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morning rituals

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You hear a lot about first impressions in meeting other people. Getting off “on the right foot” is also a popular concept. Everyone knows those first few seconds after a runner begins a race are great indicators of how the entire thing will go. In general, people tend to know that the way something begins can be a great driver of how it will end and yet, not everyone applies that understanding to how they treat their mornings. The morning is a beginning. Your morning is your first impression for that day. It’s powerful. You know this because if something difficult happens in the morning, it can cloud your entire day. So if a bad morning can cause a bad day, then it’s logical to believe a good morning can cause a good day. However, if you’re like many, you rush through your morning. Your morning is something to just get through and get over with so you can move onto the rest of your day. Few realize how precious it is.

While the jury is still out on whether or not breakfast is the most important meal of the day, whoever first said that was onto something – how you spend those first minutes when you’re up is critical. There are things you can do in the morning to increase the chances that you feel happy and energized for the rest of the day. Don’t overlook the AM. It almost certainly predicts how your PM will go. Here are morning rituals to help you feel happy all day.

morning rituals

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Exercise

You’ve likely heard by now that exercise releases endorphins, the happy chemical in your brain. The National Library of Medicine reports that it also helps release serotonin and dopamine – which also play a role in feelings of joy and pain control. The Journal of Health Psychology reports that exercise is as impactful in increasing feelings of joy as mindfulness exercises are. So, if you’re someone who waits to exercise until the end of the day, you’re really sleeping on those benefits. Even a short stroll or brief bout of cardio in the morning can get all of those feel-good hormones flowing. And if you go into your first meeting or task with those feelings, you’re probably going to set off a series of positive interactions and events.

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