Once upon a time, long, long ago, my morning routine consisted of staying in bed as late as possible, then rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off, and running out the door, barely making it to my destination on time. Does that familiar?
From that point on, my day seemed to spiral more and more out of control. It seemed like everything was needed right away, if not yesterday. As hard I as tried, and as much as I hurried, I never caught up, and I ended up exhausted from all the stress and rushing around by the end of every day. That’s not how I envisioned a peaceful life.
Imagine how different life would be if there had been a magic formula for my morning that ensured a good day, instead.
Does this sound familiar?
You’re sleeping soundly in your bed, after tossing and turning until the wee hours of the morning. It feels so good to finally get some good sleep. You could stay there for hours.
Then suddenly –
1. The alarm goes off.
2. Immediately you hit the snooze (3 times, at least).
3. Once you decide to wake up, you lie there and think about how much you don’t want to get up.
4. Jump out of bed because you’re late and head for the shower.
5. Get dressed in a rush, hoping everything goes together and you have matching shoes on.
6. Run out the door with a protein bar (or nothing) in your hand.
Is this how you start your mornings? Maybe not every morning starts that way, but more than you like. If this sounds like you, how can you expect to have a great day when that’s how the day starts? A really good day requires something else. Maybe not a magical formula, but something to make it better. So what to do? You guessed it! You need to establish a morning routine.
So, where do your start? Keep in mind that no two people are exactly alike so your morning routine needs to be personalized to fit your life. There is no one size fits all routine, but take a moment to consider these ideas when developing your morning routine.
Wake up earlier
You want to be able to still get enough sleep, so if at all possible go to bed earlier as well. You’ll need some extra time in the morning to have time to start your morning peacefully and purposefully.
Get rid of the snooze button
Open your eyes as soon as it is time to get up, and sit up if you need to so you don’t fall back to sleep. The first twenty minutes of your day will set the tone for your entire day, so begin with some positive thoughts. Give thanks for your sleep, tell yourself how blessed you are, and get out of bed with a smile.
Get hydrated
Drink some water. You probably are mildly dehydrated in the morning after not having any water throughout the night. This can cause you to feel sluggish, or just that your brain isn’t as sharp as it should be. Most of us don’t drink enough water during the day, especially if we have busy schedules, so a big glass in the morning is a great way to start the day. I love a couple drops of lemon essential oil in sixteen ounces of warm (not hot) water in the morning.
Get moving
Take a few minutes to move your body, get the blood flowing, and stretch the muscles. This is especially important as we get older and it’s not as easy to hop out of bed without something creaking or complaining somewhere in our bodies. It doesn’t have to be a full workout if that’s not your style, but some sort of movement will help loosen things up and motivate you to keep going and get on with your day.
Spend some quiet time alone
Take a few minutes to get grounded and centered for your day. This could be in the form of meditation, reading, praying, journaling or whatever practices you prefer. We need that time to connect and reflect on our purpose and how we will live it out each day. This is a good time to review your upcoming schedule for the day as well. Are there special things you need to accomplish? What are your priorities for the day?
Eat some breakfast
When I was growing up, I was constantly reminded that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, I’m still not really an early morning breakfast person, but I believe it’s important to give your body some fuel in the morning. Instead of a big breakfast, I like a morning protein drink. You may prefer a lumberjack breakfast. It’s okay either way, just make sure your body is getting some good healthy fuel to start the day off right.
Have the best day ever
Now you’re ready to get out there have your best day ever. How could you not be successful? Continue thinking positively all day long. If that negative thought tries to sneak in, put a positive spin on it – you can control your attitude about anything that happens during your day, so it might as well be good (but that’s another blog in itself).
You morning routine may take longer than expected, so you may need to tweak it a bit or modify your waking time. I know that my morning routine, which has a little longer quiet time than most, can take up to two hours. Find what works for you.
A well thought out morning routine will have a significant impact on your life, happiness, and success. Give it a try and see how it changes your day and brings you another step closer to a more peaceful life.
Find your purpose – find your joy!