Morning routines
How many of us have them?
There are 2 types of people in the world. Those that roll out of bed, after the alarm goes off a few times and rush to get ready for work in about under 30 minutes. Who has time for ironing? So, there is definitely no time for breakfast unless it’s a quick banana or yogurt while heading out late and barely getting to work on time. And there are those who wake up as soon as the sun rises, does yoga, chores, makes their bed, irons their outfit, eats breakfast and fixes lunch.
I will not lie; I have been both of these people at different points in my life. Currently, most days I am the latter (I still have some days when I do not want to get out of the bed and drag myself out at the last possible minute). But I have realized that I have my best days when I wake up early enough to complete my morning routine. Which starts with me waking, stretching, and drinking some warm water with lemon all while listening to music. After showering, brushing my teeth, and washing my face, I usually will make me a light breakfast (oatmeal, smoothie etc.). Once all of this is done, I am now able to pick out what I want to wear, because I am the type of person that believes in picking out your clothes based on your moods.
I have read before that having a morning routine actually helps to set the tone for the day that you want to have. It gives you a better chance on being able to control your schedule versus your schedule controlling you. I really believe this to be true. On the mornings where I meditate, drink a cup of tea or coffee, and make my bed my day is better, and it is all a trickled down effect. Hear me out, I love that extra sleep and some days it is needed (listen to your body people) but when I actually set the tone for my day, I have time to do my hair, put on a cute outfit and do my makeup. And if my hair and outfit are cute, I feel cute which gives me a better attitude all day. If I am in a good mood, that good energy gets passed along to my coworkers or anyone else I interact with for the day. Plus, when you feel good and are having a good day you tend to ignore the little things that would usually piss you off such as, someone cutting you off while driving, finding out your fav fast food place is out of your favorite sauce, or dealing with that lazy coworker. Now don’t get me wrong, you may have a moment of annoyance with that lazy coworker but then you remember how good of a day you are having and let it go quicker than normal.
Another thing that I realize is that having a set routine helps me with is eating better (or choosing better options). And eating healthier also makes you feel better because you are not eating a bunch of sugary or fattening foods, which will make you sluggish or tired. On those days where I start with my set routine, I realize that after eating a healthy breakfast like oatmeal, or fruit I usually want to continue eating that way because I feel good, and my body feels good.
If you realize that you are having bad days where you feel like you are constantly rushing and your days get worse or worse then, you may need to take the time to start implementing a few small habits that will give you a better chance at a more successful day. Small changes in your habit will help create the big changes. You can either go all in and start cold turkey (waking up 1–2 hours earlier right away) with your routine or make small subtle changes and keep incorporating more and more until you have a morning routine that works for you. For example, maybe on week one you wake up 5–10 minutes earlier to give yourself time to just sit in silence and gather your thoughts when first waking then you can wake up another 5–10 minutes earlier to add making up your bed. On week 2 or 3, you start to wake up 30 minutes earlier to have quiet time, make your bed plus make breakfast and so on. The options are endless, and it is your choice what you add to your morning routine. You can do yoga, meditate, journal, pray, sit in the sun, burn incense, start the laundry, so some light cleaning, create your schedule, stretching, doing your face routine, painting, or any art, reading, making breakfast, fixing your lunch, practicing gratitude, listening to music, or just sitting in complete silence. There is no perfect routine, you just should create one for you that allows you to slow down, have some quiet time to think and do the things that make you feel light and stress free. The point is just to implement things that will help you to have a great and successful day, each day. They say that it takes 21 days to create a new habit, make tomorrow day one! Just start and see how your days will get better. I will leave you with this quote.
“Morning is an important time of day because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have” — Lemony Snicket
