The Power of a Morning Routine

There’s so much talk these days in the business and personal development world about the power of a morning routine. It is said that the way we start each day has a huge bearing on how our day will unfold.

And I must say I totally agree! 

For instance, if you keep hitting the snooze button and get out of bed at the last minute, then rush to wash and throw on some clothes and grab food to eat as you run out the door, then low and behold your day will more than likely pan out to be rushed, chaotic and leave you feeling more at the mercy of it rather than as the master of it. However, when you take time to start the day with some positive routines and rituals, your day has a feeling of clarity, purpose and energy about it.

Creating a Morning Routine
What your morning routine consists of needs to be personalised to you, so that you feel excited to wake in the morning and dive into your 'you time'. The only requirement is that it consists of activities that are positive and entirely focused on you, with a few simple habits in order to make your morning healthier.

Here’s a few ideas that I hope will inspire you…

Make your bed!
I kid you not - studies have shown that the simple task of making your bed first thing, sets a mindset of achieving your goals for the day. Not only that, it feels really good to come home at the end of the day and see your space looking tidy and feeling calm.

Get organised the night before
Ok I appreciate this is a night time action not a morning one, but the simple activity of selecting your clothes in advance, and gathering together next day items for yourself (and your children if you have them), will make a huge impact on your morning and free up time for you to do other things.

Spend 10-minutes organising your bag so you’ve got all the items you actually need, rather than a cluttered bag full of unnecessary things. Make sure your phone is fully charged, decide on your outfit for the next day, and pop in your bag any papers, etc., you’re going to need. Just think of the potential stress you’ll eliminate from the start of your day just by taking care of these few simple tasks the night before – and that can only be a great thing!

Music
Never underestimate the power of music as a huge game changer for switching up your mood. Why not listen to nice music while you’re going about your morning routine. You could even change the ring of your alarm clock to a song you like, so you wake to sounds that you love and that immediately raise your energy in a positive way.

Eat breakfast like a King
When I was young, my mum used to tell me all the time, “Ronit, eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Queen and dinner like a pauper.” I strongly believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it certainly plays an important part in your physical and mental wellbeing.

After you’ve ‘fasted’ through the night your energy and sugar levels drop, and so it’s important to ‘break-fast’ (yes that’s what breakfast really means) with a good nutritious breakfast. This will kickstart your day by replenishing your energy levels and nourishing your brain function. By not eating breakfast you prolong fasting, which raises your nervous system activity. This puts the body in a stress/emergency state, which has implications for your levels of calm and body’s overall healthy functioning.

Move your body
A few exercises and stretches or a short walk in the morning, will help you release any tight muscles and get your blood flowing and energy levels up. This habit is super healthy and will help you increase the range of motion and flexibility in your body, which reduces mental stress and improves concentration.

Feed your mind

Studies have shown that feeding your mind with positive information for as little as 10-minutes first thing every day, has an incredibly positive impact, not only on your day, but more importantly on how you feel you are achieving and developing as a person.

This is much easier to achieve than you might think. For instance while you’re exercising or driving to work or doing the school run, pop on an inspirational podcast or audiobook. If you commute on the train or bus, instead of checking emails or scrolling social media read a book.

Whatever you decide to incorporate into your morning routine, the most important thing is consistency. As I said before, choose things that support you, bring positive energy to the start of your day and that you look forward to doing, and over time just watch how your days go from strength to strength.