Change Your Life By Changing Your Habits: Morning Rituals

Changing your morning habits.

glass of water from pixabay

WHY CHANGE THE HABIT OF A LIFETIME?

Maybe because it is causing you harm?  So often bad health comes from bad health practices and those start in the morning are one of the first habits to look at.  That is all those are - habits. That is LEARNED behaviour and so it can be UNLEARNED! Here are a few tips on changing habits that no longer support you.

Yes I know I'm hard but there you go.

It isn't as difficult as you might think and maintaining better health practices becomes a way of life - and an enjoyable one at that. 

For example, do you start the day with a cup of tea or coffee (OR heaven forefend - a cigarette!)? You probably feel you just can't get started without it? Actually - it's just a habit you have and you can change it - it may take a little time to get used to but it will work. Instead of tea or coffee take a cup of hot water. This is always the first measure recommended in Chinese Health. It helps to clear the system for the day and also helps to clear your tongue and taste buds. It also gets your digestive track functioning - great for the bowels.

I find drinking tea or coffee first thing now as distasteful as I at first found drinking water - but I do feel better and I don't have that 'coated' feeling in my mouth that lingers after drinking, especially when you add milk. A lot of bad breath can be laid at the door of milky drinks. Milk even when in tea or coffee ferments on the teeth and tongue.

no smoking sign from pixabay.com

How to stop the cigarette habit

For the cigarette users? Stop! Clean your teeth and wash out your mouth with mouthwash - then make yourself wait 15 minutes after the craving starts to actually light up. Use a mouthwash more than once if you need to in that time the change of taste in your mouth helps alleviate the cravings. The following week - make yourself wait 30 minutes before lighting up - the week after that wait 45 minutes - the week after that 1 hour. And what do you know? You're well on your way to quitting altogether.

This mouth wash and wait method is just as effective if used throughout the day - wait after each meal when you would normally light up, wait after the craving starts, wait after coffee break and so on. Build up the time you leave before each cigarette over a few weeks. It is just as effective for food cravings. You are just exchanging one habit for another one that will make you feel better - and make you wealthier too! And the reason I can tell you all this is because this is how I managed to stop smoking 20 a day, in 1991 and I was studying for finals at Uni then so under plenty of stress.

So if you are waiting 15, 30 minutes for your wake-up shot of coffee or nicotine how do you stand it?

Have you thought of doing some meditation or a little light exercise - some Tai Chi for example - or take a few stretching exercises?

On the MEDITATION PAGE  I have included a mediation to tone the light body which sets you up for the day and generally feel better about yourself.

Last word - if you 'slip' it doesn't matter - tomorrow is another brand new day when you have another brand new opportunity to start again.