Buy an alarm clock and keep your phone away from your pillow. Avoid social media for at least one hour after rising. Let water be the first thing you consume after waking up. With morning routines and the science that supports the optimization of our total health in a constant state of flux and refinement, it can feel overwhelming when building and maintaining the right routine. What is the right routine, for you?
Today we’ll be discussing the routine that one of our dentists uses so that you can take or leave what you’d like and begin to build a morning ritual that works best for you. Before we get started, it’s important to note that no one morning is the same, so go easy on yourself! Change is inevitable.
The typical SAD (Standard American Diet) diet is generally made up of something savoury like bacon, eggs, and toast, or foods high in sugar and empty carbohydrates such as sugar laden cereals or pancakes. These can still be enjoyed; however, they are best enjoyed through balanced moderation.
For many, vegetables and all things green are often under-utilized during breakfast time as they seem to have fallen into the category of lunch and dinner items. In places such as South East Asia, vegetables for breakfast is quite common, and often, encouraged.
To get your day started right, we recommend including some vegetables in your morning routine. Whether thats some spinach in a tofu or egg scramble, or perhaps a powdered greens drink, your body will thank you for a surge of vitamins ( A,C,K,B) as well as antioxidants.
If you have a juicer and would like to make yours from scratch, check out this link for an amazing morning greens recipe - https://www.thepetitecook.com/morning-green-juice/
Additional benefits of consuming greens in the morning include:
Chlorophyll soothes inflammation and pain
Helps regulate blood sugar
Inhibits bacterial growth
Helps create an oxygen rich environment in our blood
Make time for stillness
For most of us, the busyness of life is a must, rather than a choice. Whether that’s it’s the noise of ads and social media pandering to our insecurities, or a job that’s all-consuming, making time to slow down can be incredibly beneficial.
Mindfulness meditation has become quite popular, and the science supporting a regular practice has followed suit.
By making some time to be still and meditate in the morning, you’ll be starting your day right and may see benefits such as:
-Increased resilience to stress: Who knows what the day will bring.
-Sharpened attention, unclouded thoughts: More available to others/ heightened focus.
-Increased compassion: Most of us could use this in our lives.
-Reduced cortisol (stress hormone)/ Increased dopamine (pleasure neurotransmitter).
These benefits make up only a fraction of the scientific discoveries surrounding the benefits of regular meditation.
If you’re interested, we recommend checking out this study out of Harvard University discussing the links between mindfulness and mental health.
A dentist never forgets to brush or floss
A good oral care routine for your morning does not have to be complicated, it just needs to be consistent. If you can, we recommend using an electric toothbrush as they are best equipped to achieve a proper clean while addressing problem areas, such as your back molars. Try to brush gently allowing the brush to do its job which will allow you to avoid damaging the gums and the enamel of your teeth. Lastly, make sure to floss followed by a fluoride mouth wash to combat cavities while leaving you with that wonderful fresh mouth feeling.
There are few things you can do for yourself that signal self-love in a greater way than personal development. Researching, building, and introducing a morning routine into your life is a lot like giving your well-being a great big hug at the start of each day; sending that I’m worth it energy from head to toe. Not to mention, by investing in yourself this way, you’ll be more available and capable of being of service to others.
A good mantra for achieving consistency in your morning your morning routine is, “get better at getting better”. As you build your routine, this can/should be tackled in bite size commitments. A good rule of thumb when setting goals around consistency is to follow the SMART criteria for simple and achievable results.
Goals around consistency should be clear and reachable. Each one should be:
Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
Achievable (agreed, attainable)
Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)
Time bound (time based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)
Developing/maintaining a morning routine can feel intimidating at times. We recommended incorporating bite sized goals that can be carried out with regularity and enjoyment. By ticking the box of even just one new activity a week, you’ll be in great shape before you know it. Try utilizing the SMART goal setting strategies above to help introduce achievable changes into your routine with ease.
From all of us at M Street Dental,
May your mornings be as bright as your smile!