i would by no means consider myself a morning person. i have always been more of a night owl + in the mornings would always procrastinate getting out of bed, only to have to throw myself together + out the door to make it to my first meeting of the day on time.
over the past few months, i have started a new routine + have noticed that those first 10 minutes after waking up are really the most influential. they actually set the tone of your entire day + i've learned the importance of being intentional with my routine + making sure my mind + body are happy from the start.
- no snooze. this one was the hardest for me to give up. even if i couldn't go back to sleep, i loved to just lay there on my phone + scroll through email + social media. now, i choose a time to wake up + tell myself that the snooze button isn't even an option. it took a little getting used to, but now i look forward to jumping out of bed in the morning to get on with the rest of my routine.
- stretch. i've always been a nighttime stretcher + i definitely still stretch at night, but have incorporated a morning stretch as well. stretching first thing in the morning has several health benefits. including muscle + joint flexibility, stress relief + improved circulation.
- water + light. i always prepare my lemon water the night before. doing this helps to eliminate any day of excuses. right after i have a quick stretch, i head to the sunroom to soak up some of the daylight that comes through the windows, while i drink my first 18 ounces of water. about 60 percent of our body is water + after sleeping for 7 to 8 hours without water, your parched body is basically begging to be replenished!
- breakfast. i've never been a breakfast person, but breakfast helps to kick start your metabolism, helping you burn calories through the day. i do tend to keep things simple at breakfast, because if you think about it, you are actually breaking your fast + don't want to shock your body with anything high in sugar. a healthy, well balanced breakfast is key.
- music. music makes me feel good + charges me up in the morning. it depends on the day, but i will put on whatever i am in the mood for that morning while i get ready. getting ready always comes immediately after breakfast + always with music!
- read. i read for both pleasure + personal development. my morning reading is always for personal development. i find that when i read something positive + encouraging, i feel better prepared for my day. i may even be reading something that morning that helps me to better tackle my day.
- morning pages. this is just a brain dump of everything i'm thinking about. this could be personal thoughts, things i have to do that day, feelings that i'm having. anything. i just want to get it out of my head + onto paper so that I can focus on tackling the things that matter.
- phone. you'll notice that up until this point in the routine, nothing mentioned pulling out my phone. now that i've had my stretch, my sunlight, water, breakfast, gotten ready + learned something new, it's okay to pull out my phone to check emails and/or social media.
i have noticed such a difference in my productivity since implementing this routine. i'd love to learn some things that help you get your day started, drop me a comment + let me know what helps you set your day up for success!
