings like a lion with a thorn in his paw.
I would creak and groan out of bed like I was much older than I actually was, and I dreaded the morning.
I’m still not a huge fan of the alarm ringing in the morning, but some things have changed.
My morning routine use to be:
- Wake up at the last minute possible
- Shuffle off to see my son for a few minutes before school.
- Come home and have breakfast.
- Get down to work.
It wasn’t very efficient or effective. By not getting up early enough, I would have to eat breakfast later, and because of that I would start working later.
It was a routine that I had to change. I’m happy to say that the change has done a lot of good.
One of the changes I have made is to try to make mornings better for myself, with the intention that the rest of the day might follow.
Here is my new morning routine:
- Get up earlier. Nothing drastic, but I am waking up a half hour earlier than usual.
- Drink a glass of water to rehydrate the body after a night of sleep.
- Do my 20/20/20 routine.
My 20/20/20 routine consists of 20 pushups, 20 squats, and 20 jumping jacks. It’s not overly strenuous and takes me only 5 minutes or so. I must say for the 5 minutes that it takes, it has a very positive impact.
After I do my exercise I have my breakfast and then walk up to meet my son at school. The walk is no longer a shuffle. My body is warmed up and the nice 20 minute walk caps off my morning routine.
Physical activity boosts the production of endorphins which are your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. This is what is called the runner’s high but it doesn’t happen with just runners. Any kind of physical exertion will produce endorphins and make you feel better.
Starting the day with a boost of feel-good endorphins can only serve to make the rest of the day better. If we start the day better, with more energy, and more momentum, we will have a more positive frame of mind and whatever it is we do, we will do better.
It doesn’t have to be pushups, squats, and jumping jacks. It can be a walk, a short run, a bike ride, or whatever you want it to be. Just get your body moving.
Get out of bed with a purpose and start the day with some hydration and exercise and you will start your day with energy and vigor.
Like a greyhound racing around the track instead of a lion with a thorn in his paw.
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Scott Gardiner is the founder of WPmend.com providing top-notch WordPress support and services. He also writes on his own blog at scott-gardiner.com
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