A healthy morning routine has been the biggest game changer for me going into yet another lockdown.
Somehow over the last few months all the things that served me tapered off and before I knew it I was feeling like complete rubbish.
There’s a lot that’s out of our control right now, but what is in our control is how we spend our time, which will ultimately affect how we feel.
I’m sure this is not the first time you’re hearing how beneficial this daily ritual can be for you, but the facts are that this is what the majority of successful people have in common.
People who have a consistent morning routine will experience greater levels of happiness and productivity — all of which the world could use presently.
In this article, I look at why having a healthy morning routine can benefit you and how to create one that will support you in feeling phenomenal!
What Is A Healthy Morning Routine?
A morning routine is a set of actions you perform in the morning, usually before your day’s main activity (like going to work), which makes you feel happy, healthy and focused for the day ahead.
This usually means waking up earlier than you need to (or want to).
These actions or activities are things you want to do for yourself first thing so they don’t get pushed aside and forgotten when the craziness of your day ensues.
Practising a morning routine is like making a commitment to putting yourself first and getting a personal headstart on the day, every day.
What it consists of will be unique to what serves you and your goals. This is definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach.
As long as the things you do make you feel good and set you up for success (however that may look for you), then whatever your morning ritual looks like will benefit you greatly.
The Benefits of A Healthy Morning Routine
1. You Control The Day, The Day Doesn’t Control You
Often when we wake up at the very last second to get ready for work etc. it can feel like a manic rush and often this is the energy we take with us into the rest of our day.
Also, not having any time for yourself means that you’re not moving into the day intentionally. It will all just take over and before you know it chews you up and spits you out and then you do it again.
2. Stress Reduction
Doing something for yourself first thing will naturally make you more relaxed and feeling happier.
3. Increased Confidence
When you start the day with a personal focus and complete actions that have meaning to you you are building self-efficacy and this helps to create confidence.
4. Increase In Productivity Levels
As we start each new day, we can better focus on what is in front of us, where to prioritise our time, and, ultimately, increase our productivity.
Productivity is not always about how much we are getting done but can also refer to the level of quality and intention we are giving to tasks.
How to Create Your Healthy Morning Routine
When creating a morning routine it’s said that approaching it from a more holistic view can be greatly beneficial for your entire being.
This means choosing activities that can nourish you mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
It’s important to choose things that you actually want to do, versus those that you feel you “should” do (based on the morning rituals of successful people or celebrities).
If it doesn’t excite you then you’ll lack any motivation to wake up earlier to do it.
Mentally
This has to do with your mind, including thoughts, beliefs, values, goals, hopes, dreams, desires and plans.
Some options include:
Set Goals:
Whether they are long term, short term, easy or difficult, listing your goals will renew your focus and keep you motivated and inspired.
Writing down your three main goals for the day is also a great way to give your day a focused intention.
Maybe write them on a sticky note and paste it somewhere where you can be reminded throughout the day.
Check out my how-to guide on Goal Setting here.
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Brain Dump:
Sometimes we can wake up with so much going on in our head, this could be things we need to do, want to accomplish etc.
Best way to combat this is by brain dumping all that information into a list. From there you can organise what you’ll tackle first.
Meditation:
I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you how powerful meditation is and the benefits of a consistent practise.
If you’re looking to feel calmer, present and relaxed throughout your day then I highly suggest you give meditation a go!
Here are some great resources for a guided meditation to get you started.
The free 21-day guided meditations from Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey is also a great place to start.
Read:
Make an effort to read something that feeds your mind. By just allocating ten minutes each day you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll read in a month — this is precious time spent on developing yourself.
Read my article on ‘20 Must-Read Network Marketing Books To Maximise Your Earnings in 2020’ here
Breathe:
A brilliant way to clear your mind is to practise different breathing techniques. Here are some exercises that you can try.
Emotionally
This relates to your feelings, emotions and relationships — all that corresponds to the heart.
Some things you can do to support your emotional well-being include:
Express Gratitude:
New research continues to surface on the science and benefits of gratitude. Benefits range from how it improves relationships, physical and emotional health, sleep, mental stamina, energy and overall happiness.
I love doing this and it’s something I do every morning. Before I get out of bed, I think of at least 5 things I’m grateful for.
Hug Your Kid, Spouse Or Pet:
Hugging boosts your oxytocin levels (the love hormone), increases serotonin (elevates mood and creates happiness), strengthens the immune system, boosts self-esteem, lowers blood pressure, balances the nervous system and releases tension.
Basically, hugging makes you feel good.
Find someone – or something – to hug. This is the most simple and easy practise to put you into a positive mood for the rest of the day.
Physically
This has to do with our physical vessels, including what we eat and drink and how we move.
Here are some options for increasing your physical health:
Get Moving:
We all know the benefits of exercise. Get your blood flowing!
This might be a run, walk, hike, trip to the gym, yoga, stretching or doing your own home workout.
Find something that you really enjoy! Need some help cultivating a home workout routine? Read here.
Clean Your Physical Space:
Often when our physical space is messy and cluttered, our minds feel the same way.
Take the time to clear your space, declutter your room or workspace and make yourself feel more at ease.
Read this article for how to declutter.
Cleanse your body by giving it a bit of a break. Read how I like to do this, here.
Looking for ways to keep motivated during lockdown? Read here.
Spiritually
This can be anything related to you that gives you a feeling of inspiration —which means, ‘in spirit’.
While this doesn’t specifically convey religion, it might for you.
This is more about feeling connected to something greater – and what makes you feel most connected to yourself.
Here are a few examples:
Meditation:
Although meditation is great for the mind, it will also benefit you spiritually if that’s the kind of connection you are looking for.
Mirror Work:
This was a method originally developed by inspirational spiritual teacher Louise Hay as a way of getting in touch with the inner self.
The main purpose of mirror work is to cultivate self-love, self-care, and a more meaningful relationship with others.
By looking at your reflection for a short amount of time each day and talking to yourself with kindness and love, you can begin to nurture a more accepting and forgiving connection with yourself.
Be In Nature:
Take a walk somewhere scenic or go for a hike, or maybe even just sit in your garden for a short while.
Spending time outdoors with mother nature will unquestionably feed your soul — I love my daily walks with the kids!
My Healthy Morning Routine
After the last two lockdowns, I realised I had drank a tad too much and my exercise routine had ceased to exist.
So with entering into a new year and another lockdown, I decided my goal was to cultivate new habits. I decided on dry January (no alcohol) and carving out time for me with lots of exercise.
My current goal is 10 000 steps a day, as well as competing with my besties on burning 700 calories a day — we’ve all linked our Apple watches.
I also do my gratitudes when I wake up, then I get kids ready for school then I exercise or if it’s the weekend I exercise first.
At the moment my lockdown exercise routine is running or walking and then four live personal training classes a week.
These sessions are with Gorka — he is a dancer from Strictly Come Dancing — you sign up and get a live YouTube link for the class.
I also do lots of dog walks following footpaths so I can see new parts of the countryside.
Healthy Morning Routine Tips To Get You Started
1. A Healthy Morning Routine Starts The Night Before
It’s absolutely eseential to get quality sleep if you want to start your mornings off in the best possible way.
Make sure you get the recommended 7-9 hours (or whatever works for you). If you want to wake up earlier, you’ll have to get to bed earlier, simple as that really.
2. Don’t Hit Snooze
This will be hard, especially in the beginning as you start to wake up earlier. An extra five minutes seems like it will help right?
But what actually happens is that after you hit snooze, you begin another sleep cycle, which means that those 5 minutes will make you feel completely groggy and more likely to keep hitting snooze until the time you have to get up.
3. Avoid Your Phone First Thing
Kick it old school and rather use an alarm clock if you can. Or if you do use your phone’s alarm keep it on airplane mode.
It can be rather tempting when we see unread messages waiting, or you may just feel the urge to quickly check your social media — however when you do this you give your power over to external matters and will likely not start the day on your terms.
It takes only a second for a message or an Instagram post to determine your mood.
The best practise is to completely ignore your phone first thing in the morning for at least 30 minutes.
4. Be Generous With The Amount Of Time You Set Aside
There’s nothing worse than feeling rushed in the morning, so make sure you give yourself enough time to wake up, get dressed and complete your routine before your other commitments.
5. Keep It Simple
When looking at how to start a healthy morning routine start small and simple and build up.
It can be easy to get overly excited and want to do EVERYTHING, but this will easily overwhelm you and you’ll find you may give up or beat yourself up for not getting everything done.
I recommend picking one activity from each of the categories mentioned earlier.
This way you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressing about something that’s meant to bring you peace and joy.
6. Give It A Go And Be Consistent
Once you’ve settled on the activities you feel will benefit you, give them a go for at least a week or two before you decide on whether or not it works for you.
When cultivating a new habit, it can take at least 21 days to stick, so try your best to keep at your morning routine for this amount of time!
7. Be Flexible
If you’re not enjoying a certain part of your morning routine, then try replacing it with something else that you love.
Ready To Start Your Day In The Best Way?
I have found that by having a healthy morning routine I am better able to support myself through these uncertain times — something we actually do have control over!
All we can do is keep looking forward and trust that we’ll come out the other side of this soon enough!
I do hope this guide served you and has inspired you to make time for yourself. Please feel free to share in the comments below and ask me any questions.
I’d love to know what you’re planning to start making changes in your life so feel free to leave me a comment below.
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With love,
Nat
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