Five routines to start the day with energy and positive attitude

Having rituals or routines in everyday life is usually not well seen. It is associated with monotony, with a certain mental rigidity. But specialists assure that they provide security and allow to focus more on tasks.

By definition, rituals are a set of significant actions that are, in fact, marked by rigidity, formality and repetition. They differ from habits in that they have behind them a series of values that give them meaning. The clearest example is that of religions, when the faithful pray together in a church, a mosque or a synagogue.

But there are simple, everyday, inconspicuous rituals, such as waking up in the morning and making a coffee for yourself or for a loved one, which can result in a mental stimulus for both of you. For this, it is necessary for the person to value action as more than just a habit. Thus, it can lead to a strengthening of the bond with another person, said a study led by Ximena García-Rada, from the Harvard Business School.

Another study, this time by the American Psychological Association, found that a ritual can reinforce self-control. In the study, they instructed a group of participants to cut food into small pieces before meals and place it on the plate so that the right and left sides were accurately reflected. The goal was to remind them that they should eat less. This ritual was more successful in reducing food intake by participants than instructing them to eat 10 percent less than usual. The symbolic meaning of the action turned this new habit into an effective ritual.

Rituals that are carried out unusually, such as rites related to the most important stages of Hindu life, have a particularly unifying effect, the researchers said. The reason is that they evoke shared emotions, images and memories. They proved that, for example, people who made the Camino de Santiago and carried a scallop shell (symbol of that ritual) or left stones (another symbol used) during the journey still felt a greater physical connection with other pilgrims three months later.

Rituals give meaning, give purpose. With the search for a structure in the midst of everyday disorder, something as simple as how to prepare a tea, as long as it is interpreted as a ritual, can make the experience more meaningful, and this makes people feel less alone.

Neuroscientist and psychologist Wendy Suzuki, professor at the Center for Neural Sciences at New York University and science disseminator, strongly believes that we can “use the strongest tools that work the fastest to help establish our brain in a motivated and productive mode from the start” of every day, indicated in a special edition Real Simple, in its section The power of sleep.

Arming a series of rituals, that is, routines that are repeated every day, allows you to feel more in control and manage stress. This also runs for the time to get up every morning to start the day. One thing to keep in mind: flexibility will be essential. If you don't achieve a perfect morning routine, it doesn't mean you're failing.

These are 5 routines that will allow you to feel more energetic and, consequently, happier.

1- Look at the bright side

Kristen Willeumier, neuroscientist and author of Biohack Your Brain: How to boost cognitive health, performance and power, points out that exposing the optic nerve in the eyes to light activates cortisol excitation systems, releasing neurotransmitters, peptides and energizing hormones, such as adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin and testosterone.

Cortisol and testosterone are energizers of the body that peak naturally in the morning. The optic nerve exposed to light acts as a kind of permanent “power switch” that the brain needs to stay alert throughout the day, Willeumier explained.

Recommendation: Open the curtains or blinds immediately after waking up and have breakfast by the window. Sunlight is the most intense trigger for alertness. So, being exposed to natural light is the best thing as a morning routine.

2- Imagine a successful day

Willeumier says that “visualization helps to form mental images that have not been experienced or perceived by the senses, but that may have been seen by another person being made and you want to imitate”. By imagining something one prepares the neural pathways for that to happen in reality. The expert noted that MRI scans have shown that some areas of the brain look very similar either by performing a specific pleasurable action, such as playing an instrument or playing ball, or if only imagining that action.

The effectiveness of visualization techniques has already been demonstrated. It will be very useful to imagine an event the way we would like it to happen, to imagine ourselves possessing qualities that we would like to acquire according to some role model, to see ourselves choosing healthy foods, playing sports at a better level, being more productive at work and in personal goals. This builds trust and focus.

3- Go outdoors

The best way to accelerate stress is, as soon as you open your eyes in the morning, to start worrying about the extensive list of things we have to do for that day. It's a well-known idea, but it's worth remembering: Spending time in nature, for example in the garden or walking around a square, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is what helps to relax.

“A little stress and cortisol is fine, as it activates and makes us productive, but you need to combine that with a sense of calm to be able to move forward in the most positive way,” Suzuki warns. The neuroscientist has reported that one of her routines is to meditate every day in front of her plants to get a little green energy from them.

In addition, science has shown that natural sounds such as raindrops and the wind that moves leaves on trees reduce stress, decrease pain, and improve mood and cognitive performance. The sun acts as a natural antidepressant because it stimulates endocrine functions by increasing the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter related to mood. A study by the London School of Economics and Politics concluded that spending time outdoors increases joy and good humor. Spending 20 minutes on the street in good weather not only promotes good mood, but can also improve memory.

4- Get up and move

There is no need to discuss here the benefits of physical activity that are already widely proven. Suzuki, in his book, recalls that. “Exercise bathes the brain in a bath of chemical bubbles of serotonin and dopamine, which helps with focus and mood.” The author herself modified her exercise routine from afternoon to morning based on her research on the link between movement and productivity depending on mood.

“We have evidence that the more you move, the more motivated you are to keep moving during the day,” Suzuki said. So getting up and doing physical activity is a good morning routine because it makes the brain active. Dopamine is a reward chemical, and the more you get, the more you want to do what produced it in the first place.

A study cited by The Real Simple article found that those who exercise for 30 minutes after waking up and moving three minutes every half hour throughout the day concentrate better, make better decisions, organize and plan better.

Continuous physical exercise makes you feel better, increases energy levels and reduces stress. In addition, it helps to release some chemicals from the brain such as endorphins that help you see things more positively.

Without requiring great physical effort, yoga practice provides psychological well-being and helps improve mood, according to a study by Thirthalli and Naveen conducted in 2013 that showed that yoga treatment reduces levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress.

5- Turn the first action of the morning into a form of meditation

Suzuki says: “The tea ritual is the engine that keeps me in meditation; there is always a next step to focus on. While I prepare, wait, serve, taste and drink, I watch what comes to mind. It helps me wake up gently and gives me time to wonder how I feel. I tune in to what my body needs for that day.”

Doing something that has several steps, such as making coffee or making tea, is an easy way to give shape, rhythm and purpose to meditation, and to have something to focus on while guiding the mind. Another morning routine that can become a form of meditation is skin care.

In addition, regular meditation relieves stress, improves learning and increases volume in areas of the brain associated with attention and memory, says Willeumier, who does it every morning for 30 minutes. Suzuki sets aside 45 minutes each morning for a tea ritual and a type of meditation, he said, he learned during his vacation with a monk in Bali.

Sometimes there is not much time for such rituals before leaving the house, but science has shown that only 5 minutes of deep breathing are healthy.

Performing rituals involves living in the present, which is an aspect widely explored and recommended by specialists. According to a Sciencemag study, people who spend the day ruminating their past and present problems, grudges, and fears lose 47% of their time. On the contrary, living constantly in the future, creates expectations that can make the person who is not in the present moment more unhappy. In addition, fantasizing or worrying about things that haven't even happened yet, involves unnecessary suffering. But we should not confuse “living in the present” with not having goals or eliminating any idea of the future from the mind. On the contrary, the important thing will be to be realistic and go little by little to achieve them. A study by the University of Wisconsin found that working towards a goal suppresses negative emotions, as well as activating positive feelings.

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