Mine would include a delicious brekky (with blueberries or mushrooms in the mix!), a 30-minute walk and catch up with my beloved boyfriend, and enough minutes on the clock to get to work in a relaxed frame of mind—all underscored by a great sleep the night beforehand, of course.
Eek. Too much to ask? Sure, we all have busy, over-committed lives. But slowing down enough to treat yourself to a mood-boosting morning sets you up for the rest of the day.
It can have a butterfly on all sorts of unexpected things, too, such as putting you in the right headspace to say ’yes’ to a new opportunity; or giving you that little bit of extra energy to go for a run after work or to take the kids to the park.
So: what gives you energy? Puts you in a top mood? Chills you out? The answers to these three questions will help you craft a morning you’ll want to repeat… and repeat.
Energy
“Breakfast affects us physically and biologically as it breaks the longest period of time without incoming food that our body usually has, that is overnight,” says nutritionist Joanna McMillan Price, author of Inner Health, Outer Beauty.
“Steer clear of most breakfast cereals—they are processed carbs (and therefore usually higher in GI) with a few vitamins and minerals added back in, often with a good whack of sugar and salt as well. Instead go for fruit, whole grains, low-GI cereals, yoghurt or a hot brekkie of eggs with plenty of veggies.”
Mood
This one is a little more personal, but I’d argue that it requires a connection of some kind. Have a friend that always perks you up? Give her or him a 10-minute call. Alternately you could haul your partner aside for a quick coffee or walk, like I do. Connection can also involve tuning into the news or engaging with music you love. I sometimes crank out a cello tune from one of my favourite classical musos, or throw on some funk or soul and have a good sing!
If you’re still unsure what your ‘good mood potion’ is, keep a mood diary for a week or so and identify things that spark you up.
Chill out
Two sure-fire chill remedies: relaxation exercise and a little mental visualisation. My best friend, Celeste, is a yoga addict and she credits the discipline with her infallible morning perkiness.
If that’s not your style, take 5-minutes, close your eyes and imagine your perfect day unfolding. As writer Leo Babauta asks in his blog Zen Habits: “What would your ideal day look like? What would you do when you woke up, what would your work day look like? Note the things you’d do, ideally, then simplify to the most important ones… In some cases, you can simply start living this day, tomorrow, but in others you’ll have to make gradual changes to allow this ideal day to happen. The key: taking control and responsibility for making the perfect day a reality.”
On your marks…
We all have tasks we have to do first thing in the AM—whether it’s getting the kids up and dressed, or simply getting our own butts out the door and off to work. But there is a silver lining about autumn mornings: we get more sun… and that means more opportunity to make your first few waking hours count.