I’ve tried out a lot of morning routines. I’ve gone into business, fitness, and self-development circles to learn about as many components of morning routines as I can, and the list of things to try is ever growing. Despite the always-trying-new-habits-out thing, I’ve stuck with 5 habits. Here they are.
1) Water – I chug a cold class of water mixed with sea salt, along with any supplements I’m taking. The most consistent supplement I’ve been 
on in a nootropic (cognitive enhancement / smart drug) by Natural Stacks, called CILTEP. Click here to check it out.
2) Solitude – I need to be by myself for at least 10-15 minutes in order to get my work done during the day. This period of time can include meditation, journaling, visualization, or just planning my day. (But it needs to be alone!)
3) Getting outside – It doesn’t matter what the weather is, I need to get outside to wake up! Sunlight and fresh air (being outside) help to make up my mind better than any morning indoor workout. Big breaths of air and sunlight are where it’s at!
4) Movement – 10-15 minutes of exercise helps me turn my body on, which in turn activates my mind. The best form of movement in the morning (for me, at least) are long, static yoga postures, such as high lunges, side stretches, and standing backbends. You don’t have to work out for 60 minutes every morning, but you do need to spend at least a few minutes on it.
5) Big. Breakfast – Eggs, avocado, sauerkraut, spinach leaves, mixed veggies, and sweet potatoes. Pretty much every day, with very little variety.
Book I’m reading right now: Sleep Smarter
I’m still blazing through this book, and it’s still just as entertaining as it was last week. It isn’t just about sleep. It explains how sleep is related to all aspects of your health and your physical activity. The book is framed around sleep, but it covers so much more than that. Highly highly recommend it. Click here to get it from Amazon.
Music i’m listening to: Colors – Audien Remix by Halsey
I like EDM. This is one of my favs at the moment.
Fitness focus: Hamstring flexibility
I’ve been changing my approach to forward folds a litlte bit. I visualize lengthening my hamstrings, instead of just getting my chest toward my thighs. Focus on lifting your hips to create more length from the back of your knees to the lower back, and you’ll feel more of a pull in your hamstrings. For me, I guess I just got so used to doing forward folds and stopped pushing my hamstring flexibility. We’re back on now.
Food of the week: Apple pie.
What? Yeah, I’m human. I bought a giant apple pie from the grocery store and munch on it at night. Sadly, I only ate 1/3 of it before I decided it was evil and had to throw it out. Seriously – how does a pie stay good for 5 days when it’s just sitting on the counter? The preservatives in that thing CAN’T be good for you.
Finding inspiration from: A good morning routine.
I’ve been more dedicated to sticking to my morning routine this week than I have in the past, and I’m feeling a lot better, getting tired when I should be, and not waking up later than I should (even though I could). Definitely have to thank Shawn Stevenson and his Sleep Smarter book for helping out with that. (Seriously – buy the book.)
Have a kickass weekend.
Dean