Whether or not you define yourself as a “morning” person, the way in which you start your day is critical to setting the tone for what occurs during the rest of the day. If you constantly find yourself rushing out the door feeling like you’ve forgotten something, then it’s time to take a minute and re-evaluate your morning routine.
- Adjust Your Wake-Up Time
Now this one is a given, but if you’re rushing out the door each morning, you obviously aren’t giving yourself enough time. Read through the rest of this list, and while doing so, make a list of the things you would like to add to your morning routine. Then estimate the time it will take to complete them. Now set your alarm for that much earlier. Although you may not like the idea at first, a better morning routine will make you feel so much better you won’t even notice that you’ve gotten up earlier.
2. Meditation
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have found that daily meditation not only reduces stress, but also the level of inflammatory proteins in the body. Another study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that daily meditation helped reduce levels of anxiety in people with anxiety and panic disorders. So, whether or not you can devote 5, or 15 minutes toward meditation each day, it’s important that you do find a way to incorporate it into your morning routine.
Set a specific spot where you will meditate, and set a non-traditional timer to watch your time (i.e., meditate to 3 calming songs, etc.) during this time talk positively to yourself and take deep calming breaths. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much better you feel!
3. Write Down Your Tasks
This is especially necessary if you are frequently prone to forgetting things, but every morning you should make a list of your goals or tasks for the day. This will help you prioritize your time and stay focused on the things which really matter.
Writing down your goals each day can also help in the pursuit of things that you would like to achieve in the longer term as it will help keep you on track towards those goals. Note that this doesn’t have to be a massive process each morning, but can be as simple as just jotting down your schedule with a few chores you would like to achieve after work.
4. Exercise
Now this one can be a bit more difficult as it will require a substantial amount of time. However, research has shown that morning exercise helps wake up your cells and your body is much more efficient at burning fat while it is operating on an empty stomach. Even if you can’t fit a thirty-minute workout into your morning, consider incorporating 5-10 minutes of yoga or stretching into your routine right when you wake up.
5. Listen to Music
This step is easy, and won’t add any extra time to your morning routine, and it will definitely uplift your mood. So, make yourself a morning playlist, and flip it on right after your alarm goes off to get you moving.
6. Drink Lemon Water
Although coffee may be your go-to drink in the morning, it’s time to consider switching to drinking lemon water instead. Drinking water first thing in the morning helps flush out your system and get it ready for a new day. Adding lemon helps boost your immune system and gives you a little jolt of vitamin C and potassium. Studies have shown that people who start their day with lemon water have a much easier time maintaining their weight than those who don’t.
In conclusion, what you decide to add to your routine in the morning is up to you, but if you’re able to find time for all of the above suggestions you will quickly find yourself starting each day on the path to success.
