Have you ever wondered how you form habits so easily? Or maybe, why is it so hard to break a habit but so easy to form one? Take a look at this video below that explains the science behind habits and how the brain formulates them:
We all know the story that goes like this: The snooze button battle throughout the week – living to get to Friday night and finally sleeping in on the weekend and staying up late to binge watch our favorite shows or go out with friends. Then come Sunday night, repeat the cycle… This cycle actually has a name called, Social Jet Lag and it has nothing to do with going out of the country. Watch the video below to see it’s affects on your body:
We all want to live a successful life, but where does that start? A successful day typically begins with a successful start, and successful days typically pave a successful life… So take a peak at what Investor, entrepreneur, and wine expert Gary Vaynerchuk has to say about his unique morning routine to see how your morning habits match up:
There’s nothing worse than having a full busy day after a terrible night’s sleep. All you want to do is stay in bed and have a lazy day to catch up on the lost Zzz’s…Unfortunately that isn’t always an option. Next time you spend half the night tossing and turning remember these four strategies to help you rock your next day despite your bad night:
Avoid ups and downs.
Try to stay away from energy spikes caused by excessive caffeine, energy drinks, or sugary foods. Although consuming these might temporarily increase our energy, doing so inevitably triggers a rebound of sleepiness. Unless it’s essential, try to avoid going down for a nap. Napping will likely draw you into deeper stages of sleep, leaving you with sleep “drunkenness” and potentially disrupting your circadian rhythms. And avoid using alcohol to slow down before bed. It can interfere with the quality of our sleep and dreams.
Light up your day.
Dirima
Get exposed to bright light for about 30 minutes as soon as possible after rising. Morning light energizes us and improves our mood by boosting serotonin levels. It also resets our circadian clock, contributing to better sleep in the future. Even on a cloudy day, it’s significantly brighter outdoors than in a well-lit room. If you can’t get out, brighten your indoor space as much as possible by allowing light through windows and turning on electric lights.
Follow your usual routine.
Get up and out of bed at your typical rising time and set your sights on adhering to a normal schedule. Prepare for your day as you usually do, get some gentle exercise, and have regular, healthful and light meals. A cup or two of green tea might be helpful. It has only one-fifth the caffeine of a cup of brewed coffee and also contains L-theanine, a naturally soothing compound. And make sure to stay hydrated.
Finishing your day.
Take time to wind down and relax in the evening. Eat a light dinner and stick to your regular bedtime. Of course, your chances of sleeping better the night after are improved because absence does, indeed, make the heart grow fonder. Let this heightened awareness of sleep’s value strengthen your resolve about systematically doing all you can to heal your sleep. Promise yourself that you will make healthy sleep a priority.
Original Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rubin-naiman-phd/10-strategies-for-managing-the-day-after-a-bad-nights-sleep_b_8622662.html?cps=gravity_7027_3314442403081410824
Good morning, sunshine! Nobody wakes up in the morning with the intent of having a bad day, but with life, comes various obstacles that can affect our happiness. Luckily, there are some very simple steps that can be taken each morning to improve our state of mind and elevate our intent of accomplishment for the day to come:
- Express Gratitude
Every new day leads to a new way to say “thank you” for being alive. Everything we experience and are capable of experiencing on this blue marble in this universal arena is something to be grateful for. Contemplate the fact that something rather than nothing exists and that within that something we exist and experience such an amazing reality.
- Set Your Intentions for the Day
Treat your thoughts as if they were spells of magic, replicating in the real world from the garden of your mind.Most of us have to get up for work on a regular basis which leads to going through the motions of getting out of bed, getting ready and going to work. Before we do any of that we can affirm, either in the form of saying aloud or writing down, what we intend for the day or wish to get done.
- Take Five Long Deep Breaths In and Out
Breath is incredibly powerful and can take us into transcendental states of consciousness where we become masters of our inner fire. All too often we baseline to shallow breathing which may sustain our lives but will not optimize them.
- Smile For No Reason – Just Flex The Muscle
Smiling has been shown to reduce stress, reduce blood pressure and boost the immune system which is all the more reason to do it after leaving Dreamland. Smile and get elevated.
- Forgive Yourself for Yesterdays Mistakes
Let’s not add any unnecessary suffering to our lives. Look at your shadows, acknowledge their transient nature and let them go.
Original Source: http://www.wisdompills.com/2015/01/31/5-things-happy-people-getting-bed-every-morning/
