You have the choice of hitting the snooze button over and over as you groan about the start of a new day, or you can jump out of bed in excitement, knowing that it’s a new morning and a fresh start. How we start our day, deeply affects how the rest of our day will be, even our week.
A morning routine celebrates the little things in life. It celebrates a clean slate, it celebrates the simplicity of taking things one day at a time, it celebrates the sense of calmness you will feel throughout the day, and it gets you off to a great start.
So what’s the best way to go about setting a morning routine? I will share with you my morning routine, which can be done in any order, or multitasked, like I do sometimes if I haven’t carved out enough time on a particular day.
- Movement (getting out of bed as soon as possible without pressing the snooze button on the alarm)
- Get my morning coffee started (drink a large glass of water while this is brewing)
- Make my bed (starts my day with order and there’s nothing better than getting into a neatly made, clean bed at the end of a long day)
- Pick out my outfit of the day (if I didn’t already the night before)
- Plan out my day with notes on my iPhone (things I need to accomplish in order of importance)
- Lay out my lunch by the front door next to all my bags (computer bag, gym bag)
- Meditate (the body and mind needs 5 or 10 minutes to connect while breathing; this allows for a sense of calmness and overall balance throughout the day; taking a moment of gratitude after is key)
- Eat oatmeal (with bananas, nut butter, and almond milk)
- Brush teeth, change, get ready
- Head out the door with a positive mindset (this is important to have a successful day)
Honoring a consistent morning ritual or routine is a commitment to your health and well-being. Because we all know, as soon as we step outside our front door, and tackle our morning commute, the focus shifts away from you, and onto matters outside of your control. Try carving out 30 min to 1 hour of time in the morning, just for YOU. No matter how foreign it may feel, try it for 30 days, which is when habits start forming. Morning routines will keep you feeling balanced, calm, simplified, in order, and inspired all day long. Rise and shine!