Do you have a morning routine? Two months a ago a friend of mine (many thanks to Ms. Nonhle Beryl) told me about her morning ritual and how it sets the tone of her whole day. Since then I could not get it out of my head as I am always stressed in the morning. I get up as late as possible, I skip breakfast and don’t even have time to style my hair. My main issue is to get up early. I consider myself as a night owl and in my opinion I am more productive at night. However apart from this, I also wanted to know why creating a morning routine will make me more succesful.

Creating a Morning Routine

Okay, I am ready to create a meaningful morning routine. I have found a website My Morning Routine, with examples of daily rituals from successful people living all over the world. It gives you some recommendations how to set up a more productive and enjoyable day. I dived into this topic and was surprised how beneficial a morning routine is if you get used to it. I started surveying a friend of mine who has a Sunday routine for more than 10 years. She told me that on Sundays she reads magazines, does her nails and much more because she is using this time out for herself. In addition to this, my friend also told me how much she benefits from each Sunday. My co-worker always wakes up at 5 a.m. and does breakfast for the whole family. After that he exercises, takes a shower and meets his family for having breakfast together. He told me that the time alone has become very important throughout the day as he is doing something for himself. He described his morning routine as life-changing.

So I asked myself when do you have time for yourself during the day? My answer is NEVER !

I have learned that is does not matter which morning ritual you have set for you, a common thread for a productive start to the day is having a consistent routine. A morning routine is catalyst for a powerful start to each day. I tend to exaggerate everything I start so I had to make sure that my regime is realizable for me. So I came up with a routine I would like to set in the following weeks. The first thing that I needed to do was quit the belief that I was a night owl.

 

My Morning Routine

The night before I will choose my clothes for the next day and prepare my breakfast.

6:30 AM // Wake up and drink a glass of water
After hours without any liquid, you need to rehydrate. Water is a great way to kickstart your metabolism.

6:40 AM // Morning Workout
A 7 minutes workout in the morning and 3 minutes light stretching is all it takes to shake off grogginess and limber up for the day ahead. It only takes a few minutes by doing basic workout. There are tons of 7 minute workout ideas or apps.

6:50 AM // Choose an affirmation, meditate, repeat my affirmation, visualizing my goals for the day
Cleaning up your mind will help you to gain focus for the day. If you are a beginner and have trouble learning how to meditate and understand your mind drifting, read the Ebook by Thanissaro Bhikkhu “With Each & Every Breath”.

7:00 AM // Get ready for work
Are you able to take a cold shower. It will feel discomfort at the beginning but I believe you will feel energized after that.

7:30 AM //Write down 3 targets for the day
Write down 1 long-term goal and 3 targets you need to accomplish during the day in order to move further towards your long-term goal.

7:45 AM // Leave for work
Don’t forget your breakfast. Plan some time to avoid a traffic jam.

9:00 AM // Arrive at the office
Start working.

 

Psychologist Roy F. Baumeister wrote in his book “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength” that our willpower is greatest in the morning. I know that my morning routine is not easy to maintain. The most challenging thing is to get up early and exercise. My goal is be consistent and less stressed. In order to realise this, I think I will start one by one and do habit stacking. For example, before I brush my teeth in the morning (current habit) I will meditate (new habit) for some minutes. After some weeks I will try the whole morning routine. Knowing exactly how the first 90 minutes of my day looks like is calming and powerful, as it helps me feel in control and non-reactive, which in turn reduces anxiety and ensures I’m more productive throughout the day. I think this routine is worth trying it to keep away random chaos or unnecessary decisions in the morning.

I’d love to hear your morning routine. What do you do to start the day?

 

Share this post with anyone you think will get value from it. Subscribe to our newsletter and get a Free Ebook.