The way you start your day has a significant impact on how you may feel at the end of it. Starting your day mindfully and productively leads to a more successful day. A good morning routine can help keep you on track, making it easier to stay in rhythm with your personal goals and maintain healthy habits.
You can easily modify this simple 3-step good morning routine to your needs.
It gives you a framework to help you build and sustain your healthiest lifestyle every day.
Don’t end the day feeling defeated, with only one item checked off your list of priorities.
Use these expert tips to keep yourself healthy, productive, and loving every minute of it.
Step 1: The First Five Minutes
The first five minutes upon waking up are arguably the most important ones when we try to set up a good morning routine.
When we set an ambitiously early alarm, it may seem like a great idea, but it often leads to endless snoozing, endless scrolling of Social Media feeds, or otherwise procrastinating.
Choose a time that is a compromise between when your body naturally wakes up, and the ideal early-riser time you strive to wake up at one day.
When you wake up, commit to putting your feet on the floor first. This simple step of getting up before checking your phone or snoozing the alarm sets you off for a great morning ahead.
Before going to sleep, try putting a glass of water beside your bed. In those first five minutes, have a drink of water to start your day – doing this will put your digestive system on track and hydrate you after a long night of sleep.
While you drink your first glass of water, take some time to reflect on your night of sleep and check in with your body: Are you hungry? Did you sleep well? What are you worried about going into the day?
With these relaxing and body/mind-oriented first few minutes, you are setting your good morning routine up for success.
Step 2: Focus on Your Needs First
Maybe you recall wishing you could make more time for yourself. Now is the time! Take care of your needs first before starting on the long list of assignments, work, and family responsibilities. Wash your face, brush your teeth, and take a hot shower to get your day started!
Take five, ten, or twenty minutes of your morning (depending on how much time you have) and give it to yourself for these bucket list self-care items. Doing this early in the day makes your goals easier to commit to reaching them. Finally, do the lengthy cleaning routine that dentists like dentistnorthyork.com recommend after a visit.
How ever you choose to spend this time, make sure it is something that never quite gets itself checked off your to-do list.
Step 3: Setting Attainable Goals
Now it’s time to kick your day into gear. That list of worries you began to think through the moment you woke up? It is time to acknowledge your anxiety and strategize a plan to handle your fears. The tendency here is to set a rigid, idealized schedule that would leave you feeling satisfied, whereas a much better use of your time, though, would be to set goals that serve your mind and body.
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius, Chinese Philosopher (551-479 BCE)
Pick the essential things on your to-do list. Allot time for those items. Now look at the rest of your list and decide which of these things can be swiped away and places on the back burner, and which have approaching deadlines. Based on this information, write down some loose, flexible goals for the day. These will help you stay on track, and get your work done without letting stress or unforeseen circumstances bog you down.
The Bottom Line
When you start your day with self-care, reflecting, and goal-setting –– it can help you to enforce healthy habits. It can also lead to productivity and a happier, healthier you. Follow this 3-step morning routine to help you set and achieve goals, take care of your mind and body, and maintain your ideal lifestyle.
photo source | adobe