HAVING A MORNING ROUTINE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORANT THINGS YOU CAN DO!
First off, I am a morning person. I always have been and probably always will be. If you speak to my husband, he will probably tell you, I’m not a morning person because he literally wakes up before the sun… But for a normal person… I am a morning person! ANYWAYS… Having a good morning routine has it’s benefits. A morning routine is said to boost happiness, increase productivity and reduce stress levels!
I know that having a good morning routine is going to look different for each and every one of you but I hope you take away a few tips and tricks I’ve learned over my years!
TRY NOT TO HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON & LET THE NATURAL LIGHT IN
I struggle with this. I always have and always will. One of my New Year’s goal one year was to not hit the snooze button any longer. Trust me, that didn’t last long. But what I do is… (1) Set my alarm a few minutes earlier than I normally would get up. (2) I leave my blinds open so the natural light creeps in while I am waking up. (3) If my husband is still home, I have him come to wake me up. You would not believe how many times number 3 really happens…
DRINK WARM LEMON WATER
I love this step of my morning. While my coffee is brewing, I cut open a fresh lemon and squeeze half of it into a warm cup of water and sip away. I personally think it helps me wake up every morning but there are also some major health benefits ! Check them out here!
ASK YOURSELF THE STEVE JOBS QUESTION
Steve Jobs revealed a motivational tactic that he used to start each and every day.
“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
I know this can sound silly… But… Really think about it…
EXERCISE, STRETCH OR MEDITATE
Lets be real. Not everyone has the time and energy to do all three of these. I love working out in the morning. It gives me more energy, wakes me up, gets my muscles going and really puts me in the right mindset for the day. But, I normally don’t have time in the morning on the weekdays. So to substitute a workout, I try to stretch or have a quick meditation! Try it! It’s amazing!
EAT
Okay, I’ll admit it… I’m not a big morning breakfast gal! Some day’s I like to say that I “intermittent fast“. But when I do eat breakfast, I normally eat avocado toast or drink a smoothie. Really special. I know.
LISTEN TO A PODCAST
I love podcasts. If you read my blog, you know that… But I think it’s the perfect way to know what’s going on in the world around you. You can listen to your podcast while you are making your coffee and brushing your teeth! Just throw in some headphones and tune in. Check out some of my favorite podcasts!
SET YOUR INTENTIONS & TO DO LISTS
This is key for me to have a successful day. Before I log off of work in the evenings, I make my to-do list for the next day. That next morning, I go through my list to ensure I am not missing anything I want to do in the day (work and personal). I also block off my calendar for certain times of the day to ensure I have enough time to get everything done (I even block off my lunch time and workout time). But setting my intentions and what my goals are for the day really help drive me to get what needs to get completed.
KNOCK OFF YOUR BIGGEST TASK FIRST
After I’ve set my intentions, I go through the list and rank each task. I like to start my “to-do” with the largest task first. Why? That is the time I’m the most motivated and focused! I usually login by 8 am and I am able to get through some emails and tasks before some of my teammates login. So this is time I really get to focus!
PRACTICE YOUR ROUTINE ON THE WEEKEND
This is one of the most important pieces to the whole morning routine puzzle. The more you stick to your routine, the more you can stick to it on the weekdays. So, on the weekends (and even when we are traveling), we try to wake up about the same time we normally would. We try to have our lemon water, sip our coffee, etc. just like any old weekday. That way, when Monday comes around, it’s not as hard for us to get up and going!
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