I have written about morning routines before (see Love Your Mornings post), but as I am experimenting with some new ideas for my mornings and hearing from friends that they would like to improve how they start their day, I wanted to share a simple framework that I believe many will find helpful. Starting your day right is important. The way you start your day can give you a sense of balance, accomplishment, and confidence to go and own your day, or it can make you feel you are already falling behind, not in control, and losing against the day from the start.
Since my last post where I wrote about my mornings, my routine has changed a bit. I work from home now, but have to start my workday much earlier. I have a puppy that needs some attention in the morning. And I am focusing more on my personal projects in the mornings. I have also experimented with other things for my morning routines like mediation and getting up super early. Ultimately, over time, I have realized that while a morning routine is very important to me, having one strict routine does not work for me. As a result, I focus on a few key principles and fill in the details based on the day. My core principles for a good morning are: 1) move your body, 2) eat nutritious food, 3) engage your brain, and 4) leave plenty of time.
Getting some exercise in the morning is critical because it wakes you up, energizes you, and, if vigorous enough, burns your calories through the day. For me, it may be a short yoga and stretching, walking the dog, strength workout, or a run. I have found that on days when I workout in the morning, I am more organized, productive, and eat healthier throughout the day. The good feeling from the workout makes me more motivated to do better in all other areas later in the day. My breakfast is usually oatmeal, yoghurt, or protein pancakes and I take my time with my breakfast. These days, I am also incorporating some time for writing and creative projects in the mornings. I make sure I have enough time for all of this and not feel rushed. Having time in the morning for myself, on my own terms gives me a sense of control and confidence for the rest of the day.
Everyone has a different schedule and a natural body clock. A long morning routine may not be possible for many. However, I am convinced that doing at least something in each of the core areas is possible for and will benefit almost everyone. If you are looking to incorporate new things and strengthen your morning routine, I am going to provide tips below for what to consider and how to go about it.
First, let me start with small things, little baby steps that you can start incorporating especially if you do not have much time in the morning or are one of those night owls for whom getting up in the morning is simply a struggle. Then, I will provide some thoughts for those who already have a good morning routine, but are looking to incorporate new practices and further refine their morning focus.
- Move your body: ask yourself what is the smallest thing I can do to move my body in the morning? And then start with that thing. Some ideas to consider:
- Stretch for two minutes after you get out of bed on your way to the bathroom.
- Do a couple of squads and arm punches as you are waiting for your coffee to finish.
- Put on your favorite song and dance to it while doing your make-up.
- Roll out a yoga mat and do three short poses holding 30 seconds in each.
- Walk your puppy around the block or do a little neighborhood stroll with your baby.
- Walk to a coffee shop to get your coffee instead of a drive-through.
Decide on one small thing you will start doing, even if it is two minutes of time, and do that for a couple of weeks. Once you gain practice and confidence in yourself with that one small thing, increase the time or add another thing. Over time, this practice can help you through baby steps build a stronger morning routine.
2. Eat nutritious food: Even if you are not too hungry when you get up, try to introduce a small meal in the morning and take the time to eat it. Here are some tips:
- Start with something small – a cup of yoghurt, smoothie, or a piece of fruit.
- If you don’t have time to prepare your breakfast in the morning, get it ready at night. Put a cup of overnight oatmeal in the fridge, slice up an apple with a spoon of peanut butter in your Tupperware, boil an egg. Then you can just grab it and eat in the morning with no prep.
- Take five minutes to eat your breakfast sitting at a table. If you do not do this now, you will be surprised how much calmness and balance just five minutes of intentional eating will give you.
Prepping at night, starting small, and intentionally sitting at a table with your meal are small steps that can make a big difference and put you on a path of a healthier morning eating habit.
3. Engage your brain: do something that gets your thinking and creative juices flowing. Think of it as a warm-up for your brain and feel good thoughts. Ideally, you should focus on something that you really enjoy, so that it brings positive energy in your brain. It may be something like:
- Read a few pages of a book. Perhaps while you eat your small breakfast.
- Write down three goals for your day in a journal.
- Read an article from your favorite blogger or columnist.
- Do a crossword puzzle.
- Listen to a podcast you like on your way to work.
Similar to what I said above, pick one thing that actively engages your brain (as opposed to mindlessly scrolling through social media) and, ideally, brings you joy, and begin with that. Over time, you can build it up or you will just stick to those few minutes of focused, intentional time that will give you a nice sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day.
4. Leave plenty of time: this one is a challenge for those with limited time and those nigh owls that struggle in the morning. But a few ideas:
- Add 5 minutes extra the first week, 5 minutes the next, and build it up to 20-30 minutes for yourself in the morning.
- Put your alarm away from your bed, so that you have to get up to stop it and don’t snooze.
- Ask yourself who do you want to be – the person who shows up to work balanced, confident, and well put together? Or the person who flies in, spreads negativity, and runs around all day just to catch up? Set your time in the morning based on who you want to be.
- If you are more productive at night, what are the things you can do the day before to make your morning more calm? Prepare your breakfast at night, select the clothes you will wear the next morning, pack your lunch, set your book to read in the morning on the dining table, get your school bag ready, or write down your goals for the next day, so that you can only refresh your memory in the morning.
Start with baby steps, build it up. Celebrate small victories. And savor the moments of more time and less rush in the morning. Note how you feel when you have more time and how you show up for your day as a result. All of this will be stepping stones and motivation for a more calm, intentional morning and a more joyful and productive day.
The tips above were primarily targeting those who do not have a routine or struggle in the morning right now. But how about those morning people who already have a routine and those who have more time in the morning? For this group, we are looking to do some fine tuning, so that your morning is really the best springboard for your day you can imagine. For this group, I have targeted questions to further refine what you do. Do you cover all four of the areas that I described above? If not, how can you introduce the one you are missing right now? For example, if your morning routine that does not involve any exercise, what are some ways that you could incorporate a little bit of movement? Alternatively, you exercise, but it is always the same and you are getting bored – what new exercises could you try? Is there an online or in person class that you could tackle in the morning and still make it to work on time? Can you pair up with an exercise buddy to make it more fun? Can you level up by running the extra mile, increasing your weights, or doing a more challenging yoga pose? If you are not doing much to engage your brain – what are the things that bring you joy or that you leave for the end of the day and never get to? Can you set aside more time and focus on them in the morning? Lastly, if you have a morning routine, but still feel rushed, think through the ways that you can build more time into your morning, using the examples I mentioned above or other strategies that will work for you.
I am passionate about finding the best ways to start my morning and own my day and helping others to do the same. I would love to help you with any questions and challenges you have and hear your suggestions what really works for you and might benefit others. Let’s build our path to owning our day from the early minutes we open our eyes.
