Opening your blinds or taking a walk in the sun in the morning, helps your body naturally reset it's internal clock. Maybe you're here and thinking, "Kellie, I don't care about my body's natural clock. I've got my iPhone to wake me up!". Here's my question for you on that one --
Are the actions you're doing right now in line with who you want to be in a year from now? It's one thing to have goals for yourself. It's another thing entirely to turn those goals into actionable items. It's entirely OTHER thing to actually complete those actionable items.
Let's dive back into the science real quick.
Your circadian rhythm is your body's internal clock. The things you do - like screen time late at night, screen time first thing in the morning, walking straight from your bed into your office with a cup of coffee in the morning - impact your circadian rhythm.
According to Web MD, "the instant that morning light streams into your eyes, it synchronizes your body clock with the 24-hour day in two critical ways:
Specialized cells in your retinas tell your brain to stop making the sleep hormone melatonin.
Your brain’s master clock sets a sort of internal timer, instructing the body to start making melatonin again about 14 hours later."1
Melatonin is the hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness. You've probably taken a melatonin supplement to help you sleep before. So, if you could do the opposite in the morning by getting sunlight, which would make you feel more energized, why would you not try that as well?
Sure, you can get those ten minutes of morning light by just opening the blinds and sitting in the sun in the morning, but I challenge you to get outside and walk. During this time, you can clear your head, listen to a podcast, get exercise, and just enjoy a few peaceful moments before jumping head first into your day.
Taking that morning walk is a lot like making your bed in the morning. Start your day with a healthy habit that literally helps keep your body in its natural rhythm. This will help all of those other action items you have in mind to hit your goals fall into place.
Challenging you over the next two weeks to take a 10-20 minute morning walk. Make sure you post about it on Instagram and tag me (@kel.mck.fit) so I can cheer you on!
1. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/morning-light-better-sleep
Comments