Power Hour – Are You Getting a Good Start to Your Day?

Have you heard of a Power Hour?

Do you start each day by hitting the caffeine and tech?

It may feel like you are conquering the To-DO list when you start the day this way BUT in reality if you slow down and claim that first hour as a Power Hour – you’ll transform your life!

What is a Power Hour?

The concept of a Power Hour is not new. Several productivity experts have coined their own versions of a power hour, how it is structured and what it might include. The core concept, however, is about having an hour to yourself before the day starts. Think of it as your preparation for the day.

Your hour of power to get into a positive and productive mindset, to ground and connect and do what makes you feel good!

It’s easy to let things like personal development, health, exercise and mental wellbeing take a backseat when the rest of life is a crazy roller coaster ride. Let’s be honest – there is always going to be something “better” to do. An email you have to respond to, the kids to fetch from school, a meeting or a phone call you need to take. This leads to us feeling disconnected from ourselves, stressed and burnt out. Making the conscious effort to actually put time aside for yourself before your daily activities ensures that these things don’t get put on the back burner and will positively impact all areas of your life.

Did you Sleep Well?

You owe it to yourself to make sure that you’ve had a good sleep before that alarm goes off! Good sleep is essential for overall health and wellbeing and necessary for a positive attitude towards each new day. Guaranteed that a good night’s rest will go a long way to motivating your Power Hour!

It is possible to sleep the correct amount of time but not achieve enough deep sleep and thus be at risk of fatigue, mood swings, trouble concentrating and poorer health. Tossing and turning all night is an indicator of trouble reaching deep sleep, but luckily there are ways to improve this.

Reducing stress, exercising, eating well and meditating are all linked to an increase in deeper sleeping and an improvement in overall health. Avoid sleeping pills, which have numerous negative side effects. Instead, taking natural supplements is a great way of improving your sleep, while benefiting your body at the same time.

Duo Calm Soothing Sleep is a natural remedy that aids sleep by supporting relaxation, alleviating stress and regulating the circadian rhythm. The carefully balanced formula of vitamins and nutrients leads to a great night’s sleep and allows you to feel awake and refreshed each morning.

BioMedCan CBD SLEEP Capsules contain a powerful combination of cannabidiol and proven herbal extracts. The ‘entourage effect’ of CBD enhances the ashwagandha, valerian root as well as sceletium. Say ‘goodnight’ to restlessness, groggy mornings, tossing and turning! Wake up feeling naturally refreshed after a deep restful sleep with BioMedCan CBD SLEEP Capsules.

Build Your Power Hour

Whether you decide to follow a power hour structure, such as those created by Hal Elrod, Tony Robbins or Jack Canfield, or create your own, is entirely up to you and what works in your day.

If you don’t like meditating then don’t do it, if you prefer turning up the music and listening to your favourite tunes then do that!

Your power hour needs to make you feel good and this will look different for everyone. You might also consider starting with 30 minutes instead of a whole hour if that sounds more manageable for you, ultimately finding a routine that works well for you is more likely to stick.

The Early Bird Catches the Worm!

It’s true, getting up a little earlier in the day is key to creating that good power hour and a positive and productive day. I know it’s probably not what you want to hear but it’s time to stop hitting that snooze button and get your butt out of bed! It might feel dreadful at first but if you know that you’re waking up for yourself, for your power hour of things to make you feel good, then soon you’ll be jumping out of bed without a second thought!

Tip: Slow and Steady wins the race – if your goal is to wake up at 6am and you’re currently getting up at 7am, don’t just set your alarm for a whole hour earlier, rather take it in chunks. Try setting your alarm for 10 or 15 minutes earlier and then gradually work your way up to earlier and earlier until you get to your 6am goal!

Leave the Screen!

Don’t check your phone first thing in the morning! It’s far too easy to unlock your phone and get sucked into replying to messages and emails, scrolling on social media and checking your inbox – next thing you know 20 minutes have gone by, you’re still in bed and now you have to rush to get ready on time. Not a very positive way to start off your day!

Try putting some healthy screen rules in place, such as switching your phone off in the evenings and leaving it in another room or away from your bed so you’re tempted to reach for it first thing. Another super helpful tip, is to get a regular old fashioned alarm clock instead of using your phone to wake you up.

Hydrate

You’ve probably all heard it before but drinking some water in the morning before your tea or coffee is a great way to flush out any toxins and wake up your body.

After a whole night of rest and not drinking any fluids your body will be slightly dehydrated and when you’re dehydrated your brain can’t function at its optimum. This is why it’s important that you rehydrate properly – and no coffee doesn’t count! Try keeping a glass or bottle of water next to your bed and sip on that when you wake up. Add lemon, cucumber or mint leaves to give it a little flavour. If you don’t like drinking cold things in the morning, try warm water, lemon and ginger or a plain herbal tea such as peppermint (great for waking things up!), just make sure not to add any milk or sugar as this will counteract the detoxitive benefits of the water.

Powerful Practices for a Power-Filled Hour!

Everyone’s power hour is going to look different, whether it’s reading your favourite book, journaling, practicing yoga, hitting the gym, meditating, playing a musical instrument, blasting your tunes, having a shower, cooking a nice breakfast – the possibilities are endless, as long as it makes you feel good and is benefitting you mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically! However there are some powerful practices and habits that you can implement to really uplevel your day and give your power hour that extra punch!

Take what resonates with you and leave the rest behind. Everyone is unique and what works for one person, might not work for another.

Mindfulness –

Mindfulness is a broad term and can encompass a variety of different things. It’s about bringing the mind into the centre and becoming aware of you, your space and how you are feeling. This will guide you throughout your day, as well, to notice how you feel in different situations, with certain people, or doing certain activities. There are many mindfulness techniques but a few to consider are:

Meditation – Try guided meditations (there are a plethora on YouTube) and this can help you move into that centred space!

5,4,3,2,1 – This technique asks you to notice your surroundings and use your senses to become mindful of 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.

Body Scan – This is almost like a meditation and you can find guided body scans on YouTube as well, or simply guide yourself into becoming aware of your body.

Lie down and work your way from your toes up to your head, becoming aware of your breath and the way your body feels.

Affirmations, Visualisations & Manifestation

Using powerful affirmations can help you to create and manifest how you want to feel. Make a list of affirmations ( “I AM” affirmations are very powerful, e.g I Am Enough, I Am Abundant) and either read them outloud each morning or write them down in your journal. Repeat them a few times and really feel and mean the affirmations you are saying.

You can pair this with a visualisation of you feeling, being or doing these things that you are repeating in your affirmations. For example if your affirmation is “I Am Abundant”, visualise that feeling of abundance in your body. How does it feel? What would you do? You could even visualise the number you’d like to see in your bank account or the flow of abundance into your life.

All of these practices will help you cultivate a positive mindset and high vibration which is key to manifesting what you want! It may sound a little “woo woo” and “out there” but give it a shot before you dismiss it!

Gratitude & Journaling

These two practices are super powerful for putting you in touch with yourself and shifting into that positive space. Try keeping a journal and every morning just jotting down how you feel, maybe some positive affirmations, goals for the day and a gratitude list of just 3-5 things that you’re grateful for at that moment.

Challenge yourself to find 3-5 things that occurred in the past 24 hours that you’re grateful for, this helps you appreciate the little things in life too!

Move Yo Body!

Getting in a bit of movement in the morning is fantastic for getting the circulation flowing, especially if you’re sitting behind a desk all day! This can be anything that makes you feel good, you don’t have to go to the gym to move your body (especially with the current situations!) there are plenty of online home workouts, yoga flows, stretch classes, dance tutorials and so much more that you can try!

Move in a way that makes your body happy:

Do a chilled stretch or a flowy yoga flow
Do a home workout or head to the gym
Don’t be afraid to lift weights or add resistance to your workouts!
Try an online dance tutorial, join a real class or just dance around your room!
Go for a walk or run
Play with your kids or your dogs – they’ll get your heart rate pumping!

Add a Little Extra Power to Your Hour!

A big part of your power hour is getting yourself ready for the day and that means taking a shower, brushing your teeth, doing your skin and hair care, and making yourself feel and look good for your day ahead!

These brands are our favourites when it comes to eco-friendly self care and they are sure to add that extra pow-wow to your morning!

Earthly – This incredible brand has everything from South Africa’s very first toothbits (vegan, natural and cruelty free!), to soap, shampoo and conditioner bars and bamboo toothbrushes. As Earthly says, “Less plastic, less pollution & less guilt!”.

Naturals Beauty – Ethical, effective and affordable?! That’s right, Naturals Beauty stocks a wide range of body, skin and hair care products for all types of skin, from young teen skin to the more mature complexion, Naturals Beauty has your back the natural way!

be.bare – get those luscious locks with be.bare’s gorgeous range of plastic free natural shampoos and conditioners, tailored to suit all your hair needs. From dry and damaged hair to oily hair be.bare will give you the confidence to rock your hair “bare” everyday!

Nourish Soaps – natural handcrafted soap, body butters, shampoo and conditioner bars and more! Nourish Soaps has you lathered with plastic free, eco-friendly and handcrafted products!

The Skin Creamery – butter yourself up with the goodness that is The Skin Creamery! Skin cleansers, tonics, butters and creams – everything you need to feel and look fresh and ready for your day!

Sassui – beautifully crafted, natural, good for you products that don’t cost the planet! Sassui offers a wide range of face and body care products as well as their unique “spirit care” range which include aromatherapy eye pillows, himayalan rock aromatherapy diffusers and natural perfume. Raise that vibration!

Renpure – Renpure manufactures plant-based shampoos and conditioners that are 100% good for your hair, and 100% good for the Earth. By replacing harmful ingredients with equally effective clean alternatives, Renpure has developed a range of safe, affordable and effective products for the family that stays within the budget. Renpure is sold exclusively at Dischem.

Faithful to Nature – our ever faithful pals, Faithful to Nature has it all and more! Skin, hair and body care, green accessories, eco yoga and exercise mats and just about anything you could possibly need to take your power hour to the next level!

Now that you’ve got all the tools, tips and tricks in your arsenal it’s time to go and have a rocking, feel good and powerful first hour of YOUR morning!

Share your favourite Power Hour practices with us on our Facebook page! #PowerHour