Rise and Shine: Three Strategies to Reclaim Your Morning Hours
And no, you do not need to wake up at 5am
Do you also feel that the mornings rush by, leaving you struggling to find time for those essential morning habits that set the tone for a great day?
If you’re somewhat like me, it is a common dilemma.
For some time now, I’ve consistently been waking up at 6:30 am.
For me, it leaves me plenty of time for my morning routine, while I am still able to comfortably fall asleep by 22:00 and manage to get my essential 8 hours of sleep.
It certainly helps that my bike commute to work takes a mere 10 minutes, a luxury I highly recommend if it’s an option for you.
Nonetheless, there are other accessible options you can take to reclaim your precious morning time .
Here are three strategies I employ to make my mornings more efficient.
#1 Ignore your phone
For a long time, my bad habit was to reach for my phone immediately upon waking.
Honestly, why? What could be so urgent that it requires attention the very moment you open your eyes. Before you realise it, you’ve fallen into the depths of social media algorithms, and 30 valuable morning minutes have slipped away.
Imagine if you could resist your phone until after breakfast, for instance. This simple change could drastically enhance the efficiency of your mornings. Pro tip: leave your phone outside the bedroom and get an old-school alarm clock. This way, you won’t be tempted to grab your phone upon waking.
Spend the first moments of your day focusing on yourself, not on the lives of others.
#2 Get a smoothie maker for breakfast
Honestly, this one is saving me a tremendous amount of time in the morning.
In the past, I would have my morning oats with banana and blueberries. However, as much as I enjoy this breakfast, it takes quite some time to heat up the milk, cook the oats, and prepare the whole thing.
However, since I acquired a smoothie maker, I’ve discovered a new world of efficiency. I can now create a nutritious breakfast featuring fresh fruits, oats, and more, within a single minute. Plus, the nature of a smoothie means it’s quicker to consume.
This has become one of those gadgets I didn’t know I needed.
#3 Go for a capsule wardrobe
This one brings you one step closer towards a minimalist lifestyle.
I recall my high school days when I could easily spend 15–30 minutes deliberating what to wear. Even now, it can take a considerable amount of time to put together an outfit with matching colours, for instance. However, there’s much time to be gained here.
Since a couple of years I have been slowly transitioning towards a capsule wardrobe — I love it. It essentially consists of a collection of versatile clothing that can be mixed and matched in numerous ways, allowing for a variety of outfits without an excess of clothing items. Additionally, since everything pairs well, there’s less debate in choosing your outfit.
My go-to store for a capsule wardrobe is Uniqlo; they offer great basics to for endless combinations.
How these three strategies helped me reclaim morning time
I used to fritter away my mornings, scrolling through my phone and agonising over my outfit. Nowadays, I dedicate more time to morning yoga, meditation, and morning runs, all without the need to wake up earlier than usual.
Carefully consider how you allocate your time, especially in the morning.
In the end, the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.
