5-minute morning rituals to beat the blues and boost productivity

Experts suggest that certain morning rituals should be followed to kickstart your day in a better, efficient and more refreshing way.

If morning is the time when you feel dull and inactive, even tiny changes in your routine can go a long way in boosting your energy levels, concentration and productivity. Considered the most productive time of the day, starting your day early could help you achieve more and improve your overall health. But it may happen due to pandemic time or otherwise that staying awake till late in the night or glued to our screens could make us dull and unproductive in the morning.

Experts suggest that certain morning rituals should be followed to kickstart your day in a better, efficient and more refreshing way. Not only hitting the bed late after considerable screen time plays havoc with our sleep cycle, it also affects productivity in the first half of the next day. Moreover, many of us make the mistake of picking up their phones first thing in the morning to check messages or breaking news. "The first and the best thing you can do to make you mornings better is not to look at your phone right after waking up," says Dr. Sonal Anand, Psychiatrist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai.

Dr. Anand also suggests quick techniques to get your brain in action:

Practice mindfulness: Take out a few minutes for yourself and pay attention to what's going around you. Look out of your window or balcony and observe. Mindfulness can give a boost to your brain and improves your concentration.

Be grateful: Your mornings should begin with a little bit of Me time. Focus on yourself and feel happy about yourself, the good things in your life. Be thankful to people in your life and the fact that you have another day to yourself and a beautiful morning.

Quick yoga and breathing exercises: Even if you have 5-10 minutes before you start with work, you could take out some time for quick breathing exercises like Anulom Vilom or some asanas. Yoga could help release happy hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins and that could set the tone of your day.

Short burst of activity: If you don't feel like doing any of the above, you could engage in some form of physical activity like arranging your cupboard, climbing stairs, walking within your room. Research has proved that even short bouts of activities could have multiple health benefits. It can increase your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and can have positive impact on your heart rate.

In short, if you want your morning to be brighter, you must prepare a night before by enjoying a good night's sleep and refraining from excess screen time. Staying physically active throughout the day, even for short durations, can bring long-term benefits.

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