6 Morning Routines to Kick-Start Your Day

Mornings are arguably the most crucial parts of our day. That’s exactly what Attorney General of the state of Washington, Bob Ferguson had in mind when he said “I’m a big believer that how your day starts is really important”. Noteworthily, our mood in the morning often dictates and sets the tone of our behaviour throughout the day. Morning routines have a big say in this.

You may have experienced in the past a “perfect morning”: you wake up early, feel energetic, work-out fine, breakfast tastes better, there’s no traffic and everything just goes perfectly. When that happens, the energy and productivity experienced throughout the day are quite noticeable but let’s be honest, on an average day you struggle to get off the bed and face the harsh realities of life.

We’ve selected for you the essential and practical tools you’ll need to overcome this daily struggle by kick-starting your day in the best way possible and making your day more fulfilling.

Establish a morning routine to get into the rhythm

Daily routines often require a dogged determination and diligence when you start observing them at first. You should be reminded, however, that there are often setbacks which occur in-between. In light of these and also cognisant of the limited time we all have in the morning, we have come up with a helpful and practical list of morning routines that allow you to make the most of your day. Just make sure you don’t hit that snooze button!

1.    Stretch and get some natural light

The first practical thing you should do when you wake up or your alarm rings is to get up, stretch, throw open those curtains right away and take in the mild brightness and light from the morning sun. This simple activity awakens your awareness and prompts your brain into action the best way.

2.    Meditation

We already know that meditation is good for your health and it benefits your body and mind. Meditating in the early hours can also bring specific benefits to your life. One of the biggest complaints people have about that first hour of their day is that it goes by so quickly.

Sounds familiar?

This complaint often stems from people who don’t have a practical daily morning routine – there’s always enough time to squeeze in 20 minutes for your early morning meditation! Its positive benefits are immense and it helps you keep a high level of positive energy to have a very productive day.

Morning meditation has multiple benefits

• You don’t need coffee
• Your circle of influence grows
• You have fewer headaches
• Believe it or not, you become a better driver. Really!
• It helps you to eat cleaner
• Counteracts stress
• You can handle whatever the day brings
• You turn on your mental “spam” filter

How to meditate

1. Make sure you’re relaxed and comfortable
2. Create a calm space to meditate
3. Focus on your breath
4. Clear your mind, try not to think of anything
5. Repeat the next day

As a tip you can check out various meditation videos on the internet for guided meditations. Remember, creating steps to your routine makes it easier to follow and track your progress. When you streamline your morning and you do it a few times it will easily become a habit.

3.    Exercising

Exercising the body is a huge part of our healthy and practicable morning routine. It is not a secret that a regular exercise routine can make you happier, smarter, and more energetic therefore, making your day a better experience to look forward to.

What is the perfect exercise?

Any exercise is suitable for your morning routine, as long as you ease into it and avoid pushing yourself too hard early on. You can keep your exercise light by having a quick morning run/jog with a few no-equipment exercises. You can spice things up a little by paying for the local gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a more intense workout.

4.    Music makes the heart sing

Music can help you relax, make you well up in tears, or feel alive. We use music to set the tone of our environment and our mood, and if we listen to the right music while preparing for our day it could often affect the way we go about our business for that day. Likewise, if you love to sing in the shower you can also do that as it lightens your mood and brightens the day in your mind which makes you more productive and willing to explore throughout the day.

5.    Avoid news headlines

A new study has shown that smartphone users develop the habit of frequently checking their phones for e-mail, social media, and news especially throughout the waking hours.

There is a better way to start your mornings.

We’ll advise against checking all forms of headlines because most headlines and breaking news these days have been filled with the sort of unpleasant news that could dampen and negatively affect your mood, even reducing your productivity for the day. Do yourself a favour and limit your exposure to breaking news in the morning and instead focus more on ‘transformative’ journalism and your other beneficial daily routines.

6.    Eat right and re-hydrate

Getting well hydrated by taking at least one glass of water is a good way to re-hydrate after 6-8 hours (sleep period) of not drinking anything at all. Likewise, eating breakfast is a very important part of a healthy and practical routine because it prevents you from eating too much for the rest of the day and it also provides all the required nutrients and energy to kick-start your day.

Reclaim your mornings and seize the day!

Change is often rejected and despised because we often look at what we have to give up, overlooking what we stand to gain. A morning routine can help conquer and overcome the reluctance we face every time we snooze the alarm prolonging the time before we have to face the morning.

The snooze button is not your friend!

Put yourself in the driving seat by training your mind and body to be able to face all the tasks and difficulties that a new day brings. Do this by setting aside time and diligently follow the daily morning routines that work for you and you’ll experience a reinvigoration and renewed sense of purpose that makes you look forward to every daybreak.

Ease into these routines and you can make adjustments by personalising and making changes to them so that they are realistic and result-oriented. Remember not to attempt too much at first as overloading could lead to disappointment and discouragement.

Kick-start your morning and have a fantastic day!