As I start to come out of my slumber early in the morning, I look at the time on my watch and say to myself, "let's go, Brian, it's time to do the boring thing that's going to pay dividends." As I sit upright in bed, I proceed to sit and focus on my breathing for 10 minutes (peeking at my watch once or twice for a time check). As thoughts run through my head, I watch them pass like moving clouds. Some mornings are more challenging than others. The thought clouds ☁️ can be stubborn 😣. Following my stillness meditation, I do a couple of rounds of a breathing exercise from Wim Hof. See the video 📺 below. My personal preference now that I have the cadence down is no direction or noise. Just my watch as a timer for my breath holds.

What's the first thing you do after getting out of bed 🛌 ? Is it consistent? Is it a habit that supports your health?

In the past, I was guilty of grabbing my phone within the first 5 minutes to check my texts, check the weather, and see if THE critical email 📨 is in the inbox. Here are my current favorite 'out of bed' healthy habits that I've been doing consistently over the last few months. 

• I do NOT open my phone 🙅🏼‍♂️ 📱 until I’ve been exposed to sunlight or I’ve let at least 30 minutes pass to do my routine below. Take back your morning and your brain health1!

• I drink water 💦.  During the night, you can typically lose around a pound of water through sweat. Even mild dehydration can result in headaches, anxiety, and irritability, which isn't a great way to begin your day. I like to add sea salt 🧂 and lemon 🍋. This combination will rehydrate you and provide essential nutrients and minerals such as potassium, calcium, and zinc, making it the perfect way to start your day.

• Speaking of drinks in the AM. I do NOT drink coffee ☕️ right away. I wait to drink my bulletproof coffee until around 10 or 11 am. When you drink coffee on an empty stomach, your bloodstream gets hit incredibly fast by caffeine. As a result, your body releases stress hormones that propel you into your fight or flight mode.

• And, of course, be still and meditate2, followed by some breathwork3. If I can do it with some exposure to natural sunlight, even better!

Enjoy the day by starting it off with some intentionality and self-care!