REVIVE YOUR MORNINGS 30 DAY CHALLENGE : DAYS 23 -30
This is your 30 day challenge to upgrade and change up your morning routine. The Balance + Glo team have come together to create Revive Your Mornings - The 30 Day Challenge and support you in getting the best out of everyday as we head towards summer.
We’ve got you covered each week. Don’t forget to download your printable calendar.
Check out DAYS 23 - 30 BELOW:
DAY 23 : Get Out in Nature
Try a walking meditation
Walking meditation is an active practice that requires you to be consciously aware and moving in the environment rather than sitting down with your eyes closed. It’s a simple form of meditation that can be particularly valuable for beginners or anyone who prefers a more active form of this practice.
The Why
1. It Provides a Sense of Perspective - Taking a walk outdoors can break you out of a mental fog (something I’ve found myself in many times this last year).
2. It Helps You Connect to the Present Moment
As you walk and become increasingly aware, the mind grows quieter.
3. It Helps You Get to Know Your Body
The How
Read more about walking meditation and try Jenny’s audio recording on your next outing. You only need 10 minutes!
DAY 24 : Try a High Fibre Breakfast
The key to a great day!
Breakfast is a great time of day to pack in extra fibre, which not only makes your gut happy but also keeps you satisfied and less likely to reach for the office donut tray or candy bowl mid-morning
The Why
Fibre helps to normalise your bowel movements, preventing constipation and bloating, while also keeping you full for long periods of time
Fibre helps to regulate your blood sugar levels
There is strong evidence that eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and bowel cancer.
The How
Include high fibre foods in your breakfast plate - berries, avocado, eggs and oats are all brilliant high fibre foods! Check out our latest high fibre breakfast recipe below.
DAY 25 : It’s Smoothie Day
The easiest and quickest way to get all your nutritional goodness first thing
Super healthy breakfast smoothies are quick and easy to make, and of course, they are delicious too! You can create so many different combinations and with the right blend of ingredients, a smoothie can be a nutritional powerhouse—full of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and protein to kickstart your day.
The Why
Enhance your immunity - Having smoothies made of ingredients that include nutrients like beta-carotene helps boost your immune system.
Smoothies are full of nutrients and flavour, providing a power-packed start for the day. A lot of protein along with many nutrients subdue food cravings and can help keep you away from eating junk food.
Health and nutrition experts worldwide suggest consuming liquid food for better digestion. Smoothies contain blended fruits and vegetables in liquid form that make it easier for the body to break them down.
The How
Choose your ingredients carefully so you don’t overload the smoothie with too much sugar (even if it is natural!). Be sure to add some protein - via powder or nut butter too! Check out our most recent smoothie recipe below.
DAY 26 : Rise 15 Minutes Earlier
Go on - you can do it!
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a (wo)man healthy, wealthy and wise” said Ben Franklin, famously. We suggest setting your alarm just 15 minutes earlier. Start slowly. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time.
The Why
Greet the day - We love being able to get up, and greet a wonderful new day. We suggest creating a morning ritual that includes saying thanks for your blessings and find gratitude in being alive.
Quietude - No kids yelling, no cars, no television noise. The early morning hours are so peaceful, so quiet. You can truly enjoy that time of peace. Allowing you to start your day feeling centred and grounded.
The How
Not an early riser? Check out our 5 Top Tips on How to become a Morning Person and why we think everyone should give it a go! From setting a bed time goal, gratitude journalling to meditation and doing nothing too drastic too soon, it’s all in the blog post below.
DAY 27 : Create a Morning Affirmation
How you start your day determines how your day goes
Notice your mindset as soon as you open your eyes! Creating a positive morning affirmation (you can repeat the same one each day or change it up!) can have a really positive affect on how you approach the day ahead and helps you face the world with a more upbeat and positive attitude.
The Why
1.Research proves that affirmations actually change the brain on a cellular level- our thoughts have a direct connection to our level of health. Affirmations can empower you, they make you aware of your thoughts
2. Mornings are great for using affirmations- as the negativity and stress of the previous day are gone, it’s perfect opportunity to remind yourself that the possibilities are endless and that there’s something to look forward to, every day in your life
3. They’ll make you want to surround yourself with things you love.
The How
Here is a few of our favourite positive morning affirmations to get you started:
Today, I feel strong, I feel healthy, I feel tranquil.
Today, I am full of energy and I’m overflowing with joy.
Today, I welcome infinite possibilities.
I feel calm, centred and balanced.
DAY 28 : Walk before Work Starts
Exercise your body and brain before sitting down at your desk
Fresh air, getting your body moving, maybe even watching the sunrise will give you a natural boost of energy for your day ahead. Before you get stuck into work, walk as soon as you rise, maybe take a cuppa in a flask and take in the beauty that surrounds you whether you’re in the city or countryside there is always plenty to see. You’ll start your working day with a much clearer mind.
The Why
Improved self-esteem, better mood, reduction in stress and anxiety – a morning walk can offer excellent benefits for your mental health. Not only does it give you time out to think, reflect and clear your mind, exercise helps to release endorphins and serotonin
A morning walk is not only a great way to see the sunrise or catch up with friends, exposing yourself to the bright morning sun can assist in setting your natural circadian rhythm which improves your sleep cycle
Lower blood pressure, improved blood circulation, and a reduced risk of heart disease – a walk to start your day can be a great way to keep your heart healthy.
The How
The next time you feel tired when you wake up, lace up your shoes and take a walk. It can be 5 minutes or it can be an hour, the benefits are endless and we promise you’ll feel so much better for it. Not a morning person? Here is our 3 top tips to help you hop out of bed:
Laying your walking clothes out the night before can help too if you know that you find mornings difficult.
Find a friend to walk early with so you have some accountability
Turn on lamps or throw open the shades to invite bright, warming light into your room. This can help you feel more alert.
DAY 29 : Habit Stacking
Stack em slow, one habit leads to another!
We want you to consider a stack of positive morning habits that you build one after the other, until you have a morning routine that zips along on autopilot. One of the beautiful things about habits is that you can use every habit you create as a trigger for a new habit. Triggers are the automatic behaviours we attach to any new habit we are trying to learn in order to remind us to perform the new habit. One of the main strategies for forming sustainable habits is using something you do daily, like brushing your teeth, as a trigger to perform the habit you're trying to create.
The Why
Habit stacking works because you eliminate the stress of trying to change too many things at once.
By attaching this new habit onto an existing one, you’re helping your brain to adopt it more seamlessly.
You’re more likely to stick to the new habit by attaching it to one that you already do.
The How
Habit stacking can involve many of the tips and challenges that you’ve come across over the last 30 days on this journey. Stacking small habits can make this process a little easier and make it more likely to stick. Examples include:
1. Waking Up Earlier
Waking earlier has so many benefits, not the least of which is giving you more time to perform other habits in the morning. Even if your ultimate goal is only fifteen minutes earlier, you can get a lot accomplish in fifteen minutes.
2. Making Your Bed
The next morning habit to add to your stack is making your bed as soon as you get up. By making your bed right away, you’ve already tackled your first task of the day. And your trigger for making it is getting out of it. It really only takes a minute or so to make your bed, and you’ll feel great when you do.
3. Drinking hot lemon Water
The next habit I perform first thing in the morning is drinking a full glass of water. I go immediately from making the bed to getting my hot water lemon. Use making your bed as your trigger.
DAY 30 : Establish a Morning (Self Care) Routine
Establishing a morning self-care routine is the start of ensuring a successful and productive day.
A morning self-care routine should be something you look forward to rather than something you feel you have to do. Imagine a perfect morning for you; what does it look like? What’s your favourite morning drink? Do you prefer to be still or does moving your body start your day off on the right foot?
We’ve given you all the tools over the last 30 days. Now is your time to pick and choose which habits, challenges and tips worked for you. Is there a morning routine that you can now establish? Is there something that you’ve managed to do every day this month? What habits do you think have worked for you?
We’ve put together a morning checklist guide so you can take your learnings from this month and continue them into the future. Use this checklist as a guide to setting that morning routine up!
Please share how you’re getting on via the Facebook group, WhatsApp group, or on Instagram by tagging us - we love seeing your feedback, pictures and progress.
With Love
The B + G Team