Ok, so if you resemble something that came out of Jurassic Park first thing in the morning and don’t make any conversation until after 6 cups of caffeine with sugar – you’ll probably appreciate today’s tips.
Being your own boss and working from home can be heaven and hell – depending on how you wake up first thing. It’s easy to get into terrible habits – getting up late, failing to plan, slouching through the day and then cursing yourself for not getting anything done. You then end up dreading getting out of bed and life becomes a cycle of quiet desperation – not the aim when you went self-employed!
But here’s the thing – your morning routine will have a huge impact on how you feel and what the rest of your day is like. If you’re feeling low and want some ways to wake up happier, here are some of my favourites:
- First thing in the morning, write down the things that you appreciate about yourself and your life. This can be anything from your warm bed, the beauty of the trees or the fact that the sun is shining. By getting in the habit of feeling grateful, your mind will start to notice more and more things that it appreciates and it will help you to move into a more relaxed and resourceful state of mind.
- As well as appreciation, write down your achievements, however small. By focusing on what you’re doing well, you’ll train your brain to focus on the good stuff, rather than what’s not working and this increases motivation.
- Finally – write down the most important thing that you want to achieve that day. If you’re starting a new business, it may be to write one blog or to make an important phone call. You will probably do more of course, but when we are overwhelmed, we tend to become distracted by doing completely insignificant things because we’re scattered. Focus on the one meaningful thing will help you to feel back in control.
- Meditate. Creating time to connect with your higher purpose, or to simply have calm time can make a huge difference to how you feel throughout the day. We can get some really useful insights from this inner connection.
- Exercise. A quick run, yoga or simply bop to some of your favourite music at home. Choose physical exercise that you find fun, rather than something that you have to do. I love nothing more than having a dance samba marathon in my pajamas first thing! I look ridiculous and I feel fabulous 😆
- Instead of caffeine, try a hot water with lemon first thing. Rehydration helps the brain to wake up gently.
- Remind yourself of what’s really important and keep focused on the big picture and what you’re doing it for.
