A good morning routine can help you be more productive, avoid burnout, and manage the mental load of your daily to-do list. This is true whether you are an early riser or a night owl who could happily hit the snooze button until lunchtime.
Continue reading to learn about eight different morning routines that will make you feel and perform better.
1. Wake up early
Successful people frequently get up early in order to get a head start on the day before any interruptions occur. If you find it difficult to get out of bed early, try setting your alarm 15-30 minutes earlier each day until you reach a point where it feels natural.
It is normal to feel groggy for the first few days or weeks, but waking up at the same time every day trains your circadian rhythm, making it much easier to get out of bed in the mornings and allowing you to achieve deeper, more restful sleep at night. It is normal to feel groggy during the first few days or weeks of training your circadian rhythm.
2. Be hydrated
Hydration is necessary for efficient waste product elimination, as well as metabolic system function, gut health, and skin health. Given that the brain is made up of roughly 75% water, this is also beneficial for improved cognitive function.
Because you don’t drink anything while sleeping, your body will wake up dehydrated because a significant portion of our bodily fluids are used to carry out these vital functions while we sleep. Try drinking one or two glasses of water first thing in the morning if you want to feel more alert and prepared for the day.
3. Workout
Although physical activity can improve concentration, mood, and overall energy levels, finding the time to do so can be difficult. If you work out first thing in the morning, you won’t have to scramble to find time for exercise later in the day, when you’re more likely to be derailed by a long workday or impromptu social plans. This is a great way to start your day, and it also eliminates the need to schedule exercise later in the day, when you’re more likely to be derailed.
Setting your alarm thirty minutes earlier in the morning can do wonders for both your immediate and long-term wellbeing if you have time to fit in a walk to your neighborhood coffee shop, a yoga class at home, or a workout session at the gym before going to work.
4. Practice meditation
Meditation has numerous advantages for mental health, as well as for preventing burnout and managing stress. Meditation is an excellent way to relieve stress and instill a sense of calm, and it can be especially beneficial for people who work in high-pressure environments or suffer from anxiety.
There is no wrong time to meditate; however, if you want to set the tone for your day and give yourself the ability to respond to challenges with calm and mindfulness, try meditating in the morning.
You don’t have to worry if you don’t have a lot of free time because all it takes is ten minutes of practice per day to feel the benefits of meditation.
5. Begin your day with a nutritious breakfast
If you want to make the most of your day, start it off right by eating a nutritious meal after breaking your fast. This assists the body and brain in replenishing their glucose supplies, which is required for proper functioning.
A nutritious breakfast can help you lose weight by refueling your body before you get hungry. This reduces your chances of succumbing to less healthy convenience options later in the day.
Furthermore, breakfast is a great time to consume some essential micronutrients, which can help improve cognitive function, energy levels, and mood, as well as protect against fatigue and strengthen the immune system.
6. Spend some time reading or listening to a podcast
Morning people frequently refer to the early hours as a sacred opportunity for “me time,” when no one else is awake and none of the demands of daily life have yet begun to pull focus away from them.
Whether you commute to work or work from home, the mornings provide an opportunity to engage in self-care activities such as reading a book while sipping a cup of tea or coffee or listening to a podcast that helps you get in the right frame of mind for the day ahead.
7. Exercise gratitude
It has been shown that cultivating a grateful attitude can improve one’s mental and physical health, as well as one’s relationships, job satisfaction, and ability to sleep more soundly and deeply.
You can form the habit of gratitude more quickly if you incorporate it into your daily routine by linking it to something you already do every morning, such as practicing yoga or taking a morning shower. This allows you to reap the benefits of gratitude sooner.
8. Schedule your day
Although it is tempting to respond to emails first thing in the morning, planning your day can improve time and workload management, preventing unnecessary stress caused by short deadlines or unexpected last-minute surprises.
Making a list of tasks to complete gives you the ability to feel more in control, less stressed, and more productive. It also ensures that you can complete the tasks that are the most important for that day.
Make it possible
Test out one or two of these rituals at a time to see which ones work best for you and then stick with those. If you put too much pressure on yourself to completely revamp your morning routine at once, you are more likely to experience stress than the health benefits and increased productivity that would otherwise result.
Because we all have different demands on our time and energy, some of these actions may not be possible to complete. If you want to improve the quality of your mornings so that they are more rejuvenating and productive for you, be kind to yourself and take a pragmatic approach.