Take Control of How You Begin and End Your Day

Take Control of How You Begin and End Your Day

It’s 6:00 am. Your body is shocked into conscious awareness by the blaring sound of your alarm clock giving your brain permission to flood itself with the lengthy to do list you created the night before, while lying in bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling, suffering from a severe case of insomnia. You hurry through your morning routine, put your superhero cape on, grab a cup of coffee, drop the kids off, and head out to conquer the world. Once the day is done you find yourself lying in bed staring aimlessly at the ceiling yet again. As time goes on, you find yourself transforming into a grumpy, sleep deprived, hot mess. This type of routine is deleterious to your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Lets end this madness. Take control of how your day begins and ends.

Morning Meditation 

Lets start over. It’s 6:00 am. Your body is shocked into conscious awareness by the blaring sound of your alarm clock. Turn off the alarm clock, with your eyes closed (or open) smile and be grateful for another day. Get out of bed. Sit on the floor (criss cross applesauce), close your eyes and clear your mind. Focus on your breath. Inhale and exhale slowly. As you exhale imagine each thought drifting off into the distance until your mind is clear. When you have finished, set an intention for the day. For example, my intention for today is to smile and be grateful.

Meditation sustains our spiritual, mental, and physical health. It allows us to focus and center ourselves in preparation for a day.

Bedtime Routine 

How we end the day is just as important as how we start the day. Choose a time to unwind. Most of us work in what I call institutional lighting. Start by dimming the lights at home. Light a scented candle. Take a bath instead of a quick shower. Read a book or watch your favorite television program. Sip your favorite flavor of hot tea. The brain recognizes patterns. Establishing a routine signals to the brain that it’s time for bed.

Bedtime tips:

Use your bed for sleep

Avoid working in your bed. If you establish the habit of doing homework or office work in your bed, you won’t be able to fall asleep. The brain will think its time to work. Use your bed for sleep. Use your desk for work.

Avoid Caffeine

Avoid caffeinated beverages late in the day. If you drink coffee in the morning and you’re having difficulty falling asleep, you may want to start drinking herbal tea. Some teas are caffeinated as well so do your research.

End your day the with meditation

Clear your mind. Be thankful for another day.

Turn the TV off

In order to enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep, you must silence everything around you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Mind Body Soul

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