The old saying of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” has an important lesson tucked within it and it’s not about your eating habits. A daily routine is scientifically proven to help your physical and mental health.
Andrew Taylor, Executive Director of Pure Life Adventures, shares four healthy morning habits he uses in his daily routine. At a time when Andrew found himself a little down and struggling to move forward in life, he took on this simple morning routine which has since become a sacred part of his daily habits.
Four Healthy Habits For Your Morning Routine
A daily routine is essentially a habit you engage with each day. It’s important to create healthy morning habits that will improve your mental health or physical health. Here are four healthy morning habits you should commit to each morning for a healthy start to your day and life.
Rise
Morning is when the world is quiet and peaceful. Don’t let this precious time escape you. Wake up early each day. Research has shown that waking up early and at a consistent time each day has numerous health benefits such as decreased depression, better sleep quality, more positive thoughts, and reduced stress.
Read
When you read, you stimulate your brain. Think of reading as an exercise for the brain. Start your morning off with reading something empowering, something that will teach you or challenge you. At the very least reading more will make you more interesting.
Run
Once you’ve exercised your mind, it’s time to move your body. Exercise increases the production of neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. Both enhance your physical ability to deal with stress. In addition, research has shown that we are the most creative and productive up to two hours after exercise. Get that body moving in any way you can. It doesn’t have to be running; try sit-ups, push-ups, yoga, swimming, or playing a sport.
Reflect
The last step of a healthy morning routine is meditation. Meditation can be used for a wide variety of needs such as self-reflection, organizing your thoughts, training your mind to focus, and more. Meditation or reflection can be accomplished through journaling, writing down what you are thankful for that day, a guided meditation program, or grounding yourself by standing barefoot in nature.
4 Tips For Building Healthy Habits
It seems that unhealthy habits can be created with no thought at all, but building healthy ones is a lot more work… but worth it. Here are 4 tips to help build habits to improve your overall wellness.
Plan
Creating a plan is critical to building a healthy habit. Know what your intention is, write it down, and use it as a guide when you feel yourself getting off track.
Track Your Progress
Keep a record of your progress. Keeping track of positive progress, or when you are struggling, gives insight into your activities. It might show that you struggled when away from home, or that you did really well during certain seasons. This can help you stay motivated or help you learn ways to be more successful.
Reward Yourself
This reward can be big or small, but it must be something you are excited about. If you’re trying to start a new morning routine, the reward may be a treat once you’ve finished your routine, or after a few weeks of success, you get those shoes you’ve been wanting. Whatever gets you motivated, use it as positive reinforcement.
Be patient
Creating a new habit or routine isn’t easy. When you aren’t a morning person, changing your schedule to wake up early each day will not be your favorite. Be patient with yourself. Allow yourself whatever feelings come with the new habit as long as you continue moving forward. Think of the long-term reasons for starting the habit and all the benefits that will come.
3 Habits That Can Ruin Your Day
Habits come in all forms and some habits can have quite a negative impact on your health, mindset, or even the productivity of your day. Here are some habits that could be ruining your day without you even realizing it.
Not Drinking Enough Water
The way we feel physically can affect everything around us such as our mental state. A daily essential our bodies must have is water. When you keep your body hydrated you positively impact the function of your joints, digestive system, and kidneys. When your body is functioning properly, you’ll be happier overall.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Much like water, sleep is essential to your overall wellness. Not giving your body quality time to recover from the previous day can lead to a weaker immune system, inability to manage stress, fuel depression, and decrease productivity.
Staying Inside
Nature heals! Nature can boost your mood and give you much-needed vitamin D. Getting outside has been scientifically proven to improve your wellness, reduce stress, and reduce aggression. If you find yourself dragging during the day, take a brief moment to exit those 4 walls and get outside.
Lasting Change For Young Adults
A healthy morning routine is a great way to start improving yourself. If you’re feeling stuck, at a dead-end, or just don’t know what to do next, try Andrew’s four R’s to a healthy routine–Rest, Read, Run and Reflect. Healthy habits have the potential to make life-long impacts on your physical and mental health; lasting change that improves your quality of life is critical.
Many of us face daily stress or pressure that can be difficult to overcome. At times, those pressures, expectations, mental health illnesses, and even substance abuse can somehow win the focus and direction of our lives. If you are a young adult who is grappling with any of these issues or a parent who has a young adult struggling to progress in life due to any of these issues, please download our free white paper to learn about making a lasting change in young adults with Pure Life Adventure.
Pure Life’s adventure therapy program will help young adults build a healthy daily routine, provide guidance for healthy coping mechanisms and address their mental and physical health that is playing a role in their struggles. If you think that you or a loved one would benefit from our adventure therapy program, please contact us today.
