Open Your Eyes

Start Your Day with Gratitude - Morning Vitality Routine

Open your Eyes 

What are the first things you think about when you open your eyes in the morning? Before you even get out of bed, what goes through your mind? Have you thought about this? Does it have anything to do with tasks, emails, how you are going to manage getting all of ... done on your “to do” list? Do you immediately check your phone? How many times do you hit “snooze?”  Then, how do you feel when you get out of bed - stressed, anxious, impatient?

Notice that pivotal and powerful moment. What you think upon waking affects how you literally get out of bed - your mood, disposition, emotional state. It set the tone for the entire day.

What if there is a different way, and it all starts with making that shift the moment you open your eyes? This is simply said, but can be challenging to remember to do at first. And then it becomes a habit, a routine, and can literally transform your entire day. Even when the actual events of the day do not change! I’ll discuss the concepts later in this entry but I’ll get to the pro tips now.

Morning Vitality Routine

1)      3 things - Upon waking, think of, or even say out loud, 3 things you are grateful for. It can be as simple as a warm blanket on a chilly morning. It could be your spouse sleeping next to you, your family, or even the sun as it comes up. 3 things, 3 things, 3 things. Remember this. Expressing gratitude in the morning (and always) creates an energy shift that will uplift you and set your day to flow in a direction of receptivity to what the day brings with peace and poise. Start and lead with gratitude always.

2)      Have some sort of “alone time” and a quiet ritual/practice that you do in the morning before the world wakes up. Find those moments when it is quiet to reflect and express appreciation for the day you have been given. (Note: For those who don’t feel like they have the time, it might be worth assessing what habits in your day/evening may need to be tweaked to add this time in the morning. I can further assist you with this and will also discuss this in a different post). If you are familiar with HeartMath, ask yourself “where am I on the grid” right now? If you are not familiar with HeartMath, check in with yourself and bring awareness around how you are feeling. If you are having feelings of anxiousness, dread, frustration – take these moments early in the day to shift into a more positive experience. If you are a spiritual person, this would be a good time to practice this.

Note: HeartMath has given myself and many others tools to effectively practice this. As a certified HeartMath Coach, I would be happy to guide you on your journey to further understand, practice, and implement these techniques in your life.

3)     Replenish your body, heart, mind, and spirit. After a restful, nourishing sleep pay attention to nourishing the mind, heart, and body. Take some deep breaths, meditate, or practice HeartMath to ground yourself. Move your body in some way, whatever that looks like for you. Even gentle stretching is encouraged. If exercising outdoors is possible, I would highly recommend this as it addresses all the key aspects of health and well-being. There is a sense of connectedness that happens when we are out in nature and simultaneously moving our body. It is truly a beautiful thing. Ensure you drink plenty of water (unless you are on a fluid restriction from your doctor) and start your day with a nourishing light meal incorporating colorful vegetables and lean protein at the start of the day. Even if you don’t have issues with blood sugar, this will keep your energy levels stable throughout the day and allow you to perform at your peak performance both mentally and physically.

Take home message:

Mindset shifts and behavior change is a process. Take your time and give yourself some grace, but don’t give up. These habits, when practiced consistently, will become second nature to you and overtime will have a dramatic impact on your daily life. When discussing mindset shifts, being receptive, or receptivity, is crucial for this process. If one shuts down an idea before trying this in their life, especially changing habits and behavior that have 0% chance of harm,  one will get stuck in old ways of thinking and doing things. Nothing changes and then one wonders why they still feel the same and are stuck on an unfulfilled autopilot life.

The shift starts here. Receptivity is an inner process that can transform your life. It leads you to live a more inspired life, full of curiosity and opportunities to learn and grow while simultaneously learning to accept and love yourself and your unique gifts you can bring to this world. When turning down the outside “noise,” we find that our natural state is one that is joyful, peaceful, and relaxed. Sometimes we allow outside circumstances to affect us  so much that we lose sight of our foundation and core self. Creating these shifts to start your day in a more positive, energetic light is just one tool, but an extremely effective one, to align your heart, mind, body. It allows you to show up for yourself and others and be the best expression of yourself, living with more centeredness and vitality. Open your eyes and change your day.

Scientific References:

Gratitude interventions in cardiovascular disease populations

• Wang & Song, 2023 – Frontiers in Psychology

• Title: The impact of gratitude interventions on patients with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review

• Full text: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1243598/full

Study characteristics

• 19 studies

• 2,951 participants (healthy and CVD populations)

Findings

• Gratitude interventions improved:

  • Autonomic nervous system activity

  • Cardiovascular function

  • Adherence to health behaviors

Gratitude and cardiovascular stress responses

• Physiology & Behavior (2020)

• Title: State, but not trait gratitude is associated with cardiovascular responses to acute psychological stress

Key results

• Participants who experienced momentary gratitude showed:

  • Lower systolic blood pressure response to stress

  • Improved cardiovascular stress reactivity.

Interpretation

• Gratitude may function as a stress-buffering emotional state, reducing sympathetic activation during stress.

State-of-the-science review on gratitude and cardiovascular health

• Cousin et al., 2021 – The Journal of Positive Psychology

• Title: Effect of gratitude on cardiovascular health outcomes: a state-of-the-science review

• Full text: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2020.1716054

Key findings

• Review of 13 studies linking gratitude with cardiovascular outcomes.

• Gratitude practices were associated with improvements in:

  • Inflammatory markers

  • Endothelial function