This Time of the Morning is the Best Time to Rewire Your Brain.

It's hard to make any habit stick. It's even harder to create a new lifestyle that sticks.

Go and ask a someone you know who used to be overweight how many tries it took for them to finally lose it and keep it off. Or ask someone how they were finally able to make that job switch.

Making changes is hard for a lot of us, especially given the busy and hectic lives that we live.

I've been hearing people say that a healthy mindset is one of the biggest keys to creating change in your life. It's very true. But what if I also told you that there's a window during the day that you can take advantage of to shift your mindset, and that window is when you first wake up?

Keep reading to find out how this could help you seize the day.

Our Brains Don't Just "Wake Up"

Now, we've been told over and over that using our phones as soon as we wake up is a BIG no-no. And for good reason, too. When we wake up, our brains don't just shift from sleep mode to waking mode immediately.

Our brains produce different brain waves depending on our state of mind, and as we wake up, our brains cycle through three of them.

First as we awaken, the brain is producing delta waves, which are associated with deep sleep, after that our brains shift into producing theta-waves, these waves tend to happen when we're in a daydreaming/imaginative state. After that, our brains start producing alpha waves. This state is usually when your mind is relaxed, but not processing much information.

And it's between these last two waves, where you want to begin setting your intentions and exposing your brain to positive and motivating things. Especially in the alpha wave state.

The first 20 minutes after we awaken we are in the alpha state. This state has been referred to as "the gateway to the subconscious". It is during this 20 minute window, that our brains and minds are open to suggestion and reprogramming.

What we are exposed to during this window can either ramp us up to have a productive and successful day, or make us crash and burn.

Hands Off the Phone

Picking up our phones immediately after waking to do busy work, check emails, socials, and other stuff can force our brain to skip these waves and throws us directly into an alert state that can spell negative consequences for our psyche and for the day.

It activates our stress response and sets the tone for a day spent being on edge. It primes our brains for distraction and doesn't give us time to set our intentions. Not to mention, it leads to a dopamine crash and low productivity for the rest of the day.

Instead of immediately grabbing our phones, we should take advantage of this 20 minute window to set ourselves up for success each day. What are some things we can expose ourselves to?

• Set your intentions and goals for the day. Repeat positive affirmations, speak life and positive things into yourself. Tell yourself and your mind what you WILL accomplish this day.

• Brainstorm ideas for your business, and vow to carry them out.

• Listen to a motivating podcast that has useful information. Self-improvement, motivation, and other positive topics can help shift us into a mindset that's more positively inclined to perform better.

• Spend time journaling or writing down goals for the day during this window.

• Meditating, prayer, and expressing gratitude can prime us to manage our stress better and not crash out.

• Go for a walk and get some fresh air in nature.

• Take care of some easy tasks, such as making a cup of coffee during the quiet, doing your skincare routine, or some light laundry.

You get the idea.

What we expose ourselves to as we wake up can either make or break our day. So the next time you open your eyes in bed, use your 20 minutes to set the tone for a productive day where you smash all of your goals.