Courtesy: Dailyom.com
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Setting the Tone
Starting Your Day Well
The choices you make upon waking can have a profound impact on your day. If, still drowsy, you hit the ground running, rushing to prepare yourself to face your worldly obligations, you will likely feel fatigued and overwhelmed for most of your day. A leisurely and relaxing morning, on the other hand, can energize and excite you, as well as give you the courage to meet the challenges waiting for you. By beginning your day in a focused and centered fashion, you make it your own. You set the tone of your expectations and choose the mood you will use to respond to your circumstances. A gentle, reflective, and thoughtful morning will prepare you to create a gentle, conscious, and thoughtful day.
The simplest way to eliminate the rush from your morning routine is to rise earlier. Getting children into routines and getting themselves ready as much as possible will also give you more time. Though this may seem like a hardship at first, you will soon grow to love the extra minutes or hours that afford you an opportunity to really enjoy watching the sun come up or connect with your loved ones before you go in your separate directions. There are many more ways you can constructively use the time you gain. A mere half-hour of introspection in which you examine your goals, thank the universe for the richness in your life, and contemplate the blessings you will receive this day can lift your spirit and help you formulate lasting positive expectations. Likewise, you can solidify your day’s intention through spoken affirmations or the words you record in a journal. Or, if you want little more than to enjoy your day, devote a portion of your personal time to activities that both ground and delight you, such as meditation, yoga, chanting, singing, reading, or listening to music. If you feel, however, that there is little room for change in your start-of-the-day routine, try to make each activity you engage in upon waking a ritual in its own right. The time you spend everyday savoring a soothing cup of tea or washing away tension in a hot shower can serve as a potent reminder of the need to care for yourself no matter what the hour.
Your morning is yours and should reflect not only your practical needs but also the needs of your soul. When you center yourself at the start of your day, you will likely find it easier to remain centered during subsequent work, play, and downtime because the overall sense of serenity you create through your choices will stay with you throughout the day.
14 comments:
Any tips for guys doing night shifts :)
Ha ha :-) You got me there...!
Whilst I am sympathetic about your having to work at night, I guess one must just imagine that 6 PM is = 6 AM and go about life! :-|
Night shift is fun but I often miss the healthy breakfast and fresh smell of newspaper....urs advice is good and sure body clock had adjusted to its new routine..
Of course, you also can't greet anyone with a "Good Morning!" :-| But "Good Evening" can perhaps be made to sound equally enthusiastic! :-)
Great suffering soupspoons! Camels in Bangalore!? Dashed fascinating i say! It’s no wonder that our little daschund is barking its head off, trying to make some sense of it all. Fancy a camel walking down Brigade with its humps and all. I’m with you Daschund ‘ol chap... let’s together creep up on the camel and shock the living daylights out of their smiling faces, eh? Right ho, on that then :-)
Yes Sireee, nothing like a hot shower to get you up and jumping in the morning; after chasing them camels that is. Hmmm... kinda like the advice.
Great post, this one.
@Jai: Hahhahaaaaa! ROFL! Ouch, I think I sprained something. That was a gem of a comment...I imagined the whole thing and laughed my head off. You sound so much like a character right out of a Wodehouse book! :-)
Hmm....Our little fella would be more than inclined to agree with you. I often think he barks out "This is the last straw on the Camel's back" when he sees a camel, you know. ;-)
Hi,
i am doing yoga and medition for the past 3 years(pathanjali). I am 65 years old. i am always fresh and healthy. I am peaceful and able to pursue my habits- listening to music and browsing net. I woke up daily 5.00 a.m.i am trying to teach this to my software kids.( at present i am based in U.S.) They refused to learn. They always complain lack of time. The present generation lack skills of Time management. Software is killing them softly.
@Asimov: Just reading your comment is so motivating! Because there is nothing like leading by example and getting to hear from the "horse's mouth" , as the saying goes! May God continue to bless you with peace, happiness and health and may more people be motivated to follow your example! :-)
I attended the AOL course a few years back and practiced it for 2 years and then suddenly I lost the habit. I am now trying hard to revive the habit of getting up early and exercising! :-| It is tough to be so disciplined but possible when one truly realizes the benefits! I think going to the gym is a trend that some of the present generation people do follow...but I know meditation is a lost practice except for communities like AOL etc...
PS: Pathanjali is taught by which community?
Dearie me, now I understand the origin of your ramblings for yesterday.
Learnt a long time ago that I could choose to make my day, whether it was going to be pleasant or grumpy: I chose and choose pleasant. Might sound trite, but waking up in the morning and saying, it's a beautiful day and believing in that helps. Of course, like everything else it requires practice and persistence (seems kinda silly talking to yourself, eh?). Meditation helps, esp if you do the energizing bit. The school of meditation i follow has an energizing component for the morning and a close-up, wrapping up for the evening, so that I go to bed at peace. Yoga does its bit to help. And since you are fond of music, may I be bold enough to suggest that you start your day with it. Morning Ragas do help, otherwise, just choose the kind that revs you up and brings a smile to your face.
Knowing you, you will have further questions, email me or let's catch up on a call. In the meantime, have a fantastic day, and I hope you are feeling better now and DocK's prescription helped.
Cheerio
:)
@kirti : Thanks, buddy! As usual....you're there when it matters! DocK indeed! :-)
@kirti - Also, I do spend a few minutes meditating and also rattling off some self-affirmative sentences in the morning! It sure helps! :-)
Hi Nimmy,
I sauntered here, after what I think is - quite some time. At the end of the day, how our day went, depends on our attitude!
Happy Diwali, a tad in advance.
Hey Lubna!! :-) Good to see you again! I completely agree....depends on our attitude indeed. And thanks so much for the Diwali wishes....wish you a fantastic cracker-free Diwali too! :-) Should hop over to your blog this week...!
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