How to Find a Morning Routine that Works for You
The internet features seemingly endless articles about the morning routines of highly successful people. Oprah, Jeff Bezos, Jack Dorsey, Gwyneth Paltrow--they and many like them all tout the healing powers of their morning rituals. By optimizing their morning hours and prioritizing what is important to them personally, the theory goes, these folks set the tone for the rest of their day, and maximize both their productivity and their effectiveness as leaders.
In reality, most of us don’t have the personal chefs, private yoga instructors, and personal assistants needed to pull off a three-hour morning routine that includes meditation, exercise, a phenomenally healthy breakfast, deep breathing, and gratitude journaling, (to name just a few possibilities).
Between demanding work schedules, pet and kid care, unexpected delays, and inevitable sleep deprivation, it’s all many of us can do to get out the door with our shirts buttoned correctly and our shoes on the right feet, and some acknowledgment of this in the wellness press would be much appreciated and also long overdue.
While I’m generally not a fan of the super rich telling the rest of us that our lives would be more purposeful, fulfilling, and whole if we would just act more like them, it pains me to admit that a consistent morning routine, (that you are allowed to break or alter when necessary), would probably help a lot of us have calmer mornings and more focused and energetic days to follow.
Below are some scientifically-backed suggestions for ways to start your day. Please don’t try to do all of them. Rather, choose two or three things, implement them slowly, and go from there. If you try something and feel no benefit, swap it for something else. Experimentation and flexibility are keys to figuring out a morning routine that will help you through your day, and not just become one item on your already daunting to-do list. Your morning routine is supposed to make you feel good, after all. Not guilty about the fact that you aren’t doing enough to set yourself up for a successful day.
Get Enough Sleep: This is easier said than done, of course, but most adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep a night to maintain good health. Do what you can to make this happen, even if it means ignoring housework, leaving an email unsent, or only reading one bedtime story to your kiddo. Also, while this isn’t alway possible, especially for people who work irregular hours, ideally you would have the same bedtime and wake time every day, so your body can adjust to a consistent pattern. In the same vein, try not to hit the snooze button a bunch of times, as those five extra minutes will not contribute significantly to your energy level, and also steal precious time away from your morning routine. Slightly opening a curtain or shade before you go to bed at night will allow some sunlight to enter your room, and this can help facilitate a more natural awakening.
Reconnect With the People You Love: While no one expects you to have hour-long conversations with the important people in your life first thing in the morning, our brains are clearer and less distractible in the morning, meaning we can often give others higher-quality attention soon after we wake. While we're still fresh, it's worth taking five minutes to check in with a partner, sibling, friend, or parent, just to see what’s on their mind. Similarly, chat with your kids over breakfast or on the drive to school about what parts of the day they are most excited or trepidatious about. A quick check-in will make the special people in your life feel seen and heard, and will also improve your mood and remind you what’s most important.
Cut Back on Tech: At this point, most people likely know the “no tech an hour before bed” rule, but in case you haven’t heard, the light from screens can negatively affect sleep patterns and can impede true deep sleep. The same tech restriction is a good idea for the first hour of your day as well. Instead of reaching for your phone the moment you wake, try taking a few deep breaths and reflecting on the day to come. This will allow you to check in with yourself, be fully present in your own life, and set your own priorities, rather than getting instantly pulled into the news, drama, and issues that are no doubt waiting for you in your email and on your social media pages.
Drink Water: This is such a simple step to take in the morning, but if you can down at least one glass of water every morning, even before coffee, you’ll rehydrate yourself after sleep, facilitate your waking process, and feel instantly more alert, aware, and refreshed.
Eat Breakfast: The benefits of eating breakfast are well-documented. You’ll be able to stay focused and productive throughout your morning, and generally have more energy throughout your day. What’s more, you can use breakfast time to connect with family or think about how you would like your day to flow. Breakfasts don’t need to be huge, fancy, or labor-intensive. As long as you have some protein and some complex carbs, you’re good.
Consider Exercising: Not only do people who exercise regularly generally live longer, healthier lives, the endorphins released during exercise can boost your mood and sharpen your focus for the rest of the day. Exercise can also clear your mind, and give you the headspace needed to plan your day. Also, if you exercise first thing, automatically, there’s no chance of talking yourself out of it later in the day. Keep in mind that a morning exercise routine doesn’t have to be long. Twenty or thirty minutes of walking, jogging, cycling, stretching, or yoga is a great start to the day.
Consider Journaling: For many people, picking up a pen and writing in a journal is the last thing they want to do during a busy morning, but the benefits of journaling are many. First of all, it forces you to slow down and take stock. Secondly, it pushes you to understand your thoughts and feelings well enough to articulate them with words. Journaling can be a great way to locate patterns in the past days or weeks, and also set goals for the future. Journaling can also give you space to express gratitude, and gratitude has substantial impacts on happiness and success.
Consider Meditating: Mediation has been scientifically proven to increase brain plasticity, which makes learning new skills and acquiring new information easier. Meditation can also help reduce anxiety and curb the tendency to overthink, so even dedicating as few as five minutes to it each morning can be beneficial. There are a plethora of free meditation tutorials online if you need some help getting started. If you’re not a fan of meditation, it’s still worth setting five minutes of time aside for yourself each morning where you aren’t responsible for anyone or anything else. Sit on the couch, stare blankly out the window, and sip your coffee. Or, if this isn’t your jam, do whatever your version of “doing nothing” is. You’ll be busy enough later on, so pause everything briefly while you can.
Set Intentions: You don’t have to spend a lot of time of this, but before you start your day in earnest, it can be helpful to write down one, two, or three tasks, (no more, or you might start to feel overwhelmed), that you would like to accomplish or make progress on that day. Start with the hardest, most daunting thing, and go from there. Clearly stating intentions will push you to identify priorities and focus on getting your most important tasks completed. If you don’t reach your goals by the end of the day, no worries and no guilt. You did what you could do, and tomorrow is a new day.
As stated above, unless you’re a superhero, (or even if you are), there is no way you can work all of these activities into your morning routine. Mix and match, try new things, find your own, and don’t be afraid to let something go if it no longer serves you.
Healthy morning routines start with a good night’s sleep and regular self-care. Here at Jeromeo, we have a wealth of services and products designed to give you restful nights, peaceful days, and energized mornings. Book a massage or peruse our own line of high-quality essential oils. Test out our sleep aid aromatherapy diffusers, grab a whiff of our candles, incense, and soap, or sample our calming CBD products. At Jeromeo, we’re full of ideas to help make your wellness journey a little more fun.
Here’s to no more bad mornings!