How to Find Your Morning Routine
by Amanda Johnson, Employee Motivation Consultant for ClickHelp.com — professional technical writing tool
When I moved to a new house, I faced the issue — I lost my morning routine, and all days were not so productive because the house was new, I didn’t know what I should do, where my clothes or plates were, it was really hard to concentrate. At that moment, I realized the power of morning routine.
You may think :”Morning routine … meh, what’s special about it? Just clean your teeth, drink a cup of coffee and go to work”. Well, that’s true but what if I say that your morning hours can be productive. Interested? Read this article and see for yourself that morning is not only about coffee.
First step: alarm
If you always hit the snooze button, you should stop doing it. Human psychology is simple — if you hit the snooze button in the morning, the first thing that you’ve done is a fail. In order to be a winner in the morning, put your alarm clock (or smartphone) out of reach, it will force you to get out of bed. Then, immediately make your bed, it will be a signal for your brain that your sleeping time is over.
Speaking of your sleep, if because of your work it’s required to wake up at 5 am, but you’re a night owl, I advise you to go to bed early, in order to sleep at least 8 hours. Of course, it’s difficult for night owls to fall asleep at 9 pm, but you should be resistant and your sleep cycle will change.
One of the most underestimated things about work and motivation is sleep. It is a good night sleep which allows you replenish your energy, feel rested and be ready for work throughout the day. No motivational books or quotes will help you achieve your goals if your body and mind feel exhausted. ~The Most Important Thing For Motivation!
Second step: self-care
Next steps are washing your face, cleaning your teeth, taking a cold shower and doing morning exercises. I don’t mean that you must go for a jog, plank or jumping jacks is enough. No one wants you to make Olympic records, just do it to refresh yourself after the night.
After exercises, don’t forget about hydration. Recently, I realized that I never felt thirsty. I thought it was ok but then I decided to analyze my days, and the result was following: I drank only tea or coffee but not pure water that is essential for our bodies.
“I drink water and take my supplements. Water is important because most of us are very dehydrated at night.” ~ Jim Kwik, CEO of Kwik Learning and memory & speed-reading expert. (other pieces of advice by experts are here)
Moreover, water before having breakfast helps our body detoxify that also invigorates and makes you more proactive and improves your mind.
Third step: breakfast
Now, you’re ready to have breakfast. It should be based on your needs: everybody says that it’s better to eat porridge in the morning but it’s not enough for me and I add a loaf of bread to it. The key aspect of happiness, success and healthy eating habits is listening to your body. However, if you don’t feel like having breakfast, just drinking coffee is not a good idea. You’ll feel hungry very soon and, as a result, you’ll eat everything that will be within your sight. So, in order to be satisfied till your lunch time, try to eat something.
Fourth step: go to work
It’s time to go to work. I recommend that you prepare all necessary things for your office hours ahead of the night, it will save you from hurry, forgetting things and stress.
Final Thoughts
All these steps are based on my experience when I had to build my morning routine over again, and I hope my tips will inspire you to rethink and reorganize your morning hours.
What is your morning routine? What helped you build your perfect one?
Amanda Johnson,
Employee Motivation Consultant for ClickHelp.com — best online documentation tool for SaaS vendors
