Start Your Morning Off Right

Did you know that the messages you put into your brain when you first wake up can influence your emotions and outlook for your entire day?

I learned this from Finding Focus in a Changing World by Joshua Seth. The first 20-30 minutes of your initial consciousness can make a large impact on your day -- and I've definitely taken notice of this in 2020!

For the past few months, I was living in a house where the news was on almost every morning (and if the newspeople weren't talking about the pandemic, they were talking about politics). For someone with anxiety, especially health-related anxiety, having to listen to the news first thing was NOT great for my mental state. Obviously, you can't really avoid things that are being talked about EVERYWHERE, but I did notice that I was much more triggered throughout the day on the days when the news was playing, or if I went on social media first thing ... or even if I talked to someone who wanted to have a conversation about something that would throw off my day.

I'm thankful to be in a new living environment now -- one without a TV at the moment (not that my boyfriend and I would voluntarily watch the news anyways). I know that I still have to set my own personal boundaries in order to maintain a healthy and happy morning -- in other words, no picking up my devices right away! While I do follow many (amazing!) life coaches on my social media, who post a ton of inspirational, motivational, and positive messages, there are still quite a few posts and stories about current events. I'm better off laying in bed for the first part of my morning ... but I don't recommend that (unless you REALLY want to, which is absolutely fine).

So, what are we supposed to do instead? Everyone is unique and has different needs, and I'm not here to tell you what to do. (I am merely suggesting to avoid the outside world for half an hour.) Personally, I love to spend my mornings either reading or writing (or both, and extending my technology-free morning from 30 minutes to 60!). Another book recommendation though: The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod -- he has a whole hour-long daily routine that has worked for thousands (maybe even millions?) of people! My boyfriend went for a run this morning ... I don't run, but occasionally I pull out my yoga mat for pilates (exercise is also supposed to be great for your mental health!).

Whatever you decide, just first take a moment to consider the fun fact I shared earlier ("the messages you put into your brain when you first wake up can influence your emotions and outlook for your entire day"), and reflect on how big of an influence your current inputted messages are having on your daily life.