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Join Facebook GroupNo Tech Morning
Daily Task - No Technology for the first 30 minutes upon waking.
When you first wake up in the morning your brain switches from delta waves, which occur in a deep sleep state, to theta waves, which occur during a sort of daydreamy state. The brain then moves to produce alpha waves when you are awake but are relaxed and not processing much information. When your brain is producing these waves, it’s responding to activities like meditation and rest that can reduce your stress levels and help you feel calmer. Boosting your alpha waves might also increase your creativity levels.
By grabbing your phone first thing and immediately diving into the online world, you force your body to skip those stages and go straight from the delta stage to being wide awake and alert (also known as the beta state). Depending on what you are looking at on your phone, seeing or reading something negative or dealing with work first thing in the morning can trigger your stress response and put you on edge for the rest of the day.
Morning Water
Daily Task - Drink 25% of your daily water intake first thing in the morning
I think most people realize that they should be drinking a lot of water but figuring out the easiest way to do it can be challenging. One of the best ways to get a jump start on your water intake each day is to start first thing in the morning. While you are getting ready for the day make it a goal to get at least 25% of your water intake. Not only does this help you achieve your water intake for the day but it also helps us out of a dehydrated state from sleeping.
How much water should you be drinking each day? Take your body weight in pounds and divide by 2. That's how many ounces of water you should drink daily. Ex: 150 lbs / 2 = 75 ounces of water per day.
Pro Tip: Add a pinch of unrefined sea salt or pink Himalayan salt to your water. This adds key minerals and balances electrolytes.
Daily Motion
Daily Task - Get your body moving for at least 10 minutes with tagerted exercises
The goal of this is not to be a workout but to get your entire body moving. Too often when we workout we tend to focus on specific areas and neglect others. In your routine you should try to hit every area from your toes to your head. There are a lot of different ways to go about this and you can choose the best for you. You don't have to have any equipment to do this but using bands, a foam roller, light weights, etc. can add variety to the movements that you perform. Below is a sample routine incorporating mobility and stability exercises.
Daily Mobility
Example of a daily mobility routine
Meditation or Mindful Breathing
Daily Task - 10 Minutes of Meditation
Do you ever stop to notice how you are training your attention? The way in which we train our mind matters just as much as how we train our bodies. Meditation allows us to notice where we pay attention. One of the easiest ways to start your practice of meditation is to work on box breathing:
BOX-BREATHING (A BREATHING MEDITATION)
- Begin by closing your eyes. Breathe in through your nose or mouth and count to 4 slowly.
- Hold the breath inside while counting slowly to 4 again. Try to relax the muscles in your face.
- Slowly exhale for 4 seconds.
- Repeat steps 1 through 3 at least 3 times.
Physical Activity
Daily Task - 30 minutes of deliberate physical activity
Physical activity guidelines state that we should do at least 2.5-5 hours per week of moderate intensity exercise to achieve health benefits. This daily task doesn't mean necessarily going for a run or lifting weights everyday. But it does mean doing something outside of your normal activities of daily living each day. This can be going for a brisk walk after dinner or doing light yoga. Ideally, you should do 2-3 days of strength training and 2-3 days of aerboic activity.
Healthy Eating
Daily Task - Stick to YOUR plan
Healthy eating can mean a lot of different things to many people. The goal is to make small changes can keep building. Where could you improve with your nutrition? Eating more protein? Limiting added sugars?
Determine what areas need help, and stick to the plan!
Journal
Daily Task - Write in your journal
Journaling has a range of benefits. It is a simple task that allows us to process emotions and reflect on recent experiences. Just writing a few minutes a day may help you reduce stress, boost your well-being, and better understand your needs. Start small, you don't have to write a book each day. Some key things to think about to help you get started:
- What happened in the past day?
- What did you learn today?
- What was your biggest achievement today?
- What are you thankful for right now?
- How are you feeling right now?
- What can you do next to move forward on your goals?
