5 golden rules for starting your day perfectly | Daniel Hoffmann | TEDxFHNW

TEDx Talks

14 Jul 202113:18

Summary

TLDRThis motivational talk explores how to start your day positively with five powerful rules: wake up and smile, bless yourself and others, express gratitude, visualize your desired day, and take a mindful first step. The speaker emphasizes how our morning routines shape the rest of our day, using practical examples and humor. By following these steps, we can fill our 'positive bowl' with uplifting emotions, setting a productive and joyful tone for the entire day. The aim is to help people take control of their mornings and, consequently, their lives.

Takeaways

😀 Start your day positively for a better impact on the rest of your day.
😴 Most people hit the snooze button multiple times before getting out of bed, leading to stress.
📱 41% of people check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up, often consuming negative content.
🤯 Negative experiences in the morning, like checking bad news, can affect your mood throughout the day.
🎯 How you begin your day sets the tone for how you react to other people and situations.
😌 Fill your 'positive emotions bowl' to influence your mood and perception throughout the day.
😊 Rule #1: Wake up and smile to trigger happiness in your brain.
🙏 Rule #2: Bless yourself and others in the morning for positive energy and acceptance.
💡 Rule #3: Be thankful for the things you have, as gratitude can change your perspective instantly.
🎥 Rule #4: Visualize your day ahead and mentally experience success before it happens.
🧘 Rule #5: Step mindfully out of bed, feeling gratitude, and embrace the start of the new day.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speaker's talk?
-The main theme is how to start the day positively and mindfully by following five golden rules, which aim to influence the rest of the day in a positive way.
Why does the speaker suggest avoiding the snooze button in the morning?
-The speaker suggests that repeatedly using the snooze button leads to stress and a rushed morning routine, which sets a negative tone for the day.
What is the significance of the red and yellow 'bowls' the speaker mentions?
-The red bowl represents negative emotions like stress, anger, and dissatisfaction, while the yellow bowl represents positive emotions like gratitude, happiness, and joy. The speaker emphasizes that filling the yellow bowl with positive emotions can improve how one reacts to situations throughout the day.
What are the five golden rules mentioned in the talk?
-The five golden rules are: 1) Wake up and smile, 2) Bless yourself and others, 3) Be thankful, 4) Pre-experience your desired outcomes, and 5) Take a mindful step when getting out of bed.
How does smiling upon waking up impact the brain, according to the speaker?
-Smiling activates specific muscles associated with happiness, and the brain recognizes this, sending positive signals throughout the body. This conditioned response helps start the day with joy and lightness.
What does the speaker mean by 'pre-experience wanted situations'?
-Pre-experiencing wanted situations involves mentally rehearsing and visualizing desired outcomes for the day. This practice helps the subconscious mind align with those goals and increases the likelihood of achieving them.
How does blessing oneself and others contribute to a positive start to the day?
-Blessing oneself and others encourages feelings of grace and acceptance. It helps foster a sense of connection and well-being, enhancing one’s emotional state in the morning.
Why does the speaker emphasize being mindful when taking the first step out of bed?
-The speaker emphasizes mindfulness during this action to reinforce a sense of gratitude and awareness. By consciously starting the day with a positive mindset, one is less likely to experience mishaps (like bumping a toe) and more likely to have a calm and purposeful beginning.
How does the speaker view the act of checking the phone first thing in the morning?
-The speaker views checking the phone as potentially harmful because it often introduces negative information, such as bad news or unfavorable weather forecasts, which can negatively affect one’s emotional state right from the start.
What does the speaker suggest as a better alternative to the usual rushed morning routine?
-The speaker suggests a mindful morning routine involving smiling, blessing, gratitude, visualization, and mindfulness, which sets a positive and intentional tone for the day rather than a hurried or stressful one.

Outlines

00:00

⏰ Morning Routine Pitfalls

The first paragraph introduces a scenario of how most people start their mornings in a rush and chaos. It highlights the negative impacts of repeatedly hitting the snooze button, waking up late, and quickly going through routines without mindfulness. People often experience frustration, pain, and stress, like bumping a toe or being upset by early morning news or social media. These stressors accumulate, leading to a negative emotional state that affects interactions and reactions throughout the day, such as road rage or feeling bad when a colleague doesn’t greet you. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of a positive morning routine, as it sets the tone for the rest of the day.

05:01

🌟 Choosing the Right Emotions

The second paragraph introduces the concept of having two metaphorical bowls inside the body: a red one representing negative emotions like stress and anger, and a yellow one representing positive emotions like happiness and gratitude. The author suggests that the bowl with more content dictates perception and reactions throughout the day. To keep the yellow bowl fuller, the author shares five golden rules developed as a mental coach. These rules aim to start the day positively and set the mind in a favorable state. The rules include waking up with a smile, blessing oneself, being thankful, mentally pre-experiencing desired outcomes, and stepping out of bed mindfully.

10:04

💪 Five Golden Rules for a Positive Start

The third paragraph delves into the five golden rules mentioned previously, explaining each one in detail. Rule one is to wake up with a smile, as this facial expression triggers happiness in the brain. Rule two is to bless oneself and others, creating an emotion of acceptance and grace. Rule three is to be thankful, which instantly elevates the mood and outlook on life. Rule four is to pre-experience the day’s desired outcomes mentally, setting a clear direction for the mind. Finally, rule five is to take a mindful step out of bed, starting the day with awareness, gratitude, and positivity. The paragraph concludes by encouraging the audience to incorporate these steps, assuring them that doing so will lead to a more successful and joyful day.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Morning Routine

A morning routine refers to the habitual sequence of actions people take after waking up. In the video, the speaker discusses how many people start their mornings by hitting the snooze button multiple times, which leads to stress and a rushed mindset. The concept is central to the theme of improving one's morning routine to positively influence the rest of the day.

💡Snooze Button

The snooze button is a feature on alarm clocks that allows the user to delay waking up by a few minutes. The video uses this as a metaphor for how people procrastinate in the mornings, repeating the cycle of postponing their start, which can lead to a stressful day. The speaker suggests that this is a habit many should change to improve their mornings.

💡Positive Emotions

Positive emotions include feelings such as happiness, gratitude, and joy. In the video, the speaker emphasizes that filling one's 'positive bowl' with these emotions can lead to a more productive and fulfilling day. The idea is to cultivate a morning routine that encourages positivity right from the start.

💡Gratitude

Gratitude is the feeling of being thankful and appreciative. The speaker highlights the importance of expressing gratitude in the morning, as it is one of the most powerful emotions that can positively transform a person’s mood and outlook. Being thankful for small things, like a roof over one's head, is presented as a key step in starting the day right.

💡Subconscious Mind

The subconscious mind refers to the part of the mind that influences actions and reactions without active thought. In the video, the speaker explains that by mentally pre-experiencing the day in advance, a person can guide their subconscious mind toward achieving their goals and reacting positively to situations throughout the day.

💡Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware of the moment. In the video, the speaker stresses the importance of mindful actions, such as getting out of bed consciously, to set a calm and positive tone for the day. This is encapsulated in 'a mindful step,' which is one of the five rules for a better morning.

💡Blessing

A blessing refers to the act of invoking positivity and well-being, whether for oneself or others. The speaker suggests that people start their mornings by blessing themselves, their thoughts, and their health, to invite a sense of grace and acceptance. Blessing oneself is framed as a way to create positive emotions and set a positive intention for the day.

💡Visualization

Visualization is the practice of mentally imagining desired outcomes or experiences before they happen. The speaker advises using visualization to 'pre-experience' the day, which involves imagining how one wants to feel, what they want to accomplish, and how they will respond to situations. This is seen as a way to set a positive and successful course for the day.

💡Emotional States

Emotional states refer to the moods and feelings a person experiences, such as stress, anger, happiness, or joy. The video contrasts negative emotional states, which lead to stress and anger, with positive emotional states like gratitude and happiness. The speaker emphasizes that starting the day with positive emotional states influences how one reacts to challenges and interactions throughout the day.

💡Five Golden Rules

The five golden rules are practical steps the speaker offers to help people start their day positively and mindfully. These rules include waking up and smiling, blessing oneself, being thankful, visualizing the day in advance, and making a mindful first step. These steps are designed to fill one’s 'positive bowl' and reduce stress, making them central to the speaker’s approach to a better morning routine.

Highlights

Introduction to waking up in a different, positive way for a better start to the day.

Common morning routine problems: hitting snooze repeatedly, rushing, and starting the day stressed.

Statistics from 2018 show that 41% of people check their mobile phones within the first 15 minutes of waking up.

Negative news consumption in the morning affects mood and can lead to a downward emotional spiral.

Your morning sets the tone for the entire day; how you start influences your emotional state and reactions to situations.

Visualization of two bowls: one for negative emotions (red) and one for positive emotions (yellow), with the goal of filling the yellow bowl.

Five golden rules to start the day positively and fill the right emotional bowl.

Rule 1: Wake up and smile for at least one minute to trigger happiness in the brain.

Rule 2: Bless yourself and others in the morning to create a sense of acceptance and grace.

Rule 3: Practice gratitude by being thankful for simple things like a new day or a roof over your head.

Rule 4: Mentally pre-experience your day by visualizing positive outcomes and setting your subconscious mind towards success.

Rule 5: Take a mindful step when getting out of bed, being aware of the new beginning each morning offers.

Hermann Hesse's quote: 'In every beginning, there is a magic which protects us and helps us to live.'

Combining these five rules creates a positive emotional state and reduces the likelihood of negative events, such as bumping your toe.

Closing remarks: Encouragement to remember and practice the five golden rules to start the day in the 'personal pole position.'