5 Habits to Make Part of Your Morning

From the moment you wake up in the morning, you get to decide if it’s going to be a good day or a bad day. You get to decide if you’re going to follow healthy habits that will improve your overall well being and happiness or unhealthy habits that will bring you down.

Admittedly, though, there are times that our negative habits take over and good intentions can get tossed aside. Creating healthy rituals that become good habits can help keep the needle on the side of a positive, healthy day.

Here are a few ways to make each day a great day and a step in the healthy direction.

1. Meditate: I completely understand that trying to set aside as much as 30 minutes to sit quietly and meditate is not easy to do for many people. So don’t try to take on something that will result in zero success. Instead, find an amount of time that you can dedicate to you. Even if it’s just 10 minutes — or even 5. Find a place where you can sit quietly, close your eyes, and breathe. Maybe this is your bedroom, maybe it’s outside, maybe it’s even the bathroom — anywhere that you can sit quietly will do. Set a timer to let you know when the time is up so you don’t have to worry about tracking the time.

2. Oil pulling: According to Ayurvedic teachings, oil pulling is a wonderful way to detoxify your body. Others also claim it’s good for teeth. Oil pulling is said to attract and remove bacteria from your mouth and congestion from the sinuses and throat. You may even notice a difference in your congestion from the first time you do it.

So, how do you do it? Start with about ½ tablespoon of oil and actively push and swirl it around your teeth and gums for at least 5 minutes or more. When you’re done, spit the liquid into the trash or toilet — not the sink or it could clog it. Rinse your mouth a few times with water when you’re done. At first, oil pulling may be a bit daunting and not an extremely enjoyable experience. I suggest easing into it. Start with just a small amount of the oil that’s most palatable to you, and only do it for a few minutes. Work your way up to pulling with a tablespoon of oil for 20–30 minutes.

3. Dry brushing: The skin is the largest organ in the body. You wash it, you moisturize it, you exfoliate it, but do you brush it? Aside from the beauty benefits of exfoliating the skin and improving cellulite, dry brushing can improve circulation and detoxify the body. The action of brushing encourages the movement of the lymph fluid to the lymph nodes so it can be eliminated from your body. It also gets the blood moving and helps to carry oxygenated blood to the organs so they function better.

You can find detailed instructions for how to dry brush, but in the most simple way, using a long-handled course brush, start at your feet and use long strokes to brush towards your heart. Brush each leg, then the midsection, across your chest and finally your arms. Do this before you shower then follow with a shower. For an added bonus, finish your shower with a cold water rinse.

4. Warm water with lemon: If you really want to do your digestive system a favor, start your day by drinking warm water with the juice of half a lemon. The lemon water provides a gentle wake up call for you digestive system and gets it ready for the day. It too helps to flush toxins out of your system by stimulating the liver. The scent of lemon may also help to reduce anxiety, making it a great way to start your day! And, if all that weren’t enough, the pectin fiber in lemon can help fight hunger cravings which means you won’t start off your day starving.

5. Smile: Seriously! The simple act of smiling has been found to actually increase your level of happiness. You may be frazzled and feel like you’re being pulled in 10 different directions before 8 AM, but smiling can help you calm down and change your mood almost immediately. Enjoy 5 minutes with someone you love — your children, your spouse, your best friend and allow yourself to smile. Or, on your way to work, while you’re sitting in the car, instead of starting out the window or getting frustrated by traffic, use your time wisely and think of a happy memory. Smile about it. And, I don’t mean just turning up the corners of your mouth. Allow the emotion to take hold and really, truly smile!

Each of these practices on their own has the ability to improve your health, your happiness and your well being, but if you begin a routine that incorporates all five, I promise you’ll be a new and happier you in no time.