Let’s be honest, we all want to wake up early in the morning, we all want to start our days feeling energized and full of enthusiasm but that’s just not the reality for a lot of people. The reality is that most people’s morning routine is quite poor.
Most of us feel miserable in the morning and even though we really want to have a productive morning routine, it’s just not the reality for most people, and many of those problems are rooted in a poor morning routine.
The fact that we start our days the wrong way and expect to feel energized and productive is paradoxical, and the only way of making sure that your days start the right way is to make sure that you work on developing the right habits and start doing the right things as soon as the alarm goes off.
I know that expecting to wake up energized and start your day perfectly every time is a bit optimistic, and I definitely am not the person with the best morning habits, but I’m constantly working on it, and I want you to do the same.
Stop hittin’ the snooze
Waking up on time requires developing strong discipline.
There’s absolutely no shame in being part of the SNOOZE SQUAD, but if it goes too far, we’ve got a problem. Getting 5 more minutes of sleep shouldn’t be a problem, but if you hit the snooze button at 8 am and instead of 8:05 you wake up at 10:15, well…
It’s best to completely avoid hitting the button in the first place.
When it comes to starting your days properly there’s nothing more important than waking up on time, and the biggest thing that stands in the way is the damn snooze button.
For some people waking up early comes naturally, but for the rest of us who can’t proudly show our ‘early riser’ badge, developing a habit of not oversleeping is a serious task to tackle.
What’s the solution?
Well, the solution comes in two parts. The first part is something every sleepy sleeperson dreads the most, even more than not having the snooze button.
Going to bed early.
I know. It’s so simple it almost sounds stupid. But honestly, I’ve spent years beating myself up for not being able to wake up at 6 am, whilst never addressing the fact that I start getting ready for bed around 1 am.
How about instead of setting the goal to wake up at 5 am, you set the goal to go to sleep before midnight?
That doesn’t sound like a crazy idea, does it?
A MICRO WIN to start your day
The more effort and willpower it took to get your groggy a$$ out of the bed, the greater the chance for negative self-talk, and the bigger the need to do something to combat it.
The best way to feel a tiny bit better about yourself as soon as you wake up is to make your bed. There’s just something so satisfying in the realization that you’ve just made your bed.
It may last for only a few seconds, but those seconds are precious. They put you in a great state of mind of already having accomplished something good, no matter how small it may seem.
Starting your day with a micro win is one of the most crucial parts of a productive morning routine.
“If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
“Make Your Bed” by Admiral McRaven
Drink a glass of water
Who would’ve thought that DRINK WATER would become a valuable piece of advice, but apparently only 22% of Americans drink the recommended daily amount of water.
NY Post says: ‘More than half of adults in the United States don’t drink enough water – because they are too busy, forget or don’t track it.’
Are you in this category?
Considering that 70% of our bodies are made of water and after sleeping for 7-8 hours, we become pretty dehydrated, drinking a glass of water is the only way to rehydrate and give your body and your mind the necessary boost it needs to get it going.
Please, do your best to be a part of the 22% of well-hydrated people. Your body will thank you.
Morning mobility
After you’ve made your bed, it’s time to take things to the next level. And in order to do so, we’ll employ another simple process that’ll take your sense of accomplishment one step further.
Instead of being a regular part of every functioning human’s life, stretching has become a band-aid we use to fix the glute pain caused by spending too much time glued to the chair.
I haven’t done the research, but I’m quite convinced that if you can touch your toes without bending your knees you’re in a minority. The benefits of stretching go far beyond just being able to use your body the way nature intended. Not only will it help you fully wake up and warm up your muscles, but it’ll also enhance your mood, improve brain function, increase your energy, and boost your metabolism.
And to make this easier for you, I’ve found this amazing video you can follow. It’s just one minute long, and I can guarantee that it will significantly improve your morning ritual if you do this, even for as little as one minute.
Plan your day productively
Now that you’re up and going it’s time for some strategizing.
Making a list of a few important tasks that you need to accomplish during the day and specifying some steps you’ll need to take in order to do so, is very powerful, especially if you take into account the fact that productivity requires structure.
You can’t just go about your day and do things on a whim, you’ll have to follow some kind of a routine.
Not only will you find it much easier to keep track of your tasks and goals but you’ll also leave a lot less room for fear of not knowing which step to take to mess with your head. Not to mention that once you get into the zone of productivity, you’ll say goodbye to all the previously felt demotivation.
One of the most common stepping stones on the way to achieving our goals is poor time management. Not a lot of people give it the proper attention it deserves, but I believe it to be one of the most crucial skills one has to master in order to succeed in life.
“One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not to be done at all.”
― Brian Tracy, Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
Quick Skincare Routine
Want to make your mornings feel even better? Try adding a simple skincare routine to your usual morning activities. It’s not just about getting up and moving; taking care of your skin can give you a boost for the day. In just a few minutes, you can refresh your skin, make it look better, and start your day feeling good. Let’s break down some easy steps to add to your morning routine for a fresh and radiant start.
- Cleanse: Begin by washing your face with a gentle cleanser to kickstart your day with a fresh canvas.
- Tone: Apply a hydrating toner to balance your skin and prep it for the next steps.
- Moisturize with SPF: Hydrate your skin with a non-greasy moisturizer that includes sun protection (SPF 30 or higher) to keep your skin shielded from UV rays.
- Eye Care: Dab on a bit of eye cream to reduce puffiness and dark circles for a brighter, refreshed look.
In just a few minutes, you’ve given your skin the care it deserves, setting a positive tone for the day ahead. Small steps, big glow!
- Just Nutritive Men's Skin Care Moisturizer 8 oz.
- Price: $29.99
- Just Nutritive Clear Facial Polish 4 oz.
- Price: $28.99
- Just Nutritive Facial Toner All Skin Types 4 oz.
- Price: $23.99
Conclusion
Even though waking up early and trying to start your day properly is not the easiest of tasks, it’s definitely one worth your attention.
It requires a lot of dedication and a lot of time, but once you develop the right morning routine and make it a part of your everyday life, you’ll see a significant improvement.
I know that a lot of morning routines on the internet seem unreal and quite frankly impossible, but that’s not the reason to discard the idea completely.
Don’t think about the morning routine as a whole, think about it as a group of small things done in the right way over and over again. And if your mornings happen to be miserable I honestly believe that implementing the above-mentioned steps is the perfect way to start every day as you should- on a high note.
