Morning Rituals: beat stress and be confident in just a few minutes
Morning is the most important part of the day. The feelings with which you wake up and go to work will usually accompany you until the evening. It's up to you and your mood as to whether you spend the day in peace, without irritations or escalated emotions, or succumb to stress and negative thoughts. Here are some simple tips for inducing positive thinking right from early morning and for stepping into a successful day. And do not forget that the impact of rituals is especially in their regularity.
Get up early!
Firstly, reserve sufficient time for "your" morning. And give it only to yourself. If you like to sleep in, it is advisable to end the previous evening a bit earlier than to set the morning alarm another five minutes later. There's a big difference between starting the day calmly, with breakfast, the newspaper and a cup of coffee, and hectic running around and panic at home. Is the prolonged lie-in really worth it? Next time try to jump out of bed as soon as the alarm rings, with the idea of the pleasurable moments awaiting you. What about a delicious breakfast?
Not only do you eliminate the risk of oversleeping, but you also gain important time for a leisurely start to the new day. Moreover, if you prepare a brief schedule of daily tasks the night before, you don't have to fumble around your memory in the morning and fear that you have forgotten about something throughout the day.
Exercise recharges the batteries
Many managers have already figured it out – it is best to play sports in the morning! Exercise relaxes the body and mind beautifully and you can immediately start work, feeling 100 % more refreshed. Try to go for a run in a nearby park or swim a few lengths before breakfast. Exercise has such power that you forget about everyday worries while doing it, you simply think about nothing at all. Even half an hour of such mental rehabilitation enables better performance throughout the day. Adequate movement will charge you with energy and provide self-confidence. Moreover, you achieve the excellent feeling that you have already done something good for yourself for that day.
Breathing counters stress
Does your work overwhelm you? Try to learn simple breathing exercises that will help you to find the necessary balance. Just five to ten minutes a day, preferably in the morning, instead of the postponed waking up. Find a quiet place where you are able to break free from surrounding noise, take up a comfortable position – lying down, sitting or standing with a back support. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Inhale through your nose at least for three seconds, pause, and equally intensely exhale. Concentrate only on your breath and your moving abdomen. After this cleansing of your mind, there is nothing more to weigh in on.
Later you will learn to relax in this way without being disturbed by environmental influences e.g. when traveling in a tram or waiting in line. Then you can pull out your properly practiced breathing against any stressful situation throughout the day – before an important meeting, consultation or work presentation. This easy meditation technique reduces your pulse rate and helps you to eliminate stress symptoms such as sweating of hands, dizziness, tremor of tense muscles and many others.
A cold morning shower, during which you can yell loudly, also provides similar resistance to stress. However, it has the disadvantage that, contrary to the respiratory exercises, it is non-transferable.