Okay, the title of this post might be a bit of a stretch. I don’t believe there is the perfect morning routine or the perfect formula for success. However, I do believe that there are certain things and habits anyone can implement into their lives to set up their day for success. You don’t have to do all of them and I am sure there are many more things that I didn’t even think of.. so maybe share them in the comments. I would love to have a conversation about this.
If you snooze, you lose.
Getting up early is not easy, at least it is not for me. One thing that has massively helped me to get up earlier is to actually disable the snooze function of my alarm. We all know the inner dialogue that goes something along the lines of ‘…oh another 5 minutes won’t make a difference. I’ll just put my hair in a ponytail today, no need for styling. You know what, I anyway wanted to have a makeup-free day. Oh, today is the day I skip breakfast and start intermitted fasting.’ And it goes on and on until it’s so late that you have to rush out of bed. Yes, you make it into work in time, but you are also absolutely stressed out and exhausted before the day even started. Since not having the option to hit snooze I only have one choice: actually getting up when my alarm goes off. Easy, but so effective!
First off, water.
I am someone who always tries to drink more water but I have to actively remind myself all the time. All jokes aside, if I don’t try hard enough I will live on a glass of water a day. So getting in a big glass of water right when I get up, without fail, always helps. And you know what? Now I am actually thirsty every single morning. It’s crazy how you can train your body and mind to adapt to your habits.
Set the tone.
What you do in the morning sets the tone for the whole day. I started practicing yoga every single day after getting up and having my water. For me, its the best way to stay focused throughout the day and feel calm and relaxed at the same time. And don’t worry, your yoga session doesn’t have to be 40 minutes long to be effective. Unless it’s the weekend or I have a morning off, 5 to 15 minutes are enough for me.
Get an overview.
Even though I like to plan my days ahead of time, preferably on a Sunday, I like to check my calendar and to-do lists and get an overview of the day. If you are prepared, you are going to be more organized and less anxious.
Smile!
Last but not least, smile. Sometimes smiling, even when you don’t feel like it, or especially if you don’t feel like it, will make the biggest change to your day and your mood. Fake it til you make it!
