You drag yourself out of bed on the third snooze, quickly shower and dress whilst gulping down some coffee. You run out of the door and arrive at work stressed before you’ve even taken off your jacket. Does this sound familiar?
If so, read on. I’m going to take you through my morning routine, which is guaranteed to get your day off to a great start.
I was that third snooze person! I changed that about a year ago and feel so much happier and healthier following these steps.
Sometimes life gets in the way and I don’t manage everything below. It’s what I aim for and the nine times out of ten that I manage it, I feel great and I have a great day.
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1. Get up
I’ve ditched the snooze button. Do you ever really feel the benefit of that extra 10 minutes of sleep? No, you don’t! All that happens is you’re groggier than you were the first time the alarm went off. Get up and do something productive with that time instead.
2. Get moving
I was always full of great intentions. I’d plan to get home from work, do the bedtime routine with my daughter then exercise once she’d gone to bed. I rarely managed it. I never had the energy, time or motivation and I was unfit and out of shape as a result. I solved this by exercising in the morning.
I’m not talking about going for an early morning run or cycle. If that’s your thing, then great, do that. For me, it’s just 10 minutes of yoga, toning exercises or just dancing around. It’s not a lot but 10 minutes every day soon adds up. I combined this with consciously moving more during the day and I really feel (and see) the difference.
3. Get out
Breathing in fresh air in the morning really does help to clear the mind. Try it now. Go and sit outside for 5 minutes and just breathe. You’ll see how much better you feel. You can always combine ‘get moving’ and ‘get out’ by going for a walk outdoors. You can even just sit and have breakfast in the morning by an open window. Just be sure to breathe deeply and notice the fresh air flooding through you.
4. Get hydrated
One of the best things you can do for your body in the morning is to drink water. You’ve spent all night fasting and your body is slightly dehydrated. Drinking water will rehydrate you but it will also kick-start your digestive system. Hydration and digestion, two things which are essential for healthy skin. I fill my water bottle before I go to bed so I have it to hand and drink it as I’m getting ready.
5. Get nourished
Next up is breakfast. Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I love it. I love scrambled eggs, omelettes, smoothie bowls, granola, porridge, smoked salmon, sourdough toast with peanut butter…the list goes on. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast will give you the energy you need for a productive day. It will also stop you from grabbing snacks on the go and make you far more likely to continue to make healthy food choices throughout the day.
6. Get going
If you have to commute to work then you may as well enjoy it. Getting frustrated by the traffic jam in front of you or the person talking loudly on their phone beside you is not going to set you up for a great day. Keep yourself occupied so you don’t focus on what others are doing.
If music is your thing, pull all of your favourite songs into one playlist and stick your headphones in. If you’re driving, blast your music through your speakers and sing along! I love the Amazon Audible App and listen to audiobooks during my commute.
A morning routine really does set the tone for the rest of the day. Get that right and you’ll have nothing but good days ahead of you.
Your task
Spend a few minutes now working out how long this new morning routine will take you. It takes less time than you think! 10 minutes of exercise, 5 minutes outside and 15 minutes to make and enjoy breakfast. 30 minutes – ditch the snooze button and you’re half way there already! Now, reset your alarm for your new wake-up time.
Need a bit of a push?
If you’re keen to start a morning routine but you’re struggling to get started, I thoroughly recommend The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. In the book, Mel describes the power of what she calls a “push moment”. Mel details one simple tool that gets me out of bed on even the laziest of days.
Take a look at Mel’s Tedx Talk, How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over, which has been watched more than 9 million times.
Missed your morning routine?
No problem. Simply take the first opportunity you can in the day to relax even if this is eleven in the morning or three in the afternoon.
To help make this a habit, tie a few moments of calm to something you do every day. For me, this is a cup of tea. Whenever I make a cup of tea I take a few minutes to breathe, check in with how I’m feeling and what my priorities are for the rest of the day.
If you’ve had a frantic morning, the rest of your day doesn’t have to be frantic too. You can stop and reset your day at any point.
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