Lately, I noticed that there are a lot of articles/videos that focus on the morning routine of successful people, healthy morning routine, mindful morning routine, etc. But what about the people that haven’t formed their morning routine yet?
People that hear the alarm, snooze it 6 times and then run to make a cup of coffee, brush their teeth, put on deodorant, take only a sip of coffee because it’s too hot and then run to their job like there’s no tomorrow? Don’t worry, I got you covered.
I started getting into the morning routine a year or two ago when I realized that I needed to add some structure to my days. I needed to stop stressing out first thing in the morning, having no idea what to do first, and having that mindset following me for the rest of the day.
The way you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. Suddenly, I realized how calm and productive I was and how my mood was so much better.
Now I am going to list just a few things that don’t take up much time, so you can start setting an alarm for only 20 minutes earlier and having that time for yourself will increase your productivity and energy quite a lot.
1. You snooze – you lose.
Don’t start your morning routine by snoozing your alarm clock. There are a couple of different options that actually leave you no choice but to get up.
My favorite is a free app called Alarmy. When you set an alarm that way, to turn it off you have to either solve some math equation, shake your phone for x number of times or choose some other option that will also make you get up immediately.
Also, you can leave your phone in a different room when you go to bed. Experiment and choose the option that suits you the most, but make sure you get up when you need to and don’t waste your time and energy snoozing.
Read next:
6 Tips to Stop Wasting Your Time
2. Hydrate.
A lot of people highly suggest drinking warm lemon water (with turmeric and ginger) first thing in the morning.
Personally, I don’t like the taste of lemon that much, so I don’t force it. Instead, I enjoy 0,5 l of water (sometimes I squeeze an orange in it) when I wake up because after about 8 hours of sleep your body clearly needs it.
3. Stretch and breathe.
You can take a few deep breaths and stretch a bit while you’re still in bed. Or you can take it to the next level by doing a quick yoga flow/going for a run/doing some workout and meditate.
But if you want to start your morning on a lighter note, a few minutes of stretching and deep breathing will do just fine.
4. Get energized.
To be honest, coffee is not enough. What you get with caffeine is an energy boost for the next 2 – 3 hours, so I’d recommend getting the energy from wholesome food.
You can add to your breakfast an orange, a banana, and some almonds. Personally, I enjoy having smoothie bowls in the morning because they boost my energy level instantly and they are pretty satiating so until lunch I’m not hungry at all.
I also keep myself hydrated until lunch with a lot of water and a decaf coffee or tea, which is important because your body sometimes makes you think you are hungry when you’re just thirsty because you haven’t drink anything in a while.
5. Make a gratitude list.
Gratitude is key. If you take only one thing from this list to make a part of your morning routine, take this one.
Why? Because everything begins with your thoughts. Your thoughts become your emotions, your emotions influence your actions, and your actions shape your reality.
If you take only 3 minutes in the morning for making a list of at least 3 things you are grateful for, you’re going to realize the abundance you have in your life.
You have the roof over your head, you have food to eat, you are alive! Gratitude will make you appreciate even the smallest things in your life.
And it’s going to shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life. You’re going to start looking for positive things everywhere. You’re going to enjoy life so much more once you start recognizing and being grateful for everything you have. For everything you are.
Read next:
How to Choose Your Thoughts and Master Your Mind
3 Toxic Mindsets that Sabotage Your Success and Happiness
6. Set an intention for the day.
I suggest writing your to-do list the night before so that you can start the next day with clear priorities.
Ask yourself what do you want to achieve today. How do you want your day to go? Are you looking for some job opportunities? Do you just want to have a good day?
Say to yourself what you want. Some ideas might be:
”I will be open to all the opportunities that may come my way.”
”I’m looking forward to hearing some great news today.”
”Today my health will be my priority.”
”Whatever happens, I will prioritize my peace and mental health.”
Free PDF download:
111 Powerful Affirmations to Build Confidence and Improve Your Life
7. Visualize as a part of your morning routine.
And, finish your morning routine with some motivation. You can read all about how to visualize and how to make visualization work for you in my previous post, so I won’t get into details now.
What you’ll need to do is envision yourself accomplishing your goals, having the end result in your mind, and really feel it happening.
Visualize yourself being successful, being surrounded by people you love, living in your ideal home.
Visualize the life you want and feel like it is already happening. And go get it.
Go out there, start your amazing day and enjoy it.
Also, if you have a few extra moments you could have a little dance party to your favorite music, read your horoscope just for fun, read 10 pages or listen to an audiobook/podcast, spend 5 minutes cleaning the cupboards…
The options are endless and it basically depends on how much time you have and how you decide to spend your time.
Check out my ”100 Steps Closer” eBook filled with motivational quotes, affirmations, journal prompts, and action steps to get you 100 steps closer to the life you want.
Until the next time,
Ivana
This is such a great list – I’m pinning it for later. I think we are so often running behind and in a rush (probably from pressing snooze, and pushing the boundaries by staying up too late the night before) that we overlook those little things that make a big difference, like drinking water and setting an intention for the day! Thanks so much for the reminder to take pause and start the day off right!
I absolutely agree 🙂 Glad you liked it!
It is very well written article. I specially liked the gratitude part because there are so many small things we take for granted. Looking forward to many more write ups
I’m soooo bad at hitting the snooze button! I need to incorporate all of these into my morning routine. Definitely agree – this is a great list!
Love the idea of a snoozy app! Thank you for sharing.
Great tips! I do make sure to try and drink some lemon water first thing, but I never thought to add turmeric or ginger. I also need to get better about adding some other things to my routine. I love the idea of setting an intention for your day!
Thanks for sharing! I need to stop hitting the snooze button lol
When setting the alarm you could turn off the snooze option, just to try it out for a few days and see if it works 🙂