Often, taking just a few minutes to center yourself and prepare for the day ahead can make a big difference.

One of “the most powerful morning habits” you can take on is journaling.

Self-help Instagram account @keys4success recently shared why this morning habit is one that you should think about adopting. 

“The most powerful morning habit I’ve discovered? Journaling,” they wrote in a post.

Journaling is far from just an Instagram fad; it’s a habit backed by medical research. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, journaling can be a healthy tool for processing difficult and intense emotions. Not only that, but the creative outlet can reduce stress, improve mood, and even help you work through your problems and concerns.

Healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente agreed. They listed multiple benefits of journaling, which included “reduce stress and anxiety” and “track progress and growth.”

The question is, what makes journaling in the morning so important?

It’s all about taking what’s inside your head and putting it onto paper. In her book “The Artist’s Way,” Julia Cameron introduced the concept of morning pages. MasterClass summarized, “The idea is to wake up, open your morning journal, and write three pages of longhand of any thoughts that come out of your head.”

When doing something like this, it is important to relegate it to the morning. “Morning is the optimal time of day for stream-of-consciousness daily practice,” MasterClass stated. “Your morning brain is fresh. Write your pages before you fill your head with any outside influences.”

Journalist Hayley Phelan wrote about her experience doing morning pages for The New York Times. She said, “Scientific studies have shown [journaling] to be essentially a panacea for modern life.

There are the obvious benefits, like a boost in mindfulness, memory and communication skills. But studies have also found that writing in a journal can lead to better sleep, a stronger immune system, more self-confidence and a higher I.Q.”

Journaling is a simple practice that can improve nearly every aspect of your life. It goes far beyond decreasing anxiety and getting negative thoughts out of your mind.

Journaling in the morning is an easy self-care habit to adopt.

Journaling may sound overwhelming and intimidating if you’ve never done it before, or if you’ve tried and failed to keep up with it as a habit. You don’t have to start by writing three pages every morning. Instead, you can begin by answering some simple prompts. 

@keys4success___ recommends answering 5 questions while journaling in the morning:

1. “What am I grateful for?”

2. “What is my most important task today?”

3. “What story-worthy moment happened yesterday?”

4. “How am I feeling right now?”

5. “What’s working right now? What could be better?”

They call this “5 minutes that will change the trajectory of your day.” It’s an easy way to begin incorporating journaling into your daily routine without feeling overwhelmed by it all.

Answering these questions will help you gain a new level of introspection while reflecting on straightforward aspects of your day-to-day life.

Journaling is a powerful tool to have in your self-care arsenal. It can help you discover more about yourself and better understand your feelings.

There are also many practical benefits to journaling like lessening stress and elevating your I.Q.

Taking just a few minutes to journal in the morning can completely redirect the course of your day for the better.

On the other hand, beginning your day with unhealthy and disorganised morning rituals may wreck your health.

Snoozing the alarm button several times in the morning, drinking coffee or tea first thing in the morning, and skipping breakfast many people make these morning mistakes.

These unhealthy morning habits can not only make your day more stressful and less productive but also put you at risk of developing many health issues.

Your morning mistakes can also hamper your weight loss goals. Here are some morning habits that can make you gain weight:

• Sleeping for too long

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep daily is essential for good health. Too little sleep as well as oversleeping can lead to weight gain.

If you sleep for too long, you will end up eating breakfast late, which will further affect your metabolism.

A study found that people who slept for nine or 10 hours every night were 21% more likely to become obese than people who slept between 7-8 hours.

• Skipping water in the morning

This morning mistake affects your waistline more than you can realize. Water is essential for every biological function in the body, from flushing wastes from your colon to efficient metabolism, which allows the body to burn more calories.

Inadequate water intake can lead to dehydration and slow metabolism, which means fewer calories burned and that results in a bigger waistline.

Start your day with a glass of warm water and make sure you drink enough water throughout the day to stay well hydrated.

• Starting your day with wrong foods

Choosing the right foods in your breakfast meal is very important to maintain your weight in the healthy range.

For example, a high-protein breakfast can promote weight loss. But most of us aren’t getting enough of this nutrient every morning.

Avoid eating a large high-fat, high-sodium breakfast as it can give you a bloated belly and make you feel sluggish all day. Also, too much fibre in the morning will make you gassy.

• Loading your coffee up with cream and sugar

A cup of coffee loaded with fatty creamers and sugar in the morning can contribute to pound creepage.

If you want to lose weight, lighten up your coffee, by switching to sugar-free soy milk, hemp milk, almond milk, or oat milk.

• You don’t workout in the morning

Studies have shown that exercising in the morning on an empty stomach can help people burn more body fat and contribute to weight loss.

Exercising can also get your blood pumping and prompt all body functions to work well. Hit the gym, take a walk, run, skip and jog every morning to prevent weight gain.

The way you start your day goes a long way in determining how you’re going to end it.

Here are some habits that are capable of ruining your day.

1. Checking your phone

The first thing most people do when they wake up is pick up their phones to check what’s new on social media. Social media is full of bad news that can put you in a sore mood for the rest of the day and leave you feeling stressed and anxious.

To overcome this habit, leave your phone in a place where you won’t be able to easily reach for it right after waking up.

2. Hitting the snooze button

When the alarm rings signalling the start of a new day, we are always tempted to hit the snooze button. A few more minutes of sleep won’t hurt anyone, right? This simple habit can effectively ruin your entire day.

It can make you late for work and keep you behind schedule for the day. Also, when you decide you want some extra time in bed, your body enters a new sleep cycle which you never get to finish. This will cause you to be groggy and may affect your focus for the day.

3. Skipping breakfast

There are solid reasons why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A lot of people tend to skip breakfast for different reasons, but this habit can affect your productivity for the day.

Breakfast kickstarts your metabolism for the day, and when you bail on your first meal, you are likely to overeat at your next meal or snack on unhealthy meals.

Apart from that, skipping breakfast denies you the energy boost you need to start your day and get through it. This will make you feel tired, edgy, frustrated, and generally unproductive.

4. Eating too much carb for breakfast

Eating a carb-heavy breakfast will only provide you with energy for a short time and cause you to feel tired once your blood sugar crashes. Instead, opt for a protein-rich breakfast that will keep you filled and provide long-lasting energy.

5. Not making your bed

Making your bed immediately after getting out of it is a very simple habit that can set you up for success and leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment you need to start your day.

It is also a great way to keep your space neat and spur yourself to be more productive.

6. Leaving the curtains closed

Research has shown that natural sunlight releases cortisol in the body which helps you concentrate and give you a sound mind throughout the day.

Also, when you start your day in the dark, your body clock might get confused and think it’s still nighttime and not a time to be awake.

7. Taking a hot shower

When you take a hot shower, your body relaxes and sends you back into a sleepy state. Instead, take a cold shower to wake you up and help you feel alert and energized.

These toxic habits make us slow, negative, and well we become grumpy. In turn, our grumpiness rubs off on the people in the house, on our work, and nothing goes well.

So to start with, drop these five toxic morning habits and be ready for a guaranteed energetic day.

Looking at your phone screen

These days, the first thing we do when we wake up is to look at our phone screens. This is the most toxic habit which affects our eyes.

It also makes us less productive. So, instead, wake up, have some warm water, wash your face, stand or sit on the balcony or near the window and breathe in some fresh air.

Keep an hour or two for yourself and then look at the phone, social media, your mails, etc.

Skipping breakfast

Many people have this bad habit of first walking up late and then just having a coffee or tea without eating anything for breakfast.

It is important to eat a healthy breakfast to kick off your day. Have an egg, toast, or oatmeal, some fresh fruits etc.

Procrastinating

Once you are up in the morning, it is important that you plan your day and then work on it accordingly even if it is a Sunday and you want to go shopping.

Don’t delay your plans, it is never fruitful. Water the plants or clean the house, the fridge, if you have time to spare before going out.

Not bathing

The reason why people bathe in the morning before they begin their day is that it makes them feel fresh and gives a boost to the day.

The act of bathing makes our body release feel-good hormones and prepares us with high performing energy.

Negative thoughts

Never think of the negative things in life right when you wake up. Meditate or give yourself a pep talk. Be grateful for the good things you have in life, count on your blessings and be optimistic. One negative thought right in the morning will always be demotivating.