Why Waking Up Early And Having A Morning Routine Is Important For Your Success

Having a morning routine prepares your brain to be ready to work and tackle whatever the day may bring. Successful business owners claim they do their morning routines wherever they may be otherwise they feel unbalanced, confused and disoriented. Things like the perfect cup of coffee, a well-balanced breakfast, working out or even showering may do more for your day than you think. 

I always hear stories of people running late, or waking up just in the nick of time to make it to work/class and then taking about another hour to organize themselves, get on track and actually be productive. An hour to a successful person is a lot of time wasted! These people plan their day to the second, they have meetings that last about three minutes, so imagine how many (successful people) meetings you’ve missed in just an hour?

I know this list may look long and impossible to do before 9 am, but they are easy and quick to do. If there is a will there will definitely be a way!

1. Wake up super early.

Waking up early, giving yourself time to do stuff before work makes going to work much more enjoyable! Give your brain and body time to adjust to the day; enjoy a nice breakfast, watch the news, get a moment alone and get adjusted before you have to expose yourself to the world. Waking up early also gives you a chance to manage your time, know what to expect, get organized and ready to start your busy day.

Your brain works best in the morning, so feed it with as much (useful, beneficial) information as you can before you start getting tired, chances are, you will not forget them.

 2.Visualize your day.

If I learned anything from my Executive Function course in graduate school, it’s to visualize! Visualizing what your day will look like and what you have to do, makes your actions faster and more efficient, and it makes your day more or less predictable. Your brain automatically visualizes anything you think about, for example, if you remembered that you need to grab your gym bag from the closet before you leave, you will unintentionally visualize yourself grabbing it. However, intentionally visualizing your day will do wonders to your efficiency and productivity.

3. Have a delicious breakfast!

Your brain needs fuel to be able to function and be productive, especially if your job requires you to be active, physically or mentally. Make sure your breakfast has rich nutrients and fibers to keep your energy up all morning. Another perk is that knowing that you are about to have a delicious meal and a great cup of coffee makes leaving bed a lot easier and quicker. Whether it’s oatmeal, fruit bowl, eggs or a sandwich, make sure you have breakfast before you start your day.

 4. Work out and meditate.

Working out in the morning is so beneficial for so many reasons. Most importantly, it balances your body chemicals and lets you get rid of any negative thoughts, energy or feelings you may be feeling. It also releases happy hormones that leave you feeling like there is nothing you can’t tackle! It has been proven that working out early boosts your metabolism and improves digestion all day. Working out doesn’t have to take hours, all you need is one or less!

Personally, my morning workout is the only time in the day is truly therapeutic and its the only time I have to take care of myself especially when I have 12-13 hour working days!

Meditate to gain perspective, balance your mind and start the day with a refreshed and rejuvenated slate! You need to empty unnecessary content from your brain to allow new information in, and meditation does just that.

5. Check your calendar and to-do list for the day…then make your own realistic one.

As mentioned above, feed your brain as much information as possible in the morning, because this is when it retains it the most. Check your calendar and what you have to do for the day so you can start planning what your day will look like, and organize what can realistically be done in one day and what can wait. It also helps you to make sure you have everything you need before you leave your house.

6. Look good…feel good.

Some people are blessed to have jobs that don’t require them to dress in formal attire, but that doesn’t mean you can roll out of bed and sit right in your office chair. You’ll feel miserable! If you feel fresh, clean and well dressed you will definitely do more with your day and be productive.  In order for you to do that, you need to give yourself time to get dressed in the morning. You’ll be in the mood to work and socialize and have an overall good day. Does nobody hate looking good right? Lastly, looking good, feeling good,  gives you the confidence to make better decisions, come up with better ideas, better creations and overall, a better career!

Shireena x.

Foods that activate your Happy Hormones

When you live a stressful life where you are constantly racing against time, stuck in traffic and running around the city, you can’t help but feel drained, depressed and down! Ugh… the triple D!

When you live in a place like Egypt, where unrest is common and events are unpredictable, you can only but pay attention to how the society has become short tempered, anxious and in need of Xanax!

But since I absolutely do not condone drugs and other “happy” stimulants, I searched and studied the foods that contain the same chemicals in drugs like cocaine and Prozac. So make a list Egypt, coz I advise you go shopping and buy these foods that will make you calmer, happier, healthier and energized!

Mussels

Mussels contain trace nutrients, (elements required in your body, but in minute quantities to maintain proper physical functioning).

Trace elements such as Zinc, Iodine and Selenium are all crucial thyroid stabilizers. You always want to make sure that your body’s main mood regulator, your thyroid, is stable and on track.

Spinach

Spinach contains phenylethylamine, an organic compound that is also a name of a class of chemicals that are known as psychoactive drugs and stimulants.

Phenylethaylamine releases dopamine and norepinephrine , chemicals used as anti depressants and stimulate happy, pleasurable and rewarding senses in the brain. Dopamine is also the neurotransmitter released when you get a pleasurable high from cocaine.

Spinach is also known for the amount of magnesium it contains, which helps boost your energy through your body.

Asparagus

Asparagus contains Serotonin, a “happy hormone” that controls your mood, emotions, and sleep. These hormones can be processed effectively by intaking tryptophan, which can also be found in asparagus. Who doesn’t want some happy hormones these days?

 Eggs

Eggs do more for you than make you stronger, they too contain tryptophan, the happy hormones boosters!

They also contain choline – a mandatory nutrient that aids in increasing your mental sharpness and positive attitude.

Hurray!

Oily Fish

It is highly recommended to eat fish a couple days a week, especially fish with high concentrations of Omega-3. These fish oils excrete fatty acids that aid in stabilizing our brains. Not to mention, Omega-3 is extremely healthy for your skin, hair and metabolism.

Oily fish include salmon, trout, sardines, herring and mackerel.

Dark Chocolate

We all know dark chocolate is way healthier than milk chocolate and fortunately it is as delicious, especially knowing that it contains magnesium, an element that spreads through your body giving you a positive energy while relaxing your muscles and reducing anxiety. Ultimately, it reduces the possibility of depression.

I might just go on a dark chocolate diet!

Legumes & Nuts

Legumes are basically seeds, beans, peas and some nuts, and they are way healthier than people think. By distributing high amounts of magnesium, they are quite the energy boosters.

You know when you work out and you are finally done and drained, you feel light, energized and just happily zen? That’s the work of magnesium, a crucial trace element in your body that gets excreted during sweat. So stack up on these beans and seeds, they’re the trick!

Most nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds are a rich source of our Happy Hormone, Serotonin! Many of them also are high in Omega-3 oil – so beneficial!

Avocado

Like asparagus, avocado contains serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter. It is also extremely healthy and benefits your hair, skin and nails.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a sacred food for the healthy gurus. The main reason is the probiotics it contains that help boost your energy and benefit your immune AND digestive systems!

For those of you wondering, probiotics are the opposite of antibiotics. You take antibiotics to kill all bacteria and germs in your body where as probiotics are microorganisms (microbes, bacteria and germs) that are healthy when consumed, like yeast in yogurt!

What Yoga Is To Me

Yoga is a practice that dates back to centuries ago, about 5000 years, and it seems like every now and then you hear of a new method, or style of yoga. Iynegar, Bikram, Katonah, Jivamukti, Hot, Power, Animal… the list can go on. The styles may be different but I think the essence and the roots are the same, what is it about yoga that keeps it “yoga” despite the change in name, music, teaching style and moves?

To me yoga, or at least the asana practice of yoga, is movement in synchrony, movement in unity, movement of expression and self discovery. It is exploring your body and being so aware and present that you cannot think of anything else.. finding that state of trance. I appreciate the physical and mental challenges the poses bring as it brings to my awareness the way I respond to challenge and how attentive/distracted i am. I have to say it is truly humbling. Coming from a dancer background, alignment is important to me for several reasons. First of all it keeps you safe and it allows you to better understand your body mechanics so when you decide to self express or further explore, you are protected and have all the tools you need to unleash your physical potential. Lastly, I truly believe in lines of energy and how this can help you move your body beyond your assumed potential, it helps you visualize and arrive to challenging poses with such grace and understanding.

I believe in the power of united movement. a big way I practice “Yoga” is moving in unison, moving in a community. There is a reason a simple sun A can feel like magic when you and 100 people are doing it together, on the same breath. I also believe that learning to manipulate your breath can change your mood and improve the way your react, or respond to agitation, unrest, trauma, etc... I hope that people leave my class feeling stronger, lighter and most importantly, happier. Despite what may be conveyed, yoga is not rigid, creating a sequence really has no rules. I intentionally name my signature class soul flow, and eliminated the term “yoga” so people don’t come with rigid expectations. It’s about how it makes you feel. It’s the connection you make with your self. ITs the result, the aftermath. What makes you connect? Do the yoga that works for you.. What is your yoga ?

Finding the work-life balance that suits you

I feel like I have been running on a hamster wheel ever since I made the decision to go to grad school and live in Boston. I had to complete my pre-requisite courses, take the GRE, apply, complete my program, get certified and I have been working ever since. I never realized the blessings of having some liberty like summer breaks, or semesters, having the ability to take time to reset, start over, begin with a clean slate. Ever since I started actually working, I’ve had a hard time finding these moments to reset and clear my head so I can listen to my needs, or my wants. Some regions in the world have a “24/7” Labor mindset which leave very little room for pleasure, social time, self care or rest. The Chicago Tribune published a study that said

-The average person in Europe works 19 percent less than the average person in the U.S. That's about 258 fewer hours per year, or about an hour less each weekday. Another way to look at it: U.S. workers put in almost 25 percent more hours than Europeans.-

Although I agree making money is important, especially if you have loans and debt, which is inevitable sometimes, it is important to draw the line, to make sure you have enough time to live! To explore, to be present and make memories! Even laptops and computers need time to reboot and refresh or else they lag, they pend, they become slower and waste our times. Your body, and brain, is the same! You need to reboot so you can be more productive and better serve yourself and the community. Why do we feel guilty taking vacation time or calling in sick? Where do we draw the line- where we work, but still have time to socialize, have leisure time and decompress? They say the busier you are the more you need to meditate. This is your time, your minutes, and hours that you are not embracing.

Maybe set a time in the day, a day in the week and a weekend a month to do just that. Do something you don’t do on a regular basis, indulge in your community or your environment, detach yourself from the things you consume all day like work calls, emails, social media. Give your body the time it needs to gain perspective. Start there, and increase this time as needed.

Find that balance, celebrate the hard work you do, celebrate your life, your friends and family. Celebrate being present and having the capabilities to enjoy your time!

With love,

Shireena, x