Rise and shine: A Morning Ritual

Several recent studies from the University of Toronto and published in Harvard Review confirm that there is a correlation between rising early and reaching your dreams in life. There are exceptions, of course, but people who get up earlier are healthier, happier, slimmer, more positive and generally more successful in life and work than those who lie in. Energy, positivity and discipline are required to get up early day in day out and these are the qualities that great achievers share.  

In other words, productive and successful people don’t lie in. Waking up early is a sacred ritual for them and many have openly stated that it is the key to their success in life. If you find it hard to get up in the mornings taking control of your waking schedule will be a shock to the system but it might just be the shock you need to kick start positive change. 

Starting right. 

Okay, the alarm has gone off and all you want to do is hit snooze and go back to sleep. Here’s a simple technique, when the alarm goes off, take a deep breath and contended stretch and say out loud the words, ‘Wake up now.’ Then roll over and put both your feet on the ground. Then take a deep breath again before standing up and stretching again. You may find it a bit strange to talk out loud to yourself in this way but trust me it really can work.  

The reason we find it hard to get up is that it isn’t easy to leave feeling cosy and warm so the temptation is always strong to linger in bed but remind yourself that getting up earlier sets the tone for your whole day. 

And if this doesn’t work remember the putting your alarm clock on the other side of the room technique mentioned earlier. Trust me that works every time. Then when you are up do some gentle exercises, like a few arm swings or push ups or stretches as the more awake your body is the more awake your mind will be.  

Transforming waking up earlier into a ritual.  

Whether you are a morning person or a night owl the prospect of leaping out of bed earlier is not one to be relished. To make sure you don’t go to bed with good intentions of waking up earlier but when morning comes the lure of the snooze button is too strong it is vital to establish a morning wake-up ritual that has significance that is deeply personal and meaningful to you.  

When you wake up treat getting out of bed immediately as a ritual – a key element for your success in life. Congratulate yourself and celebrate the fact that you have taken this important step. Fill your waking up moments with deep meaning.  

The reason I am asking you to do this is that when we wake up we may be awake in body but not in mind and one powerful way to wake up your mind is to fill it with meaning. Then once you are on your feet create your own early morning routine. This adds structure and provides a consistent and strong foundation to your day. It doesn’t matter in what order you do things. The important things is that what you do is written in stone, it remains the same each day for the next 21 days and that you understand how important this routine is for you to have a successful day. It is your morning wake up ritual, after all, so treat it with all the reverence and respect it deserves.