2 Steps to a Kick-Ass Day

They say that the first thing you do in the morning that releases dopamine is what will continue releasing dopamine throughout the day. Go on Facebook as soon as your eyes open? Social media will affect your mood all day. Go on a walk? Similar.

I have made an adjustment in the last few weeks to my morning routine and I am blown away at the impact it has had on my overall mood and health. In just three weeks of doing this- I have experienced less anxiety, more control over my thoughts (better mind management), and increased well being all day.

If you have read my blog about managing inputs, you know that I have been minimizing my social media throughout the day. It used to be normal for my alarm to go off at 6 AM, grab my phone, check all my notifications and get lost scrolling on Facebook before my feet even hit the ground. This caused my brain to instantly engage and “input” a vast amount of information before it probably was even awake.

If you think about it, the amount of information I read, processed, and saw in the 10 minutes I was on Facebook was probably more than the human brain was made to process- no wonder I have anxiety! Somewhat another topic- but have you ever thought about that? Our brains are exposed to so much information instantaneously now between TV, Radio, Social Media, etc... Imagine 100 years ago you would have had to wait for the paper to be delivered and then sit down and read it.

I started checking my phone only AFTER I have a morning walk. Social media and my phone was a gateway to anxiety. I would immediately begin comparing, sometimes even subconsciously. I am not saying that a morning “walk” is for everyone, but if it's not- find your thing! Sit on the porch and drink your coffee, do some stretches, open the windows and breathe in some fresh air, maybe just lay there in the dark- whatever it is. Do it.

Honestly, I figured this out on accident! One day I woke up a bit earlier than usual and decided to walk outside with the dog instead of just letting him out. We ended up walking all the way around the yard (3 acres). By the end of the walk I was already 600 steps into my day, I got to enjoy the dog and cats play together, and then all of a sudden I realized I felt AMAZING! I didn’t make this walk about exercise, or calories, but instead peace. I made it about peace. I allowed my brain to wake up to the sight of the sun, the sound of birds, my pets playing. That is my morning dopamine.

How to start? Two steps.

1) Choose how you want to feel in the morning. Choose it intentionally- say it, write it down, whatever. Mine was peace.

2) Then, find one thing that you have been doing right away in the morning causing you a negative feeling or emotion. Consciously decide that this is not serving you and then intentionally (important word!) avoid doing it. Maybe, this is something you figure out by accident. Think of one day you woke up and were in a really good mood and happy. What was it that gave you that feeling? Maybe you don’t have a certain thing you do right away that brings you into a negative mindset- but instead you found something that made you happy. Do that.

This sounds simple right? Not necessarily. It is driven by intentional mindfulness. That is the key. Most of the time we let our emotions and habits drive us. It truly is about being intentional in your actions and following through from a place of joy and peace. No one is going to stick to doing something they do not enjoy- so make it fun!

Try it for a week, come back and let me know how it impacted the rest of your day! If you are like me, I bet you will be more productive, happier, and overall a more fun person to be around!