Your alarm clock goes off and you immediately reach for your phone to hit snooze. When you finally wake up after hitting the snooze button two (or six) times, you go to your Twitter app to start scrolling and engaging. Or to IG to start double tapping. Your breakfast, as you rush out of the door, is a Nature Valley bar crumbling all over your clothes. Sound familiar? If this sounds like your life or close to it, keep reading.
We are all constantly wrapped up in our responsibilities of work, extracurriculars, and just adult life in general! On a journey to health and wellness of my own, I decided to look at my life and figure out where I can start. A morning routine seemed like a good starting point due to the fact that having one (and sticking to it) can set the tone for the rest of the day. There are several benefits to developing a morning routine and it doesn't have to be as daunting as it seems, promise!
Reasons To Create And Use A Morning Routine
"Why do I need to wake up earlier than I already have to? I'll just be more tired during the day."
This is a thought that I had when I first sat down to map out my mornings to create a morning routine. But when I did some research and thought about what I read, I changed my tune. When you start your morning in chaos, it can snowball throughout the day and cause a wreck at the end. On the contrary, if you were to begin your morning with significance and purpose, you control the day instead of letting your day control you which can promote less stress and a positive outlook.
Productivity coaches and business leaders insist that starting the day by conquering tasks and achieving goals, no matter the goal, can help with feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. It can also help with something called self-efficacy. This term describes one's belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation. This can build confidence and tenacity and give you the power to take back your day. Even something as simple as completing your morning skincare routine can make you feel ready to take on the day while taking extra time for yourself. Hello, self-care!
Benefits of a Morning Routine
"What will I gain from waking up earlier? Will it be worth the missed sleep?"
So, I'm a Taurus and one thing about me is I am going to sleep. I love my sleep and if anything is going to disrupt that, it has gotta be valid. But just a few, of many, things that you can reap from developing a morning routine are increased confidence, productivity, and peace of mind.
I touched on confidence slightly already but I wanted to bring it home. Mark Twain had a saying that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a live frog, you have find strength and certainty that you've already accomplished the most difficult task of the day. The 'frog' represents the most grueling task that you are most likely to avoid if you don't get it out of the way. You chemically reward your brain when you complete ANY task. When you do this and crush it, you can establish a sense of accomplishment that makes you feel confident in your ability to take on and crush any other tasks that you may have!
When you wake up a couple of hours before you actually NEED to, you can maximize your day and increase your productivity. This doesn't mean, however, cramming your day with tasks just to check them off. You want to approach your endeavors with intent so that you can perform with the highest caliber. It would be better to knock out three or four tasks with your full effort rather than knocking out 10 things half-ass. This can range from getting up early to kill a great workout and increasing endorphins and energy for the rest of the day to getting a head start on preparing for a work presentation or school paper. Sounds good, right?
Starting the day off fresh outlook and clear mind can do wonders for the rest of the day. You can use this extra time to journal, meditate, yoga, enjoy the sunrise with a cup of tea (notice I didn't say coffee, more on this later!), or whatever peace looks like for you in order to declutter our brains. We all know how important movement is for our bodies, but stillness and mindfulness is just as important. Starting the day with calm and collected mood lessens the need to constantly stress about what to do next and really helps to focus on being more present throughout the day!
How Can I Start?
Some suggestions I've come across that I plan on implementing for building an effective morning routine are: planning ahead, fueling your body properly, and reviewing the day. Let's dive a little into each.
As you do with anything else, in order to come up with a fruitful morning routine, you must develop a plan. The night before ultimately is the starting point to your morning. If your night is off, your morning most likely will also be slightly off balance. If you get things prepared the night before, you will have less time in the morning stressing over small tasks such as making breakfast or even picking your outfit for the next day. Removing the burden of dealing with these small duties in the morning can help approach the day with mental clarity and peace of mind.
Fueling your body properly is key to giving yourself the nutrients you need to take on the day! Incorporating more fruits and veggies, drinking water or tea, or adding vitamins and supplements can help with increased energy levels, better moods, and feeling more alert. One activity that gets overlooked occasionally that can fuel the body is sleep! Try to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night (easier said than done, I know) to recharge your body and help cells repair themselves. Set an earlier bedtime and try to stay consistent with the times that you go to sleep. Stay off your phone an hour prior to bed and try not to reach for it first thing in the morning.
Finally, reviewing your day with intention and purpose allows you to prioritize your time and give your attention what is most important and organize your day. As I've said before you want to take control of your schedule and not vice versa. Tor Refsland is an entrepreneur and productivity coach who suggests focusing on one thing at a time to halt the feeling of being overwhelmed and frustrated. Determine where your energy should focus first, complete that task, and then move on to the next thing. This will help prevent feelings of burnout and tension and help you approach days with a level head!
As you can see, something as simple as incorporating a morning routine into your day can promote physical and emotional well-being. Increased productivity, endorphins, mental clarity, confidence, and peace are some of the benefits of creating and using an effective routine. It doesn't have to be an elaborate plan, just starting with waking up a half hour early can lead to extra time for YOU in the morning which can help you to feel confident in tackling each day head on! Let me know if you create one of your own and share tips in the comments!