Why You Need a Morning Routine
A morning routine can be a powerful tool that allows you to feel more confident and productive no matter how you feel when you wake up. You can start your day off with purpose and accomplish a few small goals before you even step out your front door.
But what is a morning routine, and why do you need one? Some people have the same skincare routine every morning; others have to go for a run. Many things make up a routine, and you get to decide what they are.
What is a Morning Routine?
A morning routine is simply a list of activities you do when you wake up. These activities can range from having your coffee and breakfast to more detailed routines that start with journaling and end an hour or two later.
This routine can be as simple or complicated as you choose, as it comes down to doing the things you need to do to start the day with a clear and calm mind.
Why is it Important?
As mentioned, a morning routine allows you to start your day with accomplishments and puts you in the right headspace to be happy and productive. It also means that no matter what happens with your day, you can look back and know it wasn’t a “waste.”
This concept of waste is an aspect many people struggle with, thinking they didn’t achieve anything in a day or a week. A morning routine allows you to accomplish one, two, or even a dozen small goals daily.
Create a Morning Routine
Before you can follow a morning routine, you need to create one. You should make a list of the things you want to do before work or before a specific time, then put them in an order you know, or think you can stick to.
Think carefully about this order, don’t make obvious errors such as showering before you exercise or making a meal when you’re rushing to leave. Your routine can be simple or packed with activities; the vital part is that you can do them all.
Follow Through
Once you have your routine, stick to it. Consistency is just as important as having a routine. It should be something you do without thinking and no matter where you are. It should also be something you do every day, whether on a random Monday or Christmas morning.
For it to work and help you, you have to stick to it and not let anything get in your way of completing it every day.
Change It When Necessary
Your routine isn’t law; you can do as much or as little as it. As mentioned, sticking to it is important, but sometimes there are exceptions. Also, your needs may change, and your routine should change with it.
You might want to get more exercise, so add a slot for a run, or you feel like you aren’t getting enough time to reflect on yourself, so add it in. Your routine is there to serve you, therefore add or take away whatever you want.
Morning Routine Essentials
While your routine is entirely subjective and something that may work for one person won’t work for another, there are a few things that everyone should consider adding.
Water
Being hydrated is far more critical than anyone thinks. It helps your body and brain function properly, it’s healthy, and many in Eastern cultures drink at least 1 liter of water every morning as it wakes up your body and digestive system.
In many cases, most of us aren’t drinking enough water throughout the day anyway, and making it part of a routine means you are always close to the hydration levels you should maintain.
Exercise
Exercise is essential for anyone, and depending on your time constraints if you have a gym nearby or not, or for any other reason, exercising can be anything from a brisk walk to a complete workout.
We all know why exercising is important; we just struggle to make it a habit. Yoga is another exercise method if you don’t like traditional exercise methods. Either way, the point is to get your body moving, blood flowing, and heart pumping.
Breakfast
Breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day for a reason. It gives you energy, fuels your brain and mind, and allows your body to function better. You feel an instant improvement when you have a decent breakfast compared to not having it at all and replacing it with an extra cup of coffee or something similar.
Shower
Showering, in particular a cold shower, has been shown to have positive effects on the body. It jumpstarts your system, gives you a small internal shock that helps clear your mind, and of course, cleans you.
