Though doctors give a lot of advice; eat well, get enough sleep, don’t smoke… if you’ve ever suspected that we don’t always follow our own advice… you’re right!
For years I told patient after patient to change their lifestyle while I was unhealthy, overweight, stressed out, and even diabetic myself.
Thankfully, I did start to take my own advice and turned my health around but it took me a long time to develop the right habits that made these good choices an automatic and regular part of my day.
I’m sure you’ve seen enough cheesy cereal commercials to have heard, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but I’m going to break from that school of thought and tell you that your morning routine is 1,000 times more important for your long-term health and overall wellness than breakfast or almost any other part of your self-care routine.
Luckily for you, getting started with an empowering morning routine is easy and you’ll start to see a payoff in just a few days.
So without further ado, here’s an inside peek at the morning routine this doctor follows to ward off chronic disease and feel awesome every day.
A good morning starts with a good night.
Every night I spend a few minutes preparing for the next day. I go over my to-do list and make sure I’m ready for any meetings or after work plans. (It’s no fun heading to happy hour in your scrubs because you forgot to bring a change of clothes!)
I also take a few minutes to write down what was good about my day or what I had challenges with – get my Gratitude Pharmacy flowing. Sometimes writing down challenges helps me see them in a new way and solutions will come to me more easily.
Then, I try to learn something new. I know it’s so easy to just zone out on Instagram at the end of the day but I’ve found that reading a book put me in a way better mood. I mean… we’ve all found ourselves 200 pictures deep into a complete stranger’s feed before. But we deserve better than the mindless late-night scrolling. If you’re looking for a good book, I would recommend these three:
Finally, I meditate for at least ten minutes. Honestly, I had a really hard time meditating at first. Ok, I hated it. But I started with the Headspace app which made it much easier and now I use the Omvana app. You can also find cool meditation videos on YouTube. The goal is to give your mind a break so it doesn’t matter how you meditate – just pick something that works for you and do it. I also have a sleep hack: writing down 5 appreciations I’ve had for the day. What this does is closes down the loops of all the thoughts that are floating around in your brain. You can do this right before or right after your meditation.
I try to go to bed with a clear mind and a clear conscious so that my body can fully rest, repair, and relax. Try it for a few days… you won’t believe how much your mornings improve!
A good day starts with action and focus.
When I wake up, my goal is to get my body moving and to set the tone for my day.
First I set aside at least ten minutes to meditate again. When I meditate in the morning, I envision my perfect day and set an intention to focus on gratitude and fun.
Next, I’ll go through my to-do list and make sure I’m logistically set up for a successful day. This cuts down stress since I don’t have to deal with being late or forgetting appointments.
I also make time to exercise every morning. I like high-intensity interval training (HITT) & weight lifting but anything that gets you moving helps your health! Put on The Lion King soundtrack and have a dance party with your kids if you can’t make time to go for a run or hit the gym. Exercise in the morning helps produce BDNF or brain derived neurotrophic factor…it’s like Miracle Grow for the brain – which primes your creativity and brain function.
The goal isn’t to be perfect – it’s to take care of yourself so you can be your best and bring your best to each day. The point of a morning routine is to help you take charge of your health, improve quality of life, and even extend your life.
I learned the hard way how bad habits can catch up to you. And I hope that by showing you my routine you’ll be inspired to amp up yours.
Your health starts with your choices.
You are health,
Dr. Kien
PS — Have you checked out my YouTube channel yet ? Take a look and check out some fun and creative health content you can share with your family and friends. And if you like what you see, go ahead and hit subscribe.
