Whether you think you have a morning routine or not, you do. Even if you regularly fly by the seat of your pants, that's a routine! 🙃 With school back in session and fall right around the corner, it's the perfect time to give your morning routine an audit and maybe an upgrade too!
GOOD NEWS: When it comes to our health, this is one area where we can make small daily shifts that lead to big results!
From studying the science, to watching others succeed and fail, and through my own personal experience, I've learned what has the most impact on our health and chose these things as my top five components of a transformational morning routine…
1. Drink at least 16 ounces of water (BEFORE caffeine).
Drinking a couple glasses of water is a good way to rehydrate your body after going the night without any liquids. It also helps stimulate metabolism and digestion, so bottoms up!
Bonus points if you add 1/4 or 1/2 a small lemon for detoxing the body and boosting your immune system! Squeeze the juice in the water, then drop the fruit in the water so you get all the benefits, from the vitamin C to the oil in the peel.
2. Read, pray, and meditate.
Nothing feeds your soul like spending time with your Creator then pausing to meditate on what you’ve read and prayed about. It will help get your mindset in the right place for the day and remind you of your source of love, energy, joy, and peace in a stress-inducing world. I like to meditate with breath prayers. On the inhale, I might say in my mind: “Abba,” then on the exhale: “I belong to you.” It gives me a sense of calm and helps me be more present at each moment of the day and more aware of the decisions I make.
Abba, I belong to you.
3. Move your body in love and worship to your Creator.
The way you move your body may matter more than the movement itself! How many times have you worked out from a place of guilt, shame, or duty? Feeling like you have to do something makes it dreadful versus understanding that you get to (and are able to) move your body in worship to your Creator.
Aim for 20-30 minutes of movement each morning. Even if you only have 5-10 minutes, it's still beneficial! Moving your body first thing in the morning can help improve your focus, energy, and mood throughout the day. Even low-impact stretching helps!
The way you move your body may matter more than the movement itself!
4. Nourish your body with high quality whole food provided by your Creator.
At least 20 grams of quality protein (like wild-caught fish; pasture-raised pork, chicken, eggs; grass-fed and finished beef; organic soy)
Healthy fat (like avocado; chia, flax, and hemp seeds; walnuts)
Fiber (think veggies, leafy greens, berries, whole grains).
Regardless of the time of day you choose to eat, your first meal that breaks your fast should be nourishing and set you up for focus, strength, resilience, mental clarity, hormonal balance, mood stability, and steady energy levels throughout the day. If you find that you need caffeine or sugar to either get or keep you going (or both!), that's definitely a sign that your breakfast needs an upgrade. If your breakfast consists of highly refined and processed (man-made) food, you're missing out on the best that God designed as high-octane fuel for your body.
To ensure you're starting your day with proper nutrition, check out my 50 Healthy & Delicious Breakfast Recipes Book!
5. Write down your top 3 goals.
Write down the 3 things you want to focus on and get done for the day. This sets your intention and will help keep you in a proactive versus reactive state. Just remember that it's SO important they be attainable goals; if not, you'll feel like a failure and may not even want to start them. I like to pray for wisdom when making my list and after I’ve completed it, pray for wisdom and grace to accomplish it. It also helps to keep Matthew 6:33 in mind.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
This list is by no means exhaustive but has been prioritized for your entire health and wellbeing in mind. I invite you to take a few minutes to decide which of these you’d like to try in your morning routine. Don’t feel like you have to tackle them all at once. Maybe start with just one or two that will either be 1) most impactful or 2) easiest for you to implement. Maybe you want to add to the list or change things up a bit. Go for it! At the end of the day, you're going to be more likely to stick to a routine that you create for yourself. Just be sure to invite God into that process for the most success! Once you’ve decided, I’d love to know what you chose. Just comment below and let me know what you’re committing to start and when. Looking forward to hearing from you!
In Love & Service,
Coach Leah
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