Did you make yourself a new years resolution surrounding your health, fitness or well-being and feel like you’ve already fallen off the wagon?
We’ve all done that, so don’t beat yourself up about it. Sometimes we give up because we set ourselves unachievable goals, we don’t have the accountability or steps in place to reach the goal, or we don’t really know where to start.
But! Don’t give up! Beginning to think about a change is the first place to start. Then your thinking turns into talking about it, which turns into actions, which turns into habits. So if talking about your NYR is where you’re at, don’t give up.
Often I find the best way to achieve this is to set one small action in place. When you’ve got that one little thing happening, then you can introduce the next change. Otherwise, it feels like you’re doing a hundred new things at once and it very quickly becomes overwhelming and too hard.
One thing that really helps me focus on my health throughout the day is to start the day right with a morning routine.
Once you’ve started, it often makes the rest of the day so much easier to continue on in the patterns you’ve set.
I’ve listed a few things I try to do each morning to help set myself up for a good day. There are times when I slip up, or get too lazy, but I never regret doing them and always question why I stopped! My suggestion is to start by picking one or two things and begin building your own morning routine!
Top Tips For Building Your Own Morning Routine
1. Water
I always go to bed with a tall glass of water by my side. This means when I wake up, I’m ready to start hydrating.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
When I pull myself out of bed, I either do a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar, or drink a warm glass of water with a couple slices of lemon. This gets your digestive system going, along with a list of other benefits. (Read more about this here: Lemon Water & Apple Cider Vinegar)
I try to buy Organic Apple Cider Vinegar that is unfiltered & has the ‘mother’ in it.
3. Breakfast
I eat a healthy home-made breakfast that will energise me through the day. Something like homemade-granola with natural greek yoghurt, scrambled eggs & veggies, veggie-bread, or a smoothie with fruit, veg, nuts & seeds will guarantee you feel good!
To get started (especially if you’re not in the habit of eating breakfast), check out these 35 quick and healthy breakfast ideas over at Health Ambition.
Get creative with your breakfast & try something new!
4. Gut health
I’ve recently started implementing milk kefir & kombucha into my daily routine because it’s so good for your gut health! I mix my milk kefir into my Greek yoghurt or into my smoothie each day! The great thing is, once you have the kefir grains, it’s as cheap as chips to keep making. (Read more about it here: Milk-Kefir & Kombucha)
Milk Kefir is a must-try for gut-health!
5. Exercise
I’ve recently gotten back into exercising at the start of my day (rather than the end), and it makes such a difference! It does mean getting out of bed a little earlier, and starting off feeling very groggy, but I always feel amazing by the end! Whether it’s an early gym class, a brisk walk in your neighbourhood, a bike ride to work, or taking your dog for a run, it will make your day so much better. Not only will you start the day buzzing with endorphins, you’ll feel energised, confident, and focused. I also always feel way more motivated to keep my eating on track when I’ve bothered to get out of bed to exercise!
Last year I did an early-morning triathlon – I sure was buzzing after that!
6. Thankfulness
On my drive to work, I sip my caffeinated tea and I think of the things I’m grateful for. This small action got me through the hardest year of my life last year! Some days it was SO HARD to think of anything to be thankful for, but the more I did it, the easier it became. This is super important for our well-being. As a Christian, it was part of praying as I drove to work for the day. But no matter your beliefs, it’s still something you can do! Ashleigh wrote a great post last year on finding pockets of happiness in your day, and the same principles can be applied for gratefulness.
Finally, it’s important to remember that you’re not in competition with anyone but yourself. You’re only wanting to be a better version of yourself. Love yourself, and look after yourself. You’re only given one body; look after it!
So there it is! Six simple things you can use as part of your morning routine to start your day right. Which one will you pick to try out this week?
Author unknown – but so wise!
[All photos are from my Instagram account: @findingfoodfreedom]
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