I recently did a takeover on Sweetgreen's Insta-Stories to share mindful tips to jumpstart your day. I absolutely love this topic, so I wanted to piggyback off of that to share more insight into why I do what I do every morning! I hope you can apply it to your own life and see how it truly benefits you. So, let’s cut to it.

Do’s & Don’ts to Mindfully Jumpstart Your Day

DON’T Look at Your Phone Right When You Wake Up

Your first instinct when you wake up is to reach for your phone. RESIST. Just purchase an alarm clock or use a Misfit or Fitbit watch that sends a gentle buzz to your wrist.

Starting off your day with incoming notifications and emails you collected overnight is not an empowering way to get moving. Although, we are all a little addicted to social media, we can wait jusssst a little longer to play catch up. Trust me. It has drastically improved my productivity in the morning.

DO Drink a Big Glass of Warm Lemon Water

There were some days when coffee was the only thing in my system up until noon on a workday. Nobueno. Now, I immediately heat up a kettle of water and drink a big glass with a squeeze of lemon. This helps wake up your system, and hydrate your body after a long night of sleep. Lemons are detoxifying, which aids in digestion, and it gives you Vitamin-C, which is great for immune-support.

DON’T Look at Your Computer Just Because You Can’t Look at Your Phone

Aha, gotcha there. Still no screens. You can do it.

DO Make Time to Stretch or Practice Yoga

You don’t have to be an avid yogi to prioritize stretching in the morning. Some light A.M. movement will energize you, and it will stretch out your muscles to help you feel more relaxed and less tense, especially if you’re sitting at a desk all day.

DON’T Skip Out on Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for good reason. If you’re not typically hungry in the morning, just listen to your body. I do, however, recommend at least consuming a green smoothie or a greek yogurt to give your body some nutrients to burn.

DO Make a Handwritten To-Do List

Call me old school, but I still handwrite all of my to-do lists. There’s something about writing it out and physically crossing it off my list that feels exciting. It’s also proven to stick to your memory better when you write it out. We get enough screen time as it is… maybe go back to basics and see what happens when you put pen to paper.

DON’T Feel Like You Have to Conquer the World Before 9AM

Seriously. Take the pressure off. It’s totally fine if you’re not a morning person. I live with THE ultimate night owl/non-morning person (ahem, Andrew), so I totally get it. Pace yourself. Make reasonable goals that work with your schedule. But, do challenge yourself!

When you jumpstart your day on a positive note, the rest will naturally follow. I can't tell you how often the best days of my week are the ones that begin with these steps! I hope this helps you, inspires you, or gives you something to think about. And if you ever have more questions, you can always write me. I love writing lengthy messages back - the others will vouch for me.

Photos by VictoriaJanePhotography.com | @vmorris41