What is the best morning routine?
This is a question I have asked myself for years. I have read hundreds of blogs/books and listened to the multiple podcasts/keynotes that all share different morning routines.
Since launching The Billion Dollar Body, where we are training hundreds of men to look and feel like a billion bucks, I have taught the same killer morning routine.
I have compiled the best strategies, some new and some ancient. This is a simple morning routine that will set you up to be more productive, and will, of course, help you look and feel like a billion bucks. So let’s dive right in!
Drink 20-30 Ounces of Water
You’ve probably heard this a million times, but are you doing it? Drinking water in the morning not only detoxes your body, but also puts your body and mind into a state of thriving. Water is the essence of life, and unfortunately, seventy-five percent of people walk around dehydrated. Hydration will make a dramatic difference in your energy levels, mental clarity, and even in boosting your metabolism.
Now to take it a step further, you can add in some key minerals and lemon. This helps your cells absorb water and provides your body with minerals that may be lacking in the soil crops are grown in. You can either pick ionic electrolytes or simply add in Himalayan pink salt. So before you go to bed, fill up your water cup—I choose alkaline water—and drink it right when you wake up.
Meditate and Focus on Your Goals
Meditation is a time when I can do my breathing exercises. This is a great brain hack because breathing helps with mental clarity, detoxing, and decreasing stress. Studies have shown the immense benefits of meditation. Sara Lazar of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program and a Harvard Medical School Instructor in Psychology says ,“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day.”
Meditation combined with a review of your goals every day will keep you focused and more productive. Saying your goals, reading them, and writing them all help with rewiring your brain for success.
A study was done at Harvard with a group of students who did and didn’t write down their goals. Says Elite Daily, “The three percent who had written goals were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other ninety-seven percent of the class combined.” If you can make this a morning routine, results will happen. John Assaraf from Neuro Gym adds that running your finger over your written goals will engage another sense, further solidifying your goals to your brain.
Create Movement
I may not work out every morning, but I at least want to get some type of physical activity in, whether it’s push ups, sit ups, walking or stretching. Movement get’s the blood flow going, your heart rate up, and stimulates your lymphatic system, which helps with boosting your metabolism naturally.
I love this analogy, if you’re struggling with working out in the morning, “Think of your morning exercise like a business appointment—one you can’t easily cancel,” says Gary Foster, PhD. If you are looking to be more productive, research has shown that working out in the morning will certainly do it—plus who doesn’t want to enjoy those endorphins all day long?
Take Your Supplements
Every person’s supplement of choice will be different, but if you want supplements to work for you, then you need to take them everyday. This is a habit I adopted many years ago for my long-term health. Taking a fish oil pill once a week won’t give you a dramatic improvement in your overall health, it has to become a habit that you don’t even have to think about anymore.
Also, taking your supplements will help you get in some extra water—make sure to only take the ones that are okay on an empty stomach. Some of the key supplements I take are minerals, Organifi, collagen, fish oil, turmeric, and probiotics.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Now, once you have hydrated yourself, done your meditation, got the blood flowing, and taken your supplements, you’re ready to eat. I believe in having a well rounded breakfast filled with all the macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fat. You will get the amino acids from the protein, nutrients from the fat, and carbs to give you that extra boost of energy and fiber. You can also get important micronutrients from veggies by adding in a green juice or vegetable. A small experiment out of the University of Missouri showed that people who eat protein for breakfast instead of cereal were fuller throughout the day and experienced fewer cravings.
If you’re looking to create discipline in your life, more momentum, or just something to wake you up, then do this morning routine for a couple weeks and see what happens.
There is a reason why some of the most successful people in this world, such as Tony Robbins, Benjamin Franklin, and Gary Vaynerchuk have solid morning routines. If you want what others have, you have to do what others do.
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