July 07, 2018
Morning Rituals for High Performers
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. So how do high performers fit it more than most? Highly successful people don’t just wing it on a daily basis. Whether your striving to be a top performer in business, beauty, athletics, or at family- a successful day begins with a successful morning.
- Sweat before sunrise “Strike first”. Waking up before the sun is a psychological win. “Working out in the morning is the best thing because you are immediately setting the tone for the rest of your day,” says Gerren Liles, New York City-based Equinox trainer.
- Meditation- So many highly successful people swear by this as a vital part of their morning routine- Ariana Huffington, Tony Robbins (he calls it priming), and Oprah Winfrey to name a few. The benefits are almost too numerous to mention including reduced risk of heart attack and stroke to lower anxiety. Most meditators will say 20 minutes a day is a good practice but research has shown as little as a 9 minute session every day will literally improve your brains ability to function. Harvard Business Review highlighted daily meditation as a rising trend among CEOs and top execs as it boosts resilience, emotional intelligence, creativity, focus, and more.
- Journaling- Whether its setting the days intention, dream journaling or free writing, putting thoughts to paper as a practice is used by many top creatives and business leaders. Tim Ferris uses a 5 minute Journal. Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages practice is also cited often- it involves handwriting 2-3 pages of content, no matter what it is, very stream of conscious. Julia Cameron says: “Morning pages bring our hopes, dreams, fears, & confusions into focus. They point us toward areas that need attention. While some people may use the pages to face an addiction, others may find the pages leading them toward dreams they had never articulated. As we come into focus, our size and shape are often surprisingly large.”
- Drink Water with lemon and or apple cider vinegar- Wakes digestion
- Cold Showers- Wake up immune system and mind
- No computer/emails for first hour of the day- Great for creatives
- Dry brushing- smoother skin and helps with cellulite