5mins in the morning to boost your energy

Winter is a tough period.  My alarm goes off at 7 each morning. It's still dark outside. The bed is warm. The little one and my husband are still in dreamland. Can I just keep my eyes closed a little longer? Extend my stay in bed? What's the point of getting up right now? And then, I remember: I am in charge of how I feel. Action! Now! Whenever we dread to get up, we need to remind ourselves: We can adapt our mood. We can help ourselves to actually get excited for the day.  So, how do we start our morning with an injection of positive energy? How do we get up on the right foot for a happier and more productive day?

We dance naked!

A combination of sound, movement, and humor is a simple but powerful way to enter a state of super energy.

Music and sounds are incredibly strong at creating emotions 

It's is one of the oldest forms of communication: making sounds, singing, and telling stories through music. These even existed before a word was spoken.  The right music, a powerful song, can set your emotional state to excitement or activation. It can make you feel calm and focussed - or just light and flowing. You can easily test which music makes you feel which way. Try it out for a week. Play a song, turn your full attention to the music. Compare how you felt before listening and how you feel afterward. You might be surprised by the positive effects.

Move your body • Dance • Feel good

Movement plays a huge part in feeling energized and ready to start the day.  A lot of problems with our body and mood come from sitting too much in hunched positions instead of stretching out, walking, and spending time outside. Especially, if you don't have much time in the morning to do a full workout: a 5min morning dance can do it for you. I know, this might sound funny at first… But, dance is emotion in motion. And the motion of dancing creates emotions.  Don't worry, your morning dance doesn't have to be choreographed, pretty, or even hit the beat right. It should be fun and combine some movements you like. The more expressive and sillier you can get, the better. This will help you to get energized by raising your oxygen intake, heart rate and very likely make you smile… 

Laugh about yourself

Now, while you're singing and dancing (naked) in the morning, it's actually also a good point in time to laugh about it. If you're living with someone include them in your little routine and make both of you laugh. If you are by yourself, dance and look at yourself in the mirror. Advanced naked dancers might record a video of it and watch it afterward. A good laugh in the morning raises our endorphin levels and will set us up for whatever may come!

All of the above combined in a 5mins morning routine is what I try to do every morning. It's 5mins very well spent because the effect on my energy lasts much longer. Try it out and let me know how it works for you. (No need to share naked dancing videos! 😎)