How to Create a Morning Routine for Yourself
Every morning comes with the opportunity for a fresh start. Here’s how to make the most of that opportunity.
Morning hours are usually fleeting. So much so that unless you decide to take intentional steps — like creating a morning routine — to achieve something with your wee hours, you could very well wake up at noon with dried drool stains on the edge of your mouth and several missed calls from your boss.
You’re probably thinking, ‘creating a morning routine is no easy nut to crack. Since I’m the one making all the rules, I can just ignore them.’ You’re right.
It is too easy to hit the snooze button when your alarm rings and simply allow the sun to rise and set while you are still snuggled under your sheets. I’m pretty sure you must have heard so many people say, ‘I am not a morning person’ so many times that you now believe anyone who gets stuff done in the morning is probably a superhero.
The truth is, it’s not that difficult to make good use of your morning hours. I’ve discovered that anyone (especially you) can master the art of maintaining a productive morning routine without breaking a sweat.
All you need is the right mindset and a splash of self-discipline. Mindset because you need to believe that you can do it, and discipline because you have to make yourself do it. It takes both to have read this far. So, yeah, you can totally boss a kickass morning routine.
So, without much ado, I’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how you can easily prepare yourself for the day.
7 steps to crafting the perfect morning routine
Develop a healthy sleep and wake-up habit
A big part of starting your day right is securing quality hours of sleep and getting up early. Early to bed, early to rise.
Achieving a regular sleeping habit is no small feat. I know that when I first began working morning shifts at my office, my biggest challenge was pulling myself out of bed at the break of dawn.
But, the process became more manageable when I began sleeping and waking up at a set time. Getting some hours of quality sleep and waking up at the right time (do not snooze your alarm!) gives you a great headstart on the day’s activities.
Ensure You Make Your Bed
As much as you want to simply get up and go, making your bed should always be step 2 in your morning routine. It’s a mundane task, but it works magic on your brain and nervous system.
Tucking in sheets is therapeutic; more specifically, it tells your mind that you’re ready to be productive for the day.
Making my bed doubles as a chance for me to bring myself back to consciousness and increase my awareness of my surroundings. It is also a great reminder to maintain good hygiene no matter how busy you think you are.
You may need a gentle reminder to keep you accountable to your promise of making your bed every morning. That’s where Focus Bear comes in handy.
Drink a generous amount of water
Water gets your body organs working smoothly. I always encourage kickstarting the day with large gulps of water. Here’s why — water doesn’t only bless you with clear skin, but it also ensures that your bowel movements are right on track.
If drinking water is tough to remember, I recommend keeping a glass of water beside your bed before hitting the haystack. That way, it’s the first thing you see when you awake.
Meditate on the tasks for the day
An optimistic outlook and sharp focus on the day’s goals are possible after just a few minutes of quiet meditation. Nothing beats sitting on a newly made bed and thinking about the day ahead.
I put my tasks in order of difficulty and consider viable approaches. There’s something about mentally tackling each of my tasks one by one that gives me the self-assurance I need to tackle the day with gusto.
Exercise your body
As tedious as it might sound, you just have to make bodily exercise a part of your morning routine. No, I’m not asking you to get a gym membership or sign up for yoga classes (I mean, you can, if you want to), and unless you’re already a full-blown morning workout person, you don’t need more than a few stretches per morning.
The idea is not to build abs but to get your blood flowing. A couple of upward stretches and a few forward folds can do the trick in minutes.
Prepare a to-do list for the day
If you have multiple tasks lined up for the day, it’s always a good idea to make a checklist in the morning. For instance, if your typical morning involves you having to drop off your kids at school, make a stop at the pharmacist’s and pick up the morning paper before heading to your office, you could make it a point to always list out such morning chores on a sheet of paper as part of your morning routine so that you don’t forget to do any of them. Doing so will help you become a more organized and functional individual.
Eat a healthy breakfast (or don’t?)
There’s a bit of a movement at the moment away from eating breakfast. People like Dr Andrew Huberman argue that intermittent fasting is the way to go and you’re actually better off not eating for a few hours after waking up. If that works for you, go for it. If it doesn’t, no need to feel guilty. The key here is consistency. If you sometimes eat breakfast and sometimes don’t, you’re giving your body mixed messages. Your brain relies on having consistent glucose supplies and if your eating schedule is all over the shop, so will your cognitive function.
Conclusion
Take it from someone who works 8 hours a day. A lot of productivity comes from maximizing your morning hours. If you’re unsure how to do so, you can repeat all the steps (from 1–7), and boom! You have a healthy morning routine.