I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. How many of us have heard someone we know walk into a room, sit down with a full body sigh, slump back and utter that statement as if the bed has a right side. They offer it up as a declaration that anything miserable they do that day isn’t their fault, after all, they woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Maybe you’ve been that person, it can easily happen. A late night at an undesirable work event, a missed alarm clock, a stubbed toe on that cabinet you keep promising to move, spilled coffee on your shirt fumbling for your keys and you’re not far away from the wrong side of the bed.

We have the remedy, we can’t promise that you’ll never have another ‘terrible’ morning but establishing a routine will go a long way in avoiding beginning your day with misery. It acts as a primer, creating a clean slate starting point.

We have highlighted our Top 3 daily primers, these are activities that we do every single day, regardless of location or situation. If a zombie apocalypse comes we refuse to run until after our 15-minute routine. These are the things we notice to be effective, for you it may be something else and that’s fine, the modality matters less than the commitment to starting your day in a specific way and before you say you don’t have time in the morning, you don’t have time not to. The entire process takes 10 minutes tops and can drastically improve your productivity and focus throughout the day, we think it’s worthwhile making the time.

1. Water First – This might seem like a silly start but it has been hugely beneficial, we make sure to start our day with 500 ml of water. Most of us do not drink anywhere near enough water during the day and often the first thing we put in our body is that sweet, sweet coffin – thanks Johnny T for the word. We love coffee as much as the next person but it is a diuretic and after 6-8 hours of not drinking any fluids your body is dehydrated, the last thing it needs is a substance that will compound that issue.
2. Journal – This is a public thank you to whoever created the 5-Minute Journal. If you are not familiar with the product it is exactly that, a journal that takes 5 minutes to complete at the start of the day. Beginning the day with gratitude and planning has been HUGE in setting our days up for success, as woo-shoo as it may sound reminding yourself that life is an amazing gift every day for a few minutes creates a shift in mindset. The quiet time in the morning always you to prioritize the 2-3 things that are truly important for that day before the noise creeps in.
3. Cold Plunge – If you are not familiar with Wim Hof, stop reading this and google his name. The man is an absolute savage when it comes to body manipulation in extreme temperatures, he holds the record for longest time in ice water. Although we have no intention of challenging him for the title, starting the morning with 30-60 seconds of frigid water is an amazing wake-up. It is also beneficial for your immune system, has been shown in some studies to potentially boost testosterone in men. Perhaps, most importantly, it presents you an opportunity to get your first win of the day under your belt, like Vince

Lombardi said ‘winning is a habit”. Completing a difficult task early in the day is a great way to set yourself up for success on everything else you encounter.