“Don’t ask anyone how they feel, because everyone feels terrible…” a joke goes.
How many people feel good at any particular time? From my years in clinical practice, very few. Especially in the morning. But, no matter how unwell you feel, you can choose to make yourself feel better even by 1%. 100% naturally.
Start your morning feeling better bit by bit as you do the smallest things that are good for you. Improve your morning, and you will improve your day; improve your day, and you will improve your week; improve the week, and you will improve your year. Years add up to make an improved life.
Feel 8% better by practicing these 8 simple morning habits. Your efforts are cumulative. If each point were to make you feel even 1% better, doing all 8 guarantees an 8% increase in feeling better overall.
So, here are my 8 Simple Morning Habits to Feel 8% better:
- As you wake up, give yourself a self-massage from the scalp, ears, face, neck, chest, and abdomen, all the way down to your legs and feet. It does not have to be elaborate, just enough to get the circulation going.
- Proceed with a meditation using the Insight Timer App—short or long, it is up to you. Reflection of any length will plant seeds of positivity for the day.
- Do a full-body morning stretch, and land on a spiky acupressure mat by your bed. Rub your hands together energetically as you slowly lift one foot to balance on another atop the spiky mat.
4. Brush your teeth, use a tongue scraper, and then oil pull with coconut oil for 5-10 minutes. Spit it out.
5. Drink a cup of warm water slowly. You may add lemon or a little vinegar to it. Massage your stomach clockwise and do a gentle breath of fire to give internal organs a massage, helping to clear out toxins from your bowels and lymphatic system. Ideally, nature will call, and you will eliminate your bowels at this point.
6. Next, go to your yoga mat and listen to what your body needs today. Do a 4-8 minute energizing full-body HIIT workout with weights or a short yoga practice. Both practices are available with the DownDog app. Sometimes you may feel ready to engage your muscles with strength training, and sometimes slower yoga moves might be a better fit.
7. Jump into the warm shower but finish with a cold one for 15-30 seconds.
8. Have a cup of tea or coffee. Enjoy your morning—write, read, and journal on the topic “What would I do today, if I were to be the best version of myself today?”
*Bonus tip: as you add these habits to your morning, smile, fake energy, and enthusiasm—you will be surprised by the increased positivity and upbeatness spontaneously generated.
Health is the prerequisite for happiness, and that’s why improving it, even if by the slightest degree, will contribute to your overall feeling well.
