What do you do when
you first wake up? It's an important question because what goes through your
head those first few moments of the day can affect how you feel for the next 24
hours. And if your awakening routine is the same every day, it will affect how you
feel all the time. It's well worth directing those first thoughts of the day in
a positive direction.
That advice comes from Joel and Michelle Levey, who teach
many forms of meditation everywhere from hospitals to corporate boardrooms to
their own Hawaiian organic farm. Here's their simple recommendation for a
waking-up routine that can radically improve how you feel for the rest of the
day:
1. Wake up to the fact
that you're awake.
Of all the Leveys' concepts I found this one the hardest to
grasp at first. But it's what mindfulness is all about. Too many of us
spend too many of our waking hours on autopilot, awake but not really awake.
Break that pattern at the start of the day when you first come to consciousness
by making note of the fact that you're awake and alive. There may be light
pouring into your room. There may be a loved one (or a beloved pet) by your
side. Whatever your situation when you wake up, stop and pay attention to the
sights and sounds around you, to the way your sheets or bedding feel against
your skin.
Then, do something to
embody the fact that you're awake, the Leveys advice. It could be wiggling your
toes, reaching overhead, snapping your fingers. Something simple to remind you
that you are here, now, in this body.
2. Do
"gratefuls."
We have some friends
who, rather than saying grace before dinner, do something called
"gratefuls," in which everyone present must name at least one
thing he or she is grateful for. The Leveys recommend a similar practice
(without that name) on first awakening. After you've awakened to the fact that
you're awake, find one or more things that you feel grateful for. It could be
as simple as being grateful that your heart is still beating, that you've been
given another day on this beautiful planet. It could be gratitude for the loved
ones in your life, or your work, or the health in your body.
No matter how well or badly things are going in our lives; we
all have a lot to be grateful for. And feeling gratitude is one of the best things you can do to
make yourself happy. So pick an item or two or three and let that gratitude
fill you up, at least for a little while.
3. Set an intention
for the day.
This is your time to
plan what you will do to have the kind of day you want to have and be the kind
of person you want to be. I'm very behind on several projects, so my intention
for today was, "Do what I can, let the rest go." You could also
set an intention about treating others with kindness or achieving your best
potential or spending some time following your dream.
What do you need to
do, or what frame of mind do you need to have, to get through your day, do what
you need and want to do, and be happy while doing it? That's a good starting place
to find an intention for the day that may work well for you.
4. Do not look at your
electronic devices until you've completed steps No. 1 - 3.
If you're like me, you want to look at your smartphone or
tablet first thing to see the news of the day and any important emails or
messages you may have missed. You still can -- just pause for a minute or
two to be mindful that you're awake, find a few things you're grateful for, and
set an intention before you do. Take this little bit of time to check in with
yourself before you check in with the rest of the world. You'll be happy that
you did.
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