Have you ever considered what your mornings are like and how they affect you for the rest of the day? Do you find yourself incapable of waking up? Or maybe, you just stay in bed for an extra hour and catch up on Social Media on your phone. Maybe, just maybe, you sleep in as late as possible and run out of the door for the morning, completely rushed and anxious.
If you find that you’re not quite happy with how your mornings go, may I suggest you build yourself a morning routine? Building a routine for yourself can allow for more time, a clearer mind, and a better day. Here are some ideas to incorporate:
1. Have a glass of water:
Almost everything I’ve read or listened to has suggested that you drink a glass of water in the morning. After 6 – 8 hours of not drinking anything, your body is dehydrated and it isn’t working up to its best.
2. Move:
Some people love to work out in the morning, some hate it. The key is, allow yourself to take 15 minutes to stretch, walk, garden, anything – so that your body is waking up, and as you increase your circulation, that blood flow will help the brain waken up, as well as the rest of your bod.
3. Have Quiet Time:
Give yourself a chance to sit down and collect your thoughts. You can meditate, journal, or even make a list of your goals for the day. Getting yourself into the right headspace for the day can often be a lifesaver later when you’re wondering if you left the curling iron on and you’re in the middle of feeding your meter. You’ll have less to stress about and can focus on that audition.
4. Timing:
When you think about what you want to do for the morning, schedule out how long you want to spend on each item. If meditation needs to be 30 minutes, do it, if less, great. You can set the timer on your phone to help keep you honest.
5. Avoid the Time Suck of Technology:
It’s fun to check in on all that’s happened in the world while you were sleeping, isn’t it? This is my biggest thing to work on. I will easily get lost in what people posted and shared the night before. Then 30 minutes has gone by and I’ve lost my window to get up and workout. My goal? To avoid social media, emails, and texts until I workout and have spent time on myself first.
When you begin to build your routine, be patient. Not everyone can get up at 5:30 in the morning to get things going, nor can everyone sleep in until 8am. Find the things you like doing that help you get ready for the day. Your routine can vary from your roommates/other half/neighbors, it’s okay. Remember to practice some of that self-compassion that I just love to talk about. Once you find out what works for you, set the goal to do it for 30 days. It should become habit.
What do you like to do in the mornings? Tweet me and let me know at: @pattyjrobinson