Mornings. Some people love them while others want to pull the bedsheets back over their heads as they reach for the snooze button. Yet, mornings don’t have to be something to dread.
A morning routine can be just what is needed for you to get the energy and enthusiasm that
you need to face the day ahead. It puts you in the right headspace mentally and emotionally
that will allow you to be more productive throughout the day.
Starting your day off right with a few basics will definitely set you up for greater success and
provide you with the positivity and resilience to get through the stress and trials you will face
when you walk out the door.
A morning routine to add more oomph to your day
Here we will suggest a morning routine that will energise and motivate you so that you can
leave the house feeling confident and raring to go. Feel free to individualise the routine so
that it meets your needs. Everybody is different and you shouldn’t see a routine as a “cookie-
cutter” recipe. Keep what you want and change what doesn’t suit you.
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Get up earlier
There will be some of you that will baulk at the idea of waking up an hour earlier than you
already do. If you find the concept a struggle to comprehend, don’t be concerned. You can
start off getting up 15 minutes earlier then increasing the time by 15-minute increments over
the next 3 weeks. That means within one month you have created a habit of getting up an
hour earlier.
Also, by gradually introducing the new waking-up regime allows your body and its natural
circadian rhythms adjust to the new lifestyle. As you follow the routine we suggest, you will
find that you are filling in the time with activities designed to fill you with energy and
positivity.
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Change your alarm
Do you have a shrill alarm and you feel stressed when it goes off in the morning? If you do,
your body reacts by going into its default “fight-or-flight” mode and you will feel tense and
under pressure. Not a great way to start your day.
Change your alarm to something more gentle and calm and you will find yourself being softly
aroused from your sleep. Your body is relaxed and your brain isn’t freaking out to the noise.
If the device you use to wake you up in the morning doesn’t have a soothing tune that you
can set up as your alarm, you can download mp3s and tunes off of the net.
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Stretch
Before getting out of bed, give your body a good stretch. This will allow you to remove any
pain and tiredness out of your muscles. It also encourages blood flow so that your body feels
refreshed and ready to go.
Have a 10-minute workout
Now you are out of bed, kick your day off with a workout. It doesn’t have to be high-impact
(unless you want it to be). Starting your day off with low impact exercises will get your blood
pumping and your adrenalin flowing so that you feel charged and your energy levels rising.
What a way to start your day!
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Grab some water
While you were sleeping some of your energy was depleted. Also, if it was a hot night maybe
you sweated. You definitely would have used up some calories during your 10-minute
workout. Having a glass or two of water will refresh you as well as cleaning out the toxins
from your system. Take a moment to stop and sense how good you’re feeling.
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Have a good breakfast
There may have been times when you skipped breakfast in the past. Perhaps you woke up
late and were in a hurry to get to work or school. Maybe you just didn’t feel hungry and
decided that breakfast wasn’t necessary. How did you feel halfway through the morning?
Pretty crappy and your concentration levels would have been low.
Breakfast is so named because you are breaking a fast you have been on while sleeping.
Imagine going 6, 6, 7 or even eight hours throughout the day without eating something.
A healthy breakfast is going to give you the energy you need. Your blood sugar level is at its
lowest when you wake up. You will also be providing your body with the vitamins, nutrients
and proteins that it needs. However, you define a healthy breakfast is up to you (but it
doesn’t include junk food or doughnuts!). We all have different dietary requirements and if
you have health issues, it pays to talk to your doctor or a nutritionist to create a breakfast
that matches your health needs.
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Journaling
You can do this part either before or after breakfast. Grab your journal and just write in it.
Allow yourself to be as candid as possible and allow it to be your emotional outlet. You may
feel that you have become more at peace inside, issues may resolve themself automatically
or you may even finally come up a solution to a problem you have been contemplating
about.
During your journaling time always write down at least 3 things you are happy about.
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Focusing on the great things in your life switches on your positivity mode.
Set your day’s goals
Now that you are energised and feeling positive, it’s time to sit down and plan out what it is
you want to achieve for the day. Prioritise the items from the most important to the least
important. It doesn’t have to be all about work either. List things you want to get done for
your hobbies or other activities you have outside of work.
Take five minutes to stop and visualise yourself accomplishing the tasks and even imagine
and sense how great you feel each time you cross off a completed task.
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Get ready mindfully
Too often we rush through our morning tasks as we get ready. We are thinking about the
day ahead or the things we never accomplished yesterday. When our minds are stuck in the
future or the past we are ignoring now. We can feel the stress and tension mount up as our
minds wander about the uncertainty that lays before us throughout the day or we ruminate
about the things we screwed up the day before.
Practising mindfulness allows us to be focused on the present moment and you will find that
you are maintaining your positivity and a calm frame of mind. It’s simple to introduce
mindfulness as you get yourself washed and dressed for the day. Here are some tips on how
to bring mindfulness into your morning routine.
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● When you get dressed for the day focus on how the fabric of your garments feel
against your skin and in your fingers as you hold them. What do the buttons and zips
feel like as you do them up? Do the clothes feel tight or comfortable? Look at the way
the light plays against the fabrics.
● In the bathroom, as you wash your face sense how the water feels in your hand, or if
you are using a cloth does the cloth feel soft and warm. Harsh and scratchy? How
does your face feel as you clean it? Use the same level of careful attention as you
groom your hair, put on your makeup and brush your teeth. What scents can you
detect? What does the toothpaste taste like? If it’s mint toothpaste, is it mild or
strong?
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This part of your morning routine can take a while to get used too, and don’t feel like you
need to do introduce all the mindful suggestions above at once. The whole point of
mindfulness is to become aware of the present moment and accept it. It allows you to focus
on now but you will find that your mind will wander (that’s it’s nature). Just refocus on the
present moment and what you are doing and you will find your mind come back into line.
You’re set to go
With the routine done you will feel your engines revving physically, mentally and emotionally.
You feel energetic and great as you step outside. You’re ready to tackle the day.
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Spending an hour day in the morning prepping yourself is definitely an investment in success
and productivity. Make that hour “your time” and enjoy it.
Own your morning routine
As we mentioned, the routine suggested above is just that…a suggestion. Everyone has
different needs and there may be a health reason that dictates what you can and can’t do in
the mornings.
The whole idea behind morning routines is to put you in the right physical and mental state
for the day. Tweak our routine and make it personal for you and your individual needs.
Perhaps you want to spend more time on the mental and emotional side. Others may prefer
to focus more on the physical aspect with a high-intensity workout. That’s fine.
Match the routine to you and your lifestyle and see how much better your day becomes.
What does your morning routine look like and how does it help set you up for the day? Let us
know by commenting below.
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Checklist
Checklist for a morning routine to power your day:
● Get up earlier
● Change your alarm
● Stretch
● Have a 10-minute workout
● Grab some water
● Have a good breakfast
● Journaling
● Set your day’s goals
● Get ready mindfully
Farah Zeb is a mother of five, including two children with special needs. She shares practical parenting tips and resources to help other families navigate daily challenges and create supportive, nurturing environments.
