If you’re not a morning person, then leaping out of bed when you wake up may seem insurmountable. As difficult as it may feel to get out of bed, how you spend your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. If you’re often running around in chaos and pressed for time to get out the door, how do you feel later on? Perhaps you’re sluggish, scattered or more stressed than necessary. A calmer, more productive start to your day may make all the difference between a good and bad day. The benefits of a morning routine can extend throughout your entire day.
We’ve gathered our top tips to help you implement some more positive morning rituals.
Get out of bed immediately
As tempting as it may be to set multiple alarms and hit snooze on all of them until the very last minute, you’re not actually doing yourself any favours (although it may feel like you are in the moment). Instead, get up as soon as your first alarm rings. This takes away the opportunity to dwell on what lays ahead of you in the day or to justify spending an extra 15 minutes in bed that you’ll inevitably regret when you’re racing out the door!
To start creating the habit, clear your mind and count down from three, committing to yourself to jump out of bed when you reach number one. It’s never as bad as it seems once you’re actually up!
Make your bed
This may seem like a low priority chore (especially if you’ve sacrificed those 15 minutes for an extra sleep-in) but the simple act of making your bed can actually have powerful benefits for your mental clarity and wellbeing. Many people find that decluttering their room helps clear their mind, and this is a good first step. Starting your day by ticking off a task can boost your productivity and have a flow-on effect for the rest of your day. Some research shows that making your bed every day can help lift your mood as well.
Rehydrate your body
Before you drink your first tea or coffee of the day, it’s important to first rehydrate your body. As you’ve probably not drunk any water for eight hours, you may be slightly dehydrated. If you’re not a fan of drinking plain water first thing in the morning, adding a slice of lemon may help make it more enjoyable.
Remain disconnected for a while
Instead of immediately reaching for your phone to catch up on the news and notifications you missed over the past eight hours, we suggest spending the first part of your day doing something that makes you feel happy and grounded. This may be enjoying your morning coffee, journalling, stretching your body or engaging in some mindful meditation. This is the perfect time to focus on you and allow your mind to slowly warm up to the day ahead.
Incorporate some form of movement
Waking up earlier to give yourself some time to fit in movement is hugely beneficial to your mind and body. Exercising in the morning will help to get your blood circulating, clear your mind and also give you another task to cross off your to-do list. This may involve going for a run or a session at the gym, but spending even just 20 minutes stretching or going through a yoga flow will do the trick. Find what works for you and what your body responds to best.
Eat a nourishing breakfast
The old adage that breakfast is ‘the most important meal of the day’ is true. Your body is essentially running on empty in the morning, so how can you expect it to keep up with the demands of all your day? If you tend to skip breakfast but find that your energy and productivity falters as the hours tick by, it can be helpful to take the time to have something nutritious mid-morning.
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It may take some time to make changes to your present morning routine, but over time you will begin to reap the benefits. Start by adding one or two changes into your morning – once these become second nature, add a few more. Beginning your morning with positive rituals – however small – is key to changing your outlook on the day ahead.
