What’s your morning routine?

Every morning there is an opportunity to develop the frame of mind you want to be in for the rest of the day. For this reason, it’s important to develop a routine that is conducive to a positive mindset that will help you deal with the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities each day brings.

Here are some suggestions for practices designed to cultivate a positive mindset.

1. Start your day by deliberately bringing your awareness to the positive. Try writing a log of positive things and events in all aspects of your life, both personal and professional. This practice is designed to offset your negativity bias—the tendency of our minds to reflexively focus on the negative. Nothing is too small to be included on your log and some items may be repeated daily, e.g., good night’s sleep, good coffee, nice view. With repeated practice of systematically noting the positive, you may find that your thinking become less negative and positive reframes are easier.
2. Practice mindfulness. Whether it’s meditation or simply anchoring your undivided and nonjudgmental awareness in some aspect of present experience—sounds, sights, tastes, tactile sensations, mindfulness practice in the morning will help you to feel centered and grounded for the rest of the day. It’s also a great way to combat the anxiety that many people feel in the morning. Rather than allowing the focus of your awareness to drift to imagined negative scenarios, anchoring in the present moment will bring your anxiety down.
3. Bring your awareness to everything in your life that you have to be grateful for. You can do this by keeping a gratitude journal or by practicing gratitude meditation.
4. Exercise! Capitalize on the fact that the body’s energizing hormones are at peak levels in the morning. Exercise, whether it’s running, walking, strength training, tennis, or yoga, clears your head and makes it easier to sit at a desk for the rest of the say and focus your mind.

Try incorporating some of these practices into your morning routine and you just may find it’s easier to face the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities each day brings.

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