There are many articles and books that have claimed to have found the best way to start your day. But what they fail to mention is that no one’s morning routine should be the exact same.
In fact, if you copy someone else’s morning routine, you’ll never experiment to find exactly what you actually want and need in the morning. You will also always struggle to get up in the morning because you aren’t actually looking forward to doing someone else’s morning routine.
After many years of studying and testing out the best things you should do in the morning, I’ve come up with 4 categories of things that you should include in your morning routine. Not exact habits to do, but rather categories of habits so you can pick which things you want to do, while still experiencing the benefits of getting up earlier than everyone else.
So without further ado, here is the best way to start your day.
The Best Way To Start Your Day
The point of having a morning routine is so that you can start the day on your terms. So you can slowly wake up and not feel rushed before the sun even rises.
But when it comes to what exactly should be included in your morning routine, it can be hard to figure out. I’ve come up with 4 categories of things you should do every morning.
4 Things You Should Do Every Morning
Spend Time In Silence
While many people say that you should meditate in the morning, I find that I can gain the benefits of sitting in silence in other ways too.
You could spend time journaling anything that comes to mind, many of my best ideas have come from a silent room with just me and my journal early in the morning.
Spend time in prayer and/or gratitude. Silently list in your head all the things you’re grateful for and thank God for each and every one of them. Over time this practice can shift your brain to a more positive mindset.
You can also spend time in reflection. Asking yourself a variety of reflection questions without the distraction of our noisy world will stimulate a lot of personal growth.
Try making a point to not play any music or turn on any technology in the first hour of your day. That could even be all the silence you need.
Benefits
Now I’m not just gonna tell you to do these things without listing why you should include this step in your mornings.
So here are 3 benefits of having a silence practice first thing in the morning:
- It allows your mind to slowly wake up, rather than being jolted into having to making decisions.
- Silence stimulates creativity. You’d be surprised how many ideas will come to you in the morning before you’re forced into the noisy world.
- Silence lowers your blood pressure and calms racing thoughts. Therefore starting your day with little to no stress in your body. You’ll feel relaxed and calm.
Related:
5 Benefits of Gratitude Practice
What is Mindset and Why is it Important
The Importance of Self Reflection
Move Your Body
While going to the gym first thing in the morning is very beneficial, it can take up a lot of time.
You can gain the benefits of moving your body in the comfort of your own home in as little as 5 minutes in the morning.
Here are some simple ways to move your body:
- Stretch your body as you get out of bed
- Do a 15 minute yoga practice
- Go for a walk around the neighborhood
Or if you’re feeling really ambitious, you could do a quick 15 minute HIIT workout right in your living room. Just do a quick search on youtube to find short but beneficial ways to move your body in the morning.
Benefits
Moving your body right away in the morning has so many benefits. Here are 3:
- Leads to better concentration levels throughout the rest of the day
- Helps fill your lungs with oxygen and increase blood flow throughout the body
- Helps you wake up faster so you don’t feel groggy throughout the day
Do Something You Love
Before you have to start tackling the tasks that need to get done each day you should make time to do something you love. Be it a hobby or your favorite activity, doing something you enjoy first thing in the morning gives you time to be by yourself before having to do stuff for others.
Think of activities you enjoy doing that you often don’t have time for throughout the day and include some time to do them in the morning.
Maybe you love sewing or knitting; reading or writing stories, or maybe you really enjoy learning and researching different topics that interest you.
Take just 15-30 minutes in the morning, before other people who need you get up, and do something for yourself.
This not only lifts your mood right away in the morning, but you will be able to serve others better because you’re not pouring from an empty cup.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
This is the only thing in the morning that isn’t really a category of options because, honestly, you should really eat a healthy breakfast every morning.
We’ve always heard growing up that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And well, they weren’t lying to you.
You haven’t put anything in your body for 6-8 hours and if you keep your body from food any longer it’s going to be hard for you to stay awake and focus on your work.
You don’t have to make some huge elaborate breakfast, but you should eat something that’s not just a pop-tart for breakfast. Instead, give yourself something with nutritional value.
If you’re worried about not having enough time to make breakfast in the morning, you could make something the night before. There are many pre-made breakfast options, you just have to take the time to research and figure out what you like.
I personally make a huge protein smoothie the night before so all I have to do in the morning is grab it out of the fridge and go.
I’ve also made overnight oats or freezer breakfast sandwiches.
The options are endless. Just make sure it’s something you look forward to eating, otherwise, you’ll skip this step entirely.
Final Thoughts
If you choose an activity in each of these 4 categories you’ll be on your way to creating a morning routine that not only sets you up for success but that you also love and look forward to every night before you go to bed. Which will, in turn, make it easier for you to get up the next morning.
Plan your morning routine the night before and lay out everything you might need so that you’re brain doesn’t have to do much of the decision-making so early in the morning.
Have fun creating your very own morning routine specific to you because that’s the best way to start your day.
What are you going to include in your morning routine? Share with us the comments below.
More Blog Posts on Morning Routines:
10 Amazing Benefits of Waking Up Early and Having a Morning Routine
How to Stop Hitting Snooze | 5 Smart Tips for Breaking the Habit
The Incredible Magic of Having a Morning Routine
How to Create a Morning Routine and Stick To It
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