Changing Your Life With A Good Morning Routine
Morning person or not, here’s how you could change your life by simply changing your rising routine…
“How much difference can just an hour of your time make anyway?”, we think to ourselves, as we press snooze for the 10thtime, leaving us rushing out the door in a panic (likely with our breakfast still sitting in the fridge). As it turns out, the way you choose to spend your first waking moments could have a drastic impact on the rest your day, whether you’re “morning person” or not – some even say it’ll transform your life!
The Benefits
Increased Productivity
Productivity is all about having the right mindset. By following a solid routine and starting your day in a focused manner, you’ll encourage your productivity to snowball throughout the day. That doesn’t mean you need to smash through 10 emails before you’ve even left your bed; meditation, exercise, tidying, or anything else that gives you a sense of achievement will cultivate the same sense of positivity.
Adds More Joy to Your Day
Although an extra 30 minutes in bed seems like an incredibly appealing prospect, getting up late, skipping breakfast and rushing around in a chaotic manner doesn’t exactly set a good tone for the day. Similar to the above point, carve out some time to do something that actually brings you joy instead. This can be exercise or meditation, but it can also be having a leisurely breakfast or reading a book whilst you enjoy your morning brew – a good morning doesn’t have to include anything super-human.
Learn to Work Harder, Not Smarter
Knowing how the first hour of your day is pretty powerful and can help you feel in control from the get-go. Prioritise your key goals and tasks before looking at emails or social media, which often leaves you rushing around fighting fires and answering to other people’s needs before your own.
More Time for Healthier Habits
Time is the one thing no-one seems to have enough of, and sometimes an extra 20 minutes in the morning is all you need to take back control of your day. Didn’t have time to make a nutritious breakfast or whip up your protein smoothie ready to go? Now you do. Want to prioritise stretching and mobility work? Try doing 15 minutes at home first thing. Never seem to manage to drink enough water? Take the time to drink a couple of large glasses before you leave for the day.
Creating a Routine That Works for You
Eliminate decision-making tasks in the morning
The biggest tip we could give you is to eliminate the number of decisions you have to make first thing in the morning, as this will you to avoid mental fatigue. It’s the reason why some iconic entrepreneurs (Mark Zuckerberg, for instance) choose to wear the same thing every day There’s only so much willpower and decision-making you have the capacity to make during one day, so using up too many of these in the morning will slow you down and drain your resources. Pack your bag, prep your meals and organise your to-do list before you go to bed.
Practice makes perfect
Sure, it takes time to adjust and make the above activities stick, but once something becomes an ingrained habit, you’ll do it on auto-pilot. If overhauling your morning routine at once seems too overwhelming, make one small change per week and see if it makes a difference before adding something else. It’s all a working progress!
It's about the stuff you want to do
You don’t have to follow the crowd. This is all about doing things that make your day better, so if you don’t want to get up at 5 am, you don’t have to. It might be that you want to sleep a little later and relax with a cup of coffee, or you’d rather smash out a hectic gym session to get your endorphins flowing. Prioritise your own enjoyment, rather than you’ve been told to do (this blog post included)!