We’ve all had those mornings. You know the one where you wake up late. You know you’ve hit snooze one too many times, and you’re already running late. The time is 7:05 and you’re due at work at 8:00. Right away, your blood pressure goes up. Rush through your shower while the coffee is brewing. There will be no breakfast this morning. Forget about packing a lunch or the gym bag, there’s just not enough time. With less than 5 minutes to get there, you head out the door for work knowing you will be a few minutes late. Does this sound familiar? If this sounds like Every. Single. Morning. Of your week, then you need a morning routine, ASAP!
Starting your day behind is setting yourself up for failure. How are you supposed to put your best foot forward at work when your brain isn’t even awake yet? Most of your day is filled with the expectations and needs of others. What could you accomplish for yourself if you took a little extra time in the morning?
Do you know the one thing all successful people have in common? They all have a routine to help them prepare for the day. Those routines are all unique to the person, but they each have some way to start their day off right. There is no one-size fits all morning; but I put together a few tips and options for starting your day out with less stress and more intention.
First things first: DON’T HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON! If you say you are getting up at a certain time, do it! Hitting the snooze button is a bad habit for two very important reasons. 1) It’s going to make you run late 2) You’re breaking a promise to yourself right there at the beginning which gives you permission to break other promises you’ve made to yourself.
To have a morning routine, you must wake up earlier. That means you have to go to bed earlier! To function, your brain needs sleep.The benefits of getting enough sleep are vast, but among other things, it helps get rid of the buildup of toxins from metabolic processes in your brain, it moves things from short term to long term memory, and is seriously good for your mental health. Set a bedtime that gives you plenty of time to get the sleep you need to wake up refreshed. Most people need 7-9 hours, but you know what your body needs.
Setting up your day for success actually starts the night before. Give yourself some extra time by packing the gym bag, prepping lunches, and getting the kids’ backpacks put together the night before. This might just give you a little more breathing room in the morning.
Spend a few minutes setting your intentions for the day. This can be as easy as creating a mental list of the things that would make your day successful while you shower. Even better, sit down with a notebook and list them out while you eat your breakfast. Set your intentions for the day and week to help you remain focused on your goals.
Drink some water! Starting your day with a glass of H2O will help replace what you lost just by breathing overnight. It can also give your metabolism a nice boost to kick start your day.
I know you’ve heard this one multiple times before, but eat some breakfast! It’s so important to give your brain and your body some fuel to get moving. It doesn’t have to be the full Irish, but a little bite to eat has huge benefits for your day.
Finally, remember to keep it simple! Your morning routine shouldn’t be ridiculously over the top because you won’t stick to it. Just like any habit, you need to give it some time. Dedicate yourself to keeping to your routine for a month before you give up. I promise your mornings will be easier to manage if you come up with a routine that works for you.
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