Establishing a Morning Routine
The Benefits of Routine Before I reveal how to establish your perfect morning routine, let’s take a look at the benefits and what psychologists have to say about routines.
Take Back Control Routine creates powerful benefits you may not even be aware of. No matter what’s going on in our day, knowing what to expect at certain times throughout can be a real comfort. Life is full of uncertainty. Having a routine helps us cope with the unpredictable. Establishing a morning routine allows us to cultivate positive daily habits and to prioritize self-care.
What is Self Care? The act of self-care can look different for everyone. Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to look after our mental, emotional, and physical health. The concept of self-care seems simple in theory, however, it's something we often overlook. Establishing a morning routine is the perfect opportunity to practice self-care.
Bye Bye Stress With such busy lives, our ever-growing ‘to-do-lists’ can create a lot of stress. Routine can help alleviate this for you.
Routine can take the guesswork and uncertainty out of parts of our day, allowing us to feel more in control and less stressed.
Once again, establishing a morning routine is a great opportunity to incorporate additional stress-relieving techniques into the start of your day.
Who Wants More Freedom Many people mistakenly view routine as being boring, rigid, and stifling. The opposite is actually true.
Designing and adhering to a personal daily routine is the path to freedom, productivity, happiness, and fulfilling our true potential.
How, you ask? We’ll get to that soon!
Let’s Talk Benefits I know you’re anxious to learn HOW to establish your morning routine, so here is a full list of all the benefits routine has to offer:
-makes us more efficient, -reduces our need to plan -creates structure in our lives -saves time, our most valuable resource -instills good habits -breaks bad habits -helps us get the most important tasks done -reduces the need for determination and willpower -reduces procrastination -builds momentum -builds self-confidence -saves us money
-helps reduce stress and facilitate relaxation -helps us achieve our goals -keeping track of our success
Okay now, who wants to hear HOW?
The Psychology of Routine Psychologists have noted that our habits create our mood, and our mood is a filter through which we experience our lives.
Moods are created by our habitualness: how much we sleep, how frequently we move, what we think, how often we think it, and so on. Therefore, it’s the pattern of continued experience that compounds its effect and makes it seem valid. This can work for us or against us.
If our habits are healthy, they work in our favor. But, poor habits can have the opposite effect. Regularly not getting enough sleep, for instance, will negatively impact your mood, mental, and physical health.
From a psychological perspective, routines that include healthy habits lead to improved mental health and can reduce anxiety and depression.
What’s the Big Secret to an Incredible Day? The first thing to remember when establishing a morning routine is what works for you may not work for someone else and vice versa.
Your morning routine should evolve and change. If something isn’t working, change it! Don’t latch on just because someone else is doing it.
Have you experienced this? Have you ever tried out your friend’s routine to find it not conducive to your lifestyle?
Set Yourself Up for Success The best morning routines are ones that align with what’s most important to YOU.
If you already know what you want to accomplish or what’s important for your morning routine, post it below!
If you don’t already, take a look at what you want MORE of versus what you want LESS of in your life. Consider how you can shape your day around this and build your perfect routine by making your desired lifestyle a reality.
Don’t worry - we will be going over this in more detail! After determining what will work for you, the next most important aspect of establishing a morning routine is getting enough sleep.
You can’t function optimally when you wake up tired. This means your optimal morning routine really begins the night before. Try going to bed at the same time every night and waking at the same time every morning. Adults need anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Find what works for you and allow yourself the time you need for adequate rest.
Did You Know that a morning Routine Actually Starts the Night Before? After determining what will work for you, the next most important aspect of establishing a morning routine is getting enough sleep.
You can’t function optimally when you wake up tired. This means your optimal morning routine really begins the night before. Try going to bed at the same time every night and waking at the same time every morning. Adults need anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Find what works for you and allow yourself the time you need for adequate rest.
The Key Requirements of Your Morning Routine No matter what activities you choose as part of your morning routine, it should do the following:
1. Prepare you for the rest of your day
2. Check off a value that’s important to you
3. Be something that makes you happy
If you choose an activity that doesn’t fulfill all THREE factors, success will be that much harder.
Ideas for Removing Stress Meditation is a well-documented form of stress reduction. There are several forms of meditation, so if sitting quietly cross-legged on the floor doesn’t sound like your thing, find a method that will work for you.
For example, try a short guided meditation. Here are a few you can check out:
Or look for a guided meditation app on your smartphone, such as:
Feeling Tense Starting your day in a tensed state sets the scene for the rest of your day. Whether it’s a clenched jaw, tweaked neck, or stiff back, there are ways to provide you some relief as soon as you roll out of bed.
If you’d like to incorporate a tension relieving technique into your morning routine, try one of the following:
-Foam rolling -Stretching -Self-massage Now that’s what I call getting off on the right foot!
Want to Energize Your Morning The best way to energize your day is with exercise. Pump up your energy with these ideas.
Do a quick bodyweight workout. All you need is 10 minutes and some floor space!
If you have a little more time, try an energizing yoga routine like this one https://youtu.be/K-Ina_WW4Yc
You can also try going for a morning run, or power walking to get you moving.
What’s your favorite way to move?
Boost Your Intake of Greens Starting your day with an energizing smoothie is a great way to set the tone for making healthy choices all day long.
For your perfect smoothie you’ll need the following:
-Frozen fruit
Frozen fruit can be used instead of ice so that you can get a thick, creamy smoothie. Try bananas, berries, mangoes, pineapple, etc.
-Greens
Pack in as many greens as you can, no less than 1 cup. Any kind of green will work - spinach, kale, microgreens, or whatever you like best.
-Liquid
Opt for unsweetened milk: coconut, almond, oat, or soy, and avoid juices loaded with sugar.
-Seeds
Aim for 1/2 tablespoon of ground seeds such as flax or chia to boost your nutritional intake of healthy fats and fiber.
Blend 1 cup of frozen fruit, 1 cup of greens, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1/2 tablespoon of ground seeds. Enjoy!
Do Something Creative Find a creative outlet you enjoy and allow yourself some time to practice it every morning.
This may seem out of reach when we have so many other priorities filling up our days, but remember, creativity and playfulness is an important part of wellness. Even if you are only able to dedicate 10 minutes each morning, it will make all the difference!
This can be anything. Here are a few ideas: -painting -drawing -journaling -making music There are no limits to what you can do!
Set the Tone for the Day There are several ways to set the tone for your day.
Some people begin their day by writing in a gratitude journal. All you would do is write down three things you are grateful for every morning. This will help you maintain feelings of positivity and thankfulness, no matter what comes your way.
You could also try creating a to-do list, so you don’t forget any tasks. This also helps settle your mind knowing everything that needs to be done is in one place and lowers the chance of things being forgotten.
Lastly, set a few small goals you'd like to accomplish for the day. Goals help you stay focused AND provide you with a sense of accomplishment when you achieve them!
What Do You Love? Is there something you love doing, but never have the time for it?
What do you love? How can you incorporate it into your morning?
If your first thought is you can’t, let’s discuss! There is a likely a way to ease it into your daily routine.
Build Your Own Morning Ritual Here’s how you get started— pick 4 habits and start them tomorrow. Yes, just 4. You can add more later, but it’s best to start small.
Pick the ones that resonate with you the most. Do them every morning immediately after you wake up for the next 30 days.
You can choose any of the ideas we’ve discussed or come up with your own. Here is a list of ideas to help you get started.
-Wake up at least an hour earlier than you normally do -Drink a tall glass of water first thing
-Make your bed immediately -Do 20 pushups as soon as you get out of bed
-Eat a nutritious breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up -Run a mile every single morning
-Take your multivitamins every day -Make a fruit smoothie
-Take a bath in the morning -Take a cold shower in the morning -Write a blog post every single morning
-Write down 10 new ideas -Write a journal entry -Keep a daily gratitude journal -Plan your entire day in 15-60 minute increments -Lay out your clothes for the day -Dress your absolute best for the day (EVEN if you work from home)
Which of these seems the most appealing to you? OR do you have any other ideas I didn’t include?
Let’s Get To It You can, of course, choose more than four habits to start with. However, you’re more likely to succeed by starting slow. If you choose something and find out it really isn’t working for you, change it. This is YOUR morning routine.
If you need help remembering your morning ritual, set yourself reminders or post notes around your house until it becomes second nature.
Another helpful tip is to commit to new habits for 30 days. If you miss a day, make it up by adding a day to your total 30 days.
Remember, the most important thing is to enjoy this routine!
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