5 Mindful Activities to Start Your Day


Disclaimer: While I wholeheartedly believe in the power of a self-care routine for mental health, this is not a solution for those suffering with suicidal tendencies. If you wish to end your life but are looking for answers before doing so, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (available 24/7) at 800-273-8255
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Are mindful activities something you want to pursue? Maybe you want to use them to feel more fulfilled and successful in everyday life?

Start by asking yourself this question. What does a successful morning look like to you?

A hot, nutritious breakfast at home? Time to catch up on emails before leaving the house on a Monday morning?

Maybe sneaking in a workout and treating yourself to a quick session on the hydro-massage bed at the gym? (OK, that’s my idea of great morning).

Whatever your ideal morning looks like, taking care of yourself in some way before taking on the world can make a huge different mentally, emotionally and physically!

Top 5 Mindful Activities to Start Your Day

Implementing mindful activities into your morning routine can be a very powerful thing.

Try these top tips and see which one(s) work the most for you! By adding something like this to your day, it will help establish a sense of empowerment and control in an potentially chaotic daily schedule.

Journaling

Journaling is the go-to mindfulness activity of so many people, and for a good reason! If you don’t know where to start with journaling for mindfulness, think of it as a way to get in touch with yourself in the present moment.

Write down what you’re feeling and thinking. What’s bothering you? What are you wishing for? Is there a huge, scary goal that you’re thinking about pursuing?

Journaling is just a way for you to be present and honest about your thoughts, feelings and dreams. There’s something about getting it all out on paper that is so satisfying!

I journal nearly everyday now and look forward to it! Plus if you’re working on a bug goal or personal development of some kind, it’s fun to look back and see how far you’ve come.

mindful activities

To me, that’s also a mindful thing to do. When you’re constantly working toward something it might be hard to see the progress you’ve achieved so far.

Personally, I tend to get too “in my head” when I’m working on a long-term goal and looking back over how far I’ve come really helps put it in perspective again and makes it more fun!

Gratitude journaling is also another form of journaling that instantly puts you in the present. Simply write down 5-20 things you’re grateful for in that current moment.

When you first start out it might be difficult to come up with things, but over time you’ll naturally become more grateful and notice area of gratitude throughout your day without trying!

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Exercise

Or at least give yourself a good stretch. Maybe try adding a little ab workout or a quick 10-minute walk into your morning routine.

Whatever you can do to engage your body and move is so good for your mental well-being.

My top suggestion if a challenging workout first thing in the morning isn’t your thing – go for a 10-20 minute walk with your morning coffee!

This is one of my favorite ways to center myself and create mindfulness. Especially in the summer when it’s light out earlier.

The earlier the better!

Breathe

Taking a couple minutes to simply focus on your breathing can be a powerful tool you can do almost anywhere!

Whether you have time for a meditation session or you just take a minute or two in your car before heading into the office, try to take time to center yourself.

Take a moment or two like this throughout the day instead of trudging through your work. This will not only center you and be good for your mental/emotional health, but it will re-establish a sense of control over your day.

Affirmations

If you’re unfamiliar, affirmations are pretty much just positive self-talk. Have you ever heard the expression “you are what you eat”?

It’s the same thing with words. Even the ones that never make it out of our mouths but stay tumbling around in our heads all day.

The way you talk about yourself actually can shape you into the person you are.

To start using affirmations, first observe how you talk to yourself or what you think about yourself. Are you always putting yourself down in a certain area?

mindful activities

Maybe you want something in life but are always telling yourself can’t have it for “__” reason?

Next, flip those negative areas into what you really want to be saying – limiting thoughts aside.

For example, instead of telling yourself “I’m fat, therefore I can’t find a boyfriend” say “My body is strong and powerful. I’m grateful for my body and deserve to be loved.”

You can use this in any area that you’re negatively putting yourself down. You choose your words so why not make them positive and full of self-love?

The key with affirmations is consistency.

What happens is the more you repeat that, the more your brain will look for supporting evidence of that. Not only will you start embodying someone who believes it, but it will change the way you view yourself and people can tell.

Going back to our example of body image, if you start affirming a positive self image, you’ll start to truly love yourself and your body.

You’ll start honoring it by feeding it well, drinking lots of water and exercising it. It’s like your own little “glow-up” just by loving yourself.

When you love yourself and am happy with yourself, you attract what it is you want. Whether you believe in the law of attraction or not, it’s obvious that people love self-fulfilled, happy and confident people!

mindful activities

Take your mornings to the next level by trying this 14-day morning routine challenge!

You’ll feel more productive and centered while keeping your mental health in check.

Click the image to grab your FREE Printable!

Hydration and Nutrition

Re-hydrating your body after a night’s sleep is a great way to give yourself just what it needs to wake up and perform.

Pairing a large glass of water (I prefer lemon water) with a vitamin, fiber and/or protein filled breakfast does wonders as well.

My go-tos are oatmeal with fresh fruit, milk and honey or eggs and toast. When preparing oatmeal, I prefer whole grain oats, cooked on the stove – so much better than instant in my opinion.

You can use almond or coconut milk if you prefer. Also, smoothies are a great option, especially in the summer.

Whatever your eating habits are like, make sure the first thing you put into your body everyday is something good.

Drinking some water before coffee or breakfast is what I do every morning and I swear it boosts my energy and makes me feel “lighter” and more alert.

What were your favorite mindfulness activities!?

Personally, I don’t like feeling as if I only live to work during the week which is why I do whatever I can to break out of the daily mold and enjoy the journey.

Reflecting on areas of gratitude significantly helps put me in a good mood and allows me to be thankful for the job that I otherwise, might not have been that excited to go to that morning.

Give a couple of these a try today and see which ones will work for you! Remember that you’re in control of your days and each decision you make determines how your life will go – Enjoy!

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mblblogger

Hi, I'm Marissa! I'm passionate about mental and emotional health and want to share what I've learned over the years with others! I've seen first hand how mental health struggles can cause serious issues within relationships, work life, daily productivity, self-worth and more! I truly believe that we owe it to ourselves to bring more awareness to these life changing topics. Start your mental/emotional health journey by learning more today!

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