Sound mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being. As ongoing movement restrictions limit the ways people pursue fitness, there now exists a need to redefine what it means to be strong in today’s world. Strength today isn’t just about being in the best shape physically. It also entails taking a broader, more holistic view of our own health—listening to our bodies and prioritizing both physical and mental wellness.
Through a thorough understanding of the connections between physical activity, sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness, Fitbit remains committed to providing a comprehensive view of how different aspects of health fit together. With groundbreaking technology that delivers personalized guidance, content, metrics, and data-driven insights, Fitbit makes it easy for anyone to adapt or improve one’s daily physical and mental wellness routines—helping more Filipinos take control of their health, no matter what the situation.
To show how activities geared towards physical and mental health work together, here are six simple yet transformative tips for peak mind, body, and heart wellness first thing in the morning:
1. Tap into your ikigai
Your ikigai, also known as your purpose in life, is a Japanese concept that combines the words “iki”, meaning life, and “gai”, which means benefit or worth. Your ikigai is literally the reason you get up in the morning, which is why tuning into it when you first wake up can be extremely beneficial to your mood for the rest of the day.
When finding it, ask yourself: what do I love? What makes me happy? What makes me light up inside? This process can start with small habits like accepting yourself, connecting with others, and being present. Activities such as stretching, meditation, and taking short walks can be helpful as well.
2. Wake Up Mindfully
Doctors suggest trying to wake up naturally, without an alarm, to the light of the sun. This way, you’re not waking up to the blaring sound of an alarm that causes your body to go into fight-or-flight mode, possibly upping your anxiety for the rest of the day.
Fitbit trackers come with a Smart Wake feature which helps find the best time to wake you starting 30 minutes before your alarm on your device is set. It also avoids waking you during deep sleep so you’re more likely to wake up feeling refreshed.
3. Get Some Sunshine
Before opening your computer, take a few minutes to go outside and get some natural light. This is one of many activities in a process called “grounding”—which are exercises that help you firmly anchor yourself in the present1.
These are helpful in many situations where you might find yourself feeling distracted or overwhelmed by thoughts, feelings, or strong emotions like anxiety or anger. With no “wrong” way to ground yourself, the main aim is to help keep your mind and body connected and working together.
4. Say a Morning Affirmation
One of the best actions you can take in the morning to start your day off on a good note is to recite a positive affirmation. Affirmations are a simple yet powerful tool that many people use to help get their days started on the right foot in preparation to take action in pursuit of whatever goals they may have2. As affirmations involve repeating a phrase or series of phrases that embody who we want to become, the idea is that positive thinking creates self-improvement. Together with honest self-reflection and concrete actions, positive affirmations can be a great part of one’s mindfulness regimen.
5. Drink Water Before your Morning Coffee
Hydrating before having caffeine can be extremely beneficial as it’s been found that your brain can shrink up to three-quarters of an inch during the night. During sleep, the body loses a lot of water, so re-hydrating first thing in the morning should be your first order of business before you come around to sipping that first cup of coffee3.
For an added boost of Vitamin C, try adding a little lemon to your water to help keep those immunity levels high.
6. Listen to Your Body and Move
If possible, wake up half an hour earlier than usual and fit in some time to either exercise, stretch, or do yoga. Adding in a little workout can be beneficial for the brain by engaging a brain frequency called Sensory Motor Rhythm (SMR), used all day for complex tasks such as cognitive thinking, problem-solving, and more.
With Fitbit Premium, try to hit your daily target with science-backed programs from LES MILLS. They have 25 new high-energy workouts that are designed to accelerate your movement.
7. Introduce Moments of Calm
Practicing meditation regularly brings a host of benefits. It helps relax the body, lowers stress and anxiety, and increases clarity and focus4—getting your mind and body in the right state to get a head start on your day. While it’s good to practice in the mornings, any time is a good time to meditate.
Whenever you need a moment to breathe, access Calm Mindfulness sessions through Fitbit Premium. They’re short relaxing sessions designed to help relieve tension, manage overwhelmedness, and help bring a little more mindfulness into your day.
Whether in the morning or throughout your day, taking actions to improve your mental health and wellness are intricately connected to your overall health and well-being. Seeing these connections is in line with our mission at Fitbit—to make everyone across the world healthier. With the new Fitbit Charge 5, our most advanced health and fitness tracker yet, we can help keep your pulse on your stress, readiness, heart health, and overall well-being. By carrying health and wellness features previously only available on Fitbit smartwatches to a tracker for the first time, keeping a closer eye on your health and wellness becomes easier – helping more people progress towards their definition of being “fit” and “strong” in today’s world.
You can purchase your very own Fitbit watch at Fitbit.com and major retailers like Lazada, Shopee, and Digital Walker. For more information please visit www.fitbit.com/ph.
1 https://www.livingwell.org.au/well-being/mental-health/grounding-exercises/ 2 https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/morning-affirmations 3 https://www.wellandgood.com/coffee-first-thing-morning/ 4 https://blog.calm.com/breathe/benefits-of-meditation
