Creating A Healthy Morning Routine
9.14.2023
By: Ray SaVonne
Routines are a sequence of actions that are regularly followed both knowingly and unknowingly. Because routines are something we do without thinking (most of the time), we have to set aside time to implement “to-do’s” to accomplish personal goals throughout the day as well. The best way to maximize our productivity is to create a routine that changes our normal autopilot mode(s).
As of now, the four most common morning routines include:
Waking up and checking social media/checking phone messages or emails
Drinking coffee or tea
Taking a shower or bath
Journaling/meditating/working out
Let’s break each of these routines down to their effectiveness… or ineffectiveness.
Leading Morning Routine: Checking our phone/social media
Checking social media first thing in the morning can send our stress levels soaring as we subconsciously start comparing ourselves to others. Similarly, checking messages or emails can cause us to feel overwhelmed by reading something sad or an email marked as “URGENT.”
If you’re like I was, your phone doubles as an alarm clock, which makes it that much harder to eliminate picking up the phone when first waking up. Instead of using your phone as an alarm clock, try taking it old school and buying a box alarm clock. You’d be surprised, but yes, box alarm clocks are still widely used and sold in many places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. They even have some cute and modern alarm clocks to choose from like this one or this one or. By eliminating phone grabbing from your first instincts, you’ll be one step closer to starting the day off on a positive foot!
Second Most Common Morning Routine: Drinking coffee or tea
Drinking coffee or tea too soon after waking up increases cortisol levels, which is counterproductive to our health. Thus, it is recommended to drink caffeine (coffee & tea) once our cortisol levels naturally decrease (30-60 mins after waking up), to get the healthful effect of the caffeine intake.
Third Most Common Routine: Taking a morning bath or shower
Morning showers are great to implement into your morning routine. Morning showers can improve our blood circulation, decrease stress, increase immunity, and balance our skin’s natural oils. Even though I’m an avid night showerer myself, I do sometimes find myself taking a morning shower to “wake myself up” and it definitely does the trick every. single. time. So, if you need an extra boost to get out of bed or wake yourself up, try adding a morning bath or shower to your routine!
Fourth Most Common Routine (and least practiced): Journaling/Meditating/Working Out
All of these activities release endorphins which are a good source of “feel good” energy. Meditation, especially, puts us into a relaxed state which allows the free flow of natural positive energy. I can personally attest that it’s more challenging to integrate journaling, meditating, and/or working out into a morning routine, but if implemented, it’s very rewarding!
Now that we know the affects of the most common morning routines, let's focus on how to create a healthy morning routine that works best for you!
Write Down Attainable Goals
The first step is writing out your attainable goals. The key word in this is attainable. Oftentimes, people who are just starting their new routines put 10+ things on their list… which some people can do, but more often than not, 1-5 things are ideal. Once you’ve mastered those 1-5 things, it will be easier to add to your routine without feeling overwhelmed.
Determine Intentions
Next, is the foundation of your routine: Intention. Every successful routine has intention behind it. Creating a routine where you wake up with intention allows you to pre-calculate how your day will go before it even begins. I advise the first step in creating your morning routine to prepare the night before. By placing your clothes out for the morning, setting your alarm clock, etc. you are already setting yourself up to be ahead. Planning to wake up 2-3 hours earlier than you have to be at work or school (or anywhere else you have to report to) is also a good rule of thumb so that you have plenty of time to accomplish personal goals like reading, working out, meditating, etc. I know it sounds like a lot but having intention combined with consistency will change your point of view wholeheartedly, I promise! For example, I’m an avid walker, I don't run too much (unless something is weighing on my mind, haha), but when I first got back into consistently working out, I would make sure I woke up at 6 a.m. and was out of the house by 6:45 am to make it to the gym by 7 am. I would walk and/or workout, stretch, and be back home in time to shower and get ready for work at 10 a.m. without feeling like I was rushing. At first, it was treacherous and I’d literally have to talk myself into getting out of bed. But over time, I started waking up a few minutes before my alarm clock! It was like my body already knew it was go-time. Doing this increased my mental clarity and I felt less stressed throughout the day. So, I say all that to say that even though in the beginning it seems challenging, you just have to establish a consistent routine that trains your mind and body to do what YOU set out to do!
Have Discipline & Hold Yourself Accountable
Having discipline and holding yourself accountable is a huge part of a successful morning routine. If you allow yourself to make excuses, you’ll most likely be unsuccessful. Having a physical checklist of things to complete aids your self-accountability and helps you stay on track. My advice is to start your morning routine list with easy things to accomplish like making the bed, then building up from there. By doing this, you’ll already be on a roll of accomplishment before even leaving your room! My first five things are always very simple:
-Open window curtains (let that light in!)
-Make bed
-Brush teeth
-Wash face
-Put on clothes
This allows me to get ready in a way of progression that is easy to complete and boosts the natural flow of dopamine (read our Hacking Happiness blog if you haven’t already)!
Take it one day at a time:
We won’t always have days that we’re able to complete everything (life be life-ing) and there’s no such thing as perfect! But don’t let one day deter you from starting again the next day and mastering your routine. Each day is a new opportunity to be great! Change is a process, so embrace the transition of shedding negative habits and routines and focus on the greater you to come! My personal favorite thing to help me stay focused and on track with my routine is a daily planner. You can view and purchase the exact one I use here. The only person who can hold you back is YOU!
Your inner Kléi is only a decision away!
XO,
The Kléi
