7 Ways to Start Your Day Off Right

How your morning goes tends to set the tone for everything after it. Begin well and you'll usually feel steadier and get more done. The point is to center yourself early, so when the day hands you something unexpected, it doesn't knock you sideways. Below are seven small practices you can pick up starting tomorrow. None of them is complicated, and together they add maybe ten minutes to your routine, so you aren't giving up any real sleep.

Stretch for two minutes. Loosening up gets your blood moving and works out the stiffness that settles in overnight. It also eases tension and calms you down. While you stretch, let your mind drift toward the good parts of your day: lunch with a friend, a movie night with your kids, whatever it is that puts a smile on your face. Hold each one for roughly 20 seconds, then ease into the next.

Spend a minute on mindfulness. Sit somewhere comfortable and pay attention to what's actually around you, what you see, feel, and smell. Birds outside the window, coffee starting to brew, morning light coming through the blinds. Noticing these things tends to nudge you into a better mood before you've even finished your first cup.

Read something that inspires you. Keep a book of quotes handy, pull one up on your phone, or open your Bible. A single passage is enough, as long as it leaves you in a positive frame of mind. Carry the line with you through the day, and feel free to pass it along to your family or roommates over breakfast.

Visualize things going well. You already know what's on your plate and which items matter most. Picture them turning out the way you want. If you've got a pitch at work, see it landing cleanly. If there's an exam, see yourself knowing the answers. Running through success in advance primes you for it, and even when reality falls short, that positive attitude makes the rough patches easier to absorb.

Be grateful. Give yourself a minute to name the good things in your life. Jot them in a journal or just hold them in your head. When your attention stays fixed on what's going right, negative thoughts have a harder time elbowing their way in. Gratitude works almost like a vaccine against that kind of spiral. People who practice it are measurably more positive and recover faster when plans fall apart.

Let go of the negative stuff. If you wake up carrying resentment or bad feelings, don't give them room to run the day. Write any grudges or frustrations on a scrap of paper, crumple it, and toss it. The physical act of discarding it signals release and clears space for better things. There's a bodily payoff too: less stress, and in some cases lower blood pressure and heart rate. Clearing your head this way is good for you emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Make yourself a personal affirmation. You want a short phrase to lean on when the day turns difficult. Use the same one every morning or invent a fresh one each day. When things get tense, repeat it to steady yourself and shake off the negative charge. A few examples: challenges help me grow; I accept this challenge; this is only temporary; I am strong and productive; I believe in me; I will make a positive difference today; I am motivated to make positive changes; I am happy and healthy.

Start folding these in when you wake up tomorrow. The order doesn't matter; do them however suits you. What counts is claiming ten minutes that belong only to you, long enough to get your head right before the day begins. Shut the bedroom door, take a breath, and begin. If your household needs you the moment your eyes open, just tell them you need ten minutes to run through these seven without being interrupted.

- Rosemary Kitchen

Resources: InspireMore. (2014). 8 Tips to Start Your Day the Right Way. Retrieved on February 12, 2015. Daum, K. (2015). 7 Ways to Start a Great Day. Retrieved on February 12, 2015.