Every new year, we make resolutions about eating healthy, de-stressing, losing weight or blocking out all the negativity from our lives. We get over-excited and set out unrealistic goals. From the first week itself, we barely manage to stick to them and then the usual madness kicks in.
As months pass, we forget about those resolutions until it’s time to make some more. And we make the same ‘new’ year resolutions, again.
What if we told you there was a way you could do a little everyday, as a result of which, you’ll be so healthy and energetic that next time you can actually make resolutions that are not about health, stress and weight. Take it one small step at a time.
Yep! All you have to do is start your day right. And here are 5 ways you can do just that.
Drink two glasses of water
In Japan, people have the habit of drinking two glasses of water, first thing in the morning, as soon as they wake up. Did you know that Japan has the greatest longevity in the world? There are more than 50,000 Japanese people who are 100+ years old. They must be doing something right! Drinking two glasses of water in the morning hydrates your dehydrated body and pushes all the right buttons that kick your metabolism. This not only helps you lose weight, or stay fit, but also helps in enhancing your immunity against serious diseases like cancer.
All you really need is water, two plain glasses of water.
Wake up the right way
When you wake up from a restful night and open your eyes to the bright world, it’s the same as waking up from meditation. After meditation, we yogis open our eyes slowly and awake every tiny cell in our bodies to the bright light outside. We have to do the same thing when we wake up in the morning. A very healthy and peaceful ritual is rubbing your hands to generate heat and then spreading that heat to your eyes and your face.
This isn’t some just some ritual, but is based on proven scientific logic. Here’s how it goes:
When we sleep, our body relaxes and generates positive energy. And when we wake up, we pounce to mobile technology, check for any notifications, hop off the bed and get the day started. We need to pause right there. Go back to when we first wake up. We should get up and sit on the bed, with our feet firm on the ground. Before we open our eyes, we should bring our hands together and rub the palms against each other, to generate all that warmth that our body has collected during the night and then spread that warmth to our face. Just like we apply a facial cream. This small ritual will bring us peace and prepare us for the day. It’s like an alarm clock for our soul, offering it the energy to wake up.
Eat an apple
An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. Here’s a fun fact about this old adage – it’s true! Lose that coffee or that green tea. The best thing to break your fast with, is an apple. It fuels your brain and fires up your metabolism. With soluble fibres and just the right amount of calories, an apple also enhances your exercise endurance. So if you are going to be hitting the gym or going for your morning jog, you need to replace those caffeine shots with apple slices and you will probably see better results.
Perform 12 rounds of Sun Salutations
They are called sun salutations for a reason, because they are supposed to be done in the morning! Sun salutations performed in the morning, are much more powerful than those performed in the evenings. The morning rays of the sun work in tandem with your body to naturally heal you from inside. They help you time your body with the rhythm of the nature and enhance metabolism while healing from within. Amongst other benefits, they even help you lose weight.
For those of you who don’t know what sun salutations are and probably imagine them to be some yogic performance that requires gymnastic abilities, here’s a definition. They are a set of 12 easy yoga asanas which bring your body, breath and mind together. One complete round of sun salutation, exercises all the muscles in your body and also detoxifies the internal organs. And 12 is the number of rounds you need to do daily, as a part of your regime to start your day right.
Keep a To-Do list
There is something really positive about ticking things off a list. It’s just the easiest way to de-stress. When you put your tasks down on a paper or in your mobile, they all seem achievable. It’s like a mini plan-of-action you make everyday. And if you make one at the end of each day, you just need to refer to it, first thing in the morning, to feel like it’s all taken care of. When you note everything down, you will also be able to manage your time accordingly. You won’t be in two places at the same time or having that feeling of forgetting something perpetually. You will have your little list ready to assure you, everything is in order.
There you go. 5 simple hacks to help you start your day better. There’s really nothing to them. And once you get started, they will just become a part of your life. Isn’t that what we started with? Adopting a lifestyle and not just running behind resolutions. Every day’s another chance… to get stronger, eat better, live healthier & to be a better version of you.
And every day’s a chance to take a new step towards that healthy resolution. Just keep moving.