What’s the big deal about having a morning routine? Why must it be morning and why do I need to make it routine? You might say I’m not a morning person, doing the same thing over and over is boring or I just don’t have time. Here’s the thing, there are a million and one excuses to not wake up early. I’m sure there are a few excuses floating in your head right now. Do me a favor, take your objections and set them aside for one minute.
What if, a morning routine actually made you more productive? What if it made such a difference that your relationships were better and you just felt better overall? Would it be worth a shot? I think it’s worth trying. I promise you, if you try it, you will experience more clarity and energy than you have probably felt in a long time. Think of it like priming the pump or warming up your car on a cold day. It gets your brain in gear, gets your blood flowing and prepares you for the day. Don’t know where to start, here are five things you can do that will get you going:
Wake Up Early – Set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier than you normally do. Just 15 minutes, that’s it.
Drink a glass of water – Go straight for your sink and down a huge glass of water. Water is like oil in our bodies. After you have been asleep for hours, you need something to wake you up and to get things moving again.
Stretch – Take 5 minutes and stretch. This gets your blood moving and really wakes you up. I like do a little yoga sun salutations, it gets me to break a little sweat and it just feels good to get the muscles engaged.
Journal – Take 5 minutes and write 3 things you are grateful for and 3 things you want to get done during the day. Being grateful puts you in a positive frame of mind. Identifying what you want to get done, put you in a productive state of mind.
Meditate/Read – This is not the empty your mind kind of meditation, but the be present kind. This is a key to getting in tune with your emotional and mental state. Engage your mind and it will set you thinking up for the day.
That’s it, 15 minutes. 5 easy things. Try my suggestions or make up your own. The key is that you rev your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual engines before the day starts to come at you like a wild animal. You will be glad you did and you will be prepared to handle anything that comes at you.