The Bold Abode is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com as well as other affiliate networks.

So, let’s talk about this morning thing.  I swear you really can have a miraculous morning. If you immediately go to “I’m NOT a morning person”, can you go into lala-land for just a moment and suspend that belief?

Ok.  So, now let’s chat.

Disclaimer:  I am a morning person.  Sort of.  Well, I used to really be a morning person and then I had kids.  Kids kicked my butt.  Aaaand my husband is a night owl. That kicked my butt.  So, for a LONG time, I became less of a morning person, so I do know what it feels like to not want to get up out of the warm, mussy covers at 6am.

But, but, but… a few years ago, I found this amazing book called the Miracle Morning. (<= amazon affiliate link)  I had always known that getting up early can have a positive impact, but once I read this book, I decided to really put my all into it.

Why should you get up in the morning and what should you do?

I love getting up before everyone else.  First off, it’s quiet.  No… it’s Q.U.I.E.T.  And that is lovely. No kids scurrying around looking for their missing computers or orange and purple striped socks. No husbands fussing about the dog that snuck around the house eating the bills that were left on the counter.  It’s just so peaceful and, again…quiet.

Here is my routine that I know will help you super charge your morning and literally change your life!

Drink Water First.

First, I chug about 16oz of water like a frat boy at free beer night.  After sleeping for 8, no 7, no maybe 6 hours, (haha) your body is actually a little dehydrated. Immediately meeting your need for the watery substance helps not only wake you up but gets your head functioning properly.

A Life of Productivity says, 

One of the best things you can do after you wake up: drink at least 16oz (500mL) of water. Water fires up your metabolism, hydrates you, helps your body flush out toxins, gives your brain fuel, and may even make you eat less.

You know need water, and getting it BEFORE that cupppa joe will help your body feel and function better than anything else you could possibly do.

Take a few minutes to wake your body up with some light exercise.

My exercise of preference is about 30 minutes of light yoga.  If I don’t stretch my beehiney out first thing, I can feel it all day long.  My body craves it like a sugar addict craves a bag of chocolate covered oreo cookies.

If  30 minutes is too much right off the bat, take 15 or 10 or 5 to take a short walk. Do whatever exercise you enjoy.  If you say you hate exercise, wake the dog up if you dare and take him out.  He loves it and when you look at him, that will make you love it too.  Once you make this part of your morning a habit, you really will find your body craving it.  Breathe deeply and get some oxygen in your blood first thing.

Livestrong.com says,

Deep breathing can release stress and provide other noticeable health benefits. You will likely feel calmer after performing deep breathing exercises, and may trade feelings of anger or fear for a focused, relaxed state of mind. Deep breathing is sometimes used to treat anxiety disorders, sleep problems and even general body aches and pains.

Now, take 5-10 minutes to clear your mind of everything.

You can call it meditation or centering yourself.  However you define it, studies show that taking a few minutes every day to quiet your mind.  It has so many benefits, from stress relief to lowering anxiety to helping with concentration and focus.

Forbes says, 

The practice appears to have an amazing variety of neurological benefits – from changes in grey matter volume to reduced activity in the “me” centers of the brain to enhanced connectivity between brain regions.

I find getting quiet helps me to be more self-aware, patient and focused.  It puts me back in touch with who I am and keeps me connected to my spiritual center.

Finally, say some affirmations to remind yourself how worthy, powerful and strong you are.

Have you ever heard of the imposter syndrome?  It’s when you feel like you don’t know enough or aren’t smart enough to really warrant the success that you have or that you deserve.

Wikipedia says it like this: 

Impostor syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. Despite external evidence of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved.

In The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention, Pauline Rose Clance & Suzanne Imes from Georgia tech say:

Self-declared impostors fear that eventually some significant person will discover that they are indeed intellectual impostors. One women stated, “I was convinced that I would be discovered as a phony when I took my comprehensive doctoral examination. I thought the final test had come. In one way, I was somewhat relieved at this prospect because the pretense would finally be over. I was shocked when my chairman told me that my answers were excellent and that my paper was one of the best he had seen in his entire career.” Women who exhibit the impostor phenomenon do not fall into any one diagnostic category. The clinical symptoms most frequently reported are generalized anxiety, lack of selfconfidence, depression, and frustration related to inability to meet self-imposed standards of achievement.

I have struggled with this imposter syndrome, fearing that I was a fraud and would be found out.  But it’s nonsense!  Saying affirmations every morning has given me the confidence in myself that I have long sought after.  It has literally changed the way I work and how I feel about myself as a female humanoid.  It has given me the confidence to speak my mind and share my honest thoughts and opinions.

If you are looking for some positive affirmations to start with, you can sign up for my 6 weeks of Always Brighter affirmations on my new site AlwaysBrighter.com.

If you have to choose just one thing to do, start with the affirmations! When your mind starts to change, everything else will follow.  I am living proof that you can go from a deep, dark depressive state of being to a vibrant, healthy person who loves herself and has confidence to create her ideal life!

Now, it’s time to take some action!  Let me know what you’re going to start with in the comments below!  And let’s all give each other high fives in our replies!

xoxo

Gwen