Morning Routine
" Wake up early and shine before the sun does"
HI friend
You might have heard the saying coined by author Tim Ferriss: “If you win the morning, you win the day.” And it’s true — for me, how I start my morning sets the tone for the rest of my day.
The relationship between good morning routines and success is also more than coincidental — it’s causational.
A morning routine has several benefits, some of which include:
Improved mental clarity; More consistency; Decreased stress; Enhanced energy and motivation; Reduced decision fatigue; Boosted productivity;
HERE ARE SEVERAL IDEAS TO HELP YOU BUILD A SOLID MORNING ROUTINE TO WIN THE DAY!
1. Get ready the night before
Identify the tasks you want to complete or habits you’d like to establish the night before. For example, laying out your clothes, meal prep and packing your lunch ahead of time, place any necessary items by the door, such as your workbag, and make sure any electronic devices are charged. If you have kids, repeat the same each night for a smooth morning.
2. Find a ritual
Sometimes, finding a morning routine that suits you can take a little time. You don’t have to start with something complicated or unfamiliar — your routine can be to wake up, make your bed, and drink a fruit smoothie.
The important thing is to commit to a routine that supports your personal goals and lifestyle. For example, if you aspire to stay fit and healthy, you can build a 30-minute jog into your ritual.
Don’t worry if your first attempts don’t quite “click” — experimenting and trying different rituals is part of the process. Once you find one that works for you, consistently practicing it is the key to keeping it.
3. Incorporate mindfulness or meditation
.Do you wake up to the blaring sound of your alarm, jump out of bed, put on your clothes, stuff breakfast into your mouth, and rush out the door — all in 15 minutes?
Instead of racing into your day, why not give yourself and your body time to breathe and relax?
Start with activities that help center your thoughts. You can improve your mindfulness by taking a few minutes to breathe and recognize how your body is feeling. Consider doing a five minute meditation or body scan.
Jotting down your thoughts in a journal is another strategy to help you slow down and clear your mind.
Pick a dedicated space for this practice to create a mental association that helps you quickly relax. This could be a specific chair for meditation or a designated journaling notebook. Having a set place or item helps signal your brain that it’s time to slow down and focus.
4. Get enough sleep
Most of us would admit that it takes a lot of discipline to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
Sleep deprivation negatively affects our work, impacting our focus and attention. If your brain struggles to stay alert, you can’t do your best. With the significant downsides of irregular sleep patterns, consider setting a consistent bedtime and wake-up time and stick to them.
When identifying your bedtime and wake-up time, aim to get adequate sleep, ranging from 7-8 hours er night.
Since light and darkness impact our circadian clock, sleep, and alertness, blackout curtains and hue smart lights can help your body fall asleep and wake up naturally.
5. Wake up early
The purpose of waking up early is to have uninterrupted time to perform your morning routine before moving on to the rest of your day. Since this can look different depending on your unique schedule, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on how much you want to do in the morning and how much time you want to devote without sacrificing sleep and other life demands.
6. Don’t hit "snooze"
This one’s a doozy. (or, should I say, a dozy? 😂). This common habit isn’t helping us feel more rested. Instead, it may make us more sleepy. The ten more minutes of sleep you're granting yourself over and over and over isn't productive sleep. If anything, all of that interrupted sleep will make you feel more groggy.
Turn off the snooze option on your iPhone (if you have one). This way, you commit to getting up when the alarm goes off rather than postponing it and potentially disrupting your morning routine.
7. Make your bed
William H. McRaven, author of Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life… And Maybe the World recommends starting your morning by making the bed. That way, you have already accomplished something before the day even begins.
The positive feeling you get from making your bed can build to greater success later in the day, as you’ve already established a positive, goal-oriented mindset.
It’s also more aesthetically pleasing (and calming) to return to a tidy bed at the end of the day. This might help kick off a more relaxed evening ritual, too.
Make your bed as easy as possible. Pull up the sheet, blanket, and duvet. Plump the cushions, and voilà — you’re done!
8. Avoid screen time
Do you check your phone within five minutes of waking up? I know I’m guilty and it can be a huge waste of time and completely disrupt the morning.
However, if your phone is on your nightstand or bedside table, you might find it difficult to follow this advice and absentmindedly pick it up as soon as you wake up. You can avoid this by charging your phone in another room overnight or tucking it into a drawer on your nightstand.
You can also adjust your surroundings. Rather than relying on your phone to wake you up, use an alarm clock. That way, you won’t be tempted to open your email, check your text messages, or catch up on the news first thing.
If you must keep your phone nearby for emergency calls or other essential functions, try using app blockers or the “Do Not Disturb” features to restrict access to distracting apps for the first hour after waking up. So, if you do reach for your phone, you won’t get sucked into a vortex of notifications and “doom scrolling.
9. Get some exercise
Even Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and now, X (formerly known as Twitter), carves out time in his mornings to lift weights and run on a treadmill.
There are tons of benefits to regular exercise some of which include:
Better sleep
Reduced fatigue
Increased energy
Reduced stress and anxiety
Controlled blood pressure
Reduced feelings of depression
Consider how even one of these benefits could significantly improve your morning and entire day. It’s important to find a form of exercise you enjoy. You could do cardio, yoga, Pilates, lift, or take a brisk walk.
Create a dedicated playlist for your morning exercise routine. The right music can enhance your performance and make the experience more enjoyable — and, as a result, help you stick to the habit.
10. Drink water
A glass of water in the morning kind of gets the whole process of hydration going. Not just physiologically (because, hey, you’re getting some water in your body after eight-ish hours of not drinking), but also mentally.
Anyone else sometimes make it to noon or later only to realize they haven’t, uh, had a drop of the stuff? Making a habit of knocking back your first glass in the morning can help a lot. Some people even go as far as setting out a glass of water on their bedside table the night before. I have a friend who swears by this, but since I’m team #coldwater all the way, I make sure to pop a fresh jug in the fridge before bed so it’s just how I like it in the morning. Whatever works for you.
Cementing some morning habits can make it easier to prioritize your mental and physical health not only in the morning, but throughout the rest of the day too. As soon as you wake up, every decision you make dips into your brain’s willpower reserves.
When we automate our mornings, we develop habits that soon feel second nature. Personally, I’ve found I’m much more likely to make decisions that support my self-care and well-being when I haven’t spent the morning scrambling and stressed.
Do you have a solid morning routine? Or is there room for improvement? I’m here to help. Please feel free to DM me or contact me on jlncoach.com.
XO Jenna
