Mornings are the most important part of the day. Depending on how you start your day, it can be a great day with lots of productivity, or turn into one of those “everything goes wrong” days. I have always been a morning person, and waking up has never really been a struggle…until I had kids. So I know what it means to be a born morning person, but I also understand the never-ending snooze-party. What I found out for myself is that it doesn’t really matter which of the two you are, if you have some good morning habits or rituals. It’s something you look forward to, that gets your energy flowing, and helps you organize your mind and body for the day ahead of you. Everybody’s situation is different, so there is no one fits all formula on how to start your day right, and the goal is definitely not to add another to-do to your already busy day. Just take a step back, breath, and ask yourself if you want to change anything about the start of your days and if yes, you might wanna adopt one of the following morning routines.
+ Wake up 30 minutes earlier
I like having time in the morning. There is literally nothing worse than having to rush into the new day and head straight to work. When you wake up just a little bit ahead of time, you give yourself some me-time. Do something you enjoy. Take your time while having your little morning snack, and enjoy your coffee or tea. Use the time to do some yoga, or go for a refreshing wake-up run. Take a long shower, and treat yourself with a boosting face mask. Oh, there are so many good things you can do for yourself in those early morning moments, that will literally make your day a little bit brighter, and that way increases your productivity.
+ Don’t touch your phone
We spend a good amount of time literally glued to our phones throughout the day. Let the morning moments be a phone-free zone. Yes, you might be waiting for a message, or want to know what happened since you went to bed but I’m pretty sure you can allow yourself to just pay attention to yourself in the morning, right after you wake up. Picking up your phone first thing in the morning means you’re bombarded with news, emails, to-do’s, advertising, people’s opinions, requests, and many more. Those stimuli affect us unconsciously and increase anxiety, pollute your thinking, and prime your brain for distraction for the rest of your day. Instead of starting your day, focussing on yourself your attention is being taken away swallowed by loads of information.
+ Exercise
I can’t start my day without my morning run. I usually wake up, drink some water, put my running shoes on, and out the door I am. Running is not just exercise for me, it’s my coffee substitute, my daily meditation, time for myself, and the best energy boost you can get. It doesn’t matter how many times I had to wake up for the kids the night before, after the run, I’m good, and ready for the day. There are a lot of benefits you can gain when adding running to your daily routines, and I talk a bit more detailed about that in this post. But doesn’t have to be running, if that is something you don’t like. Any type of exercise in the morning improves your concentration, increases creativity, reduces stress, and sharpens your memory. The release of endorphins into your body helps clear your head and increase your energy levels, which are the foundations of productivity.
+ Make your bed
Making your bed in the morning might be more important now than ever, with the home office all day, every day. You literally walk past your bedroom multiple times a day, and seeing a decluttered bed each time might set the tone for your day- decluttered. My mom used to tell me over and over again when I was a kid: “the tidiness in your room, is the tidiness in your head”. I took this with me throughout my life. So making your bed in the morning is the first thing you can do to set your mind right and reduce some stress. It also increases productivity by putting yesterday to bed and starting the new day fresh. It’s like the first thing you have accomplished which gives you a small sense of pride.