Mornings… Some hate them, some love them. One thing is for certain, we all have to go through them. And speaking from experience, usually routines that are a pain in the ass become a little more bearable once you have your reins over them and get into the swing of things.
That’s why I’m a big believer in having a morning routine. Yeah, it gets boring sometimes. When you start off it can be a little difficult to commit. But, to be honest, in the long run, you learn not only to not mind the discipline, but to actual like it.
Now if you can become a lazy bum like me sometimes, here is a little about morning routines, why they work, how they work and the best way of setting one up. Strap in, and let’s make your mornings fun(ish) again.
Fun Fact
I’ll keep it short, I know you don’t want to be bored with facts! Given an average life expectancy of eighty-six and a half years, we get about 25,000 mornings in our adult life. Sounds like a lot? A little? Well, it is what it is. In that case, wouldn’t you want to have a grip over how you spend a majority of those?
Early bird
The early bird catches the wind. Waking up early, ahead of schedule, ahead of other members in the household, will give you that extra time for yourself. No rushing. Just you and your thoughts. Enough to give yourself a good start on the day and perhaps even accomplish a few things before everyone else starts getting up.
These are my only intentions
To quote Biebs’ song (no shame!), you should start your day off with listing your intentions for the day. What are you going to accomplish today? Are you intending to be a better person than you were yesterday?
Not only does this force you to actually have a structure to your day, it also reinforces the idea that YOU intend to make your day exactly how you want it, empowering YOU as someone who has a hold over their life.
Gratitude
Somewhat related to intention, but less so on the future and rather on the present. What is it that you are grateful for? Often, we rush through our morning, get into a disattached state of mind and get totally pissed off at everything that is around us because the train is late or someone is looking at us in a weird way, well maybe not now because of the lockdown, but maybe your new puppy pissed on the floor because you slept in and didn’t take her out…
Instead of starting your day with the negative, you shift into the positive state of mind by pointing out the things you are grateful for. Who cares if your puppy pissed on the floor, at least you have a puppy, you don’t have to rush to work on the train because of the lockdown and you got to sleep in, win, win, win!
Meditation
I think by now, it is no secret that research has shown meditation to reduce anxiety. Take 5 to 15 minutes of your morning to do a mindfulness meditation. Simply focusing on your breath and letting go of any other focus or paying attention to your monkey mind can really help in the long run with a better sense of calmness.
Barriers
Nowadays, what most of us do as soon as we open up our eyes, is shine that blue light right into them by picking up the phone. Now, I am no saint… I struggle with this bad habit a lot myself.
However, you can create little “barriers” to help make this kind of behaviour a little more difficult for you, increasing the chances of you actually not doing it. Some examples:
– You pick up your phone too much – leave it in another room, or somewhere not as easily accessible;
– You snooze too much on your alarm – tried the annoying apps that MAKE you get up to scan a barcode or do a math quiz to turn it off? (shout out Sleep as Android, no affiliates!)
Delay the coffee
Honestly, this one hurts even me… I love coffee. But the last thing your body wants right off the bat in the morning is a caffeinated drink that dehydrates your body and increases cortisol levels. Delay your espresso for another 30-60 mins, instead, start off your day with a glass-full of water, even mixing some salt and lemon juice for the extra boost. And while you’re at it, remove the sugar packed caramel-latte-frape-machia-ticha-chino from your life, or whatever you call it.
Movement & Stretches
If you want to get freaky with your partner or simply do some light yoga, morning movement is very beneficial and gives your body the notification to wake the hell up. Besides, in order to work hard, you gotta start off the day with a little play, be silly, laugh with your loved ones, play a short game of tag with your kids or that pissy-pants puppy!
Consistency
The most important, keep at it. Rome was not built in a day. Neither will your badass routine. Keep finding what works, what doesn’t. Create your sacred little ritual. For a little inspiration, here is mine:
6:00am – wake up, measure my HRV (heart rate variability)
6:15am – meditate for 10 to 15 minutes
6:30am – journaling and gratitude practice
6:40am – stretch for about 20 minutes
7:00am – coffee and breakfast while going through my day plan and catching up on some emails.
What do you think, have anything to add?
Peace and love,
Wiktor