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Would you consider yourself a morning person? I sure as heck didn't!
I spent most of my life dreading early mornings and had zero interest in ever becoming an early riser.
As a bartender for almost ten years before having kids, I spent many nights going to bed at 5 AM and sleeping until noon.
Then one day everything changed, and my lifelong identity as a night owl suddenly shifted to an early bird.
Before starting my morning routine two years ago, I would roll out of bed with barely a minute to spare, finding myself rushing around before my kids woke up.
Every day felt like a race against the clock, and I was neglecting to carve out any time to do all the things I knew would be beneficial in my life.
Sound familiar?
Yes, I was making time to go to the gym a few days a week in the evenings, but that always felt rushed.
I would rush back for dinner time, get homework done, go to sports practice, and before I knew it the day was over.
I wasn't happy or fulfilled and inevitably found myself drinking entirely too much wine at night to cope with my stress and anxiety.
These poor habits were about to change and my life was about to shift gears into a new and improved version of myself.
It all started on what seemed like an ordinary day.
My husband informed he would be coming home late the following day due to a work function.
I hated the idea of skipping the gym, so I decided to give myself a crash course in early rising and wake up at 5 AM to go to the gym first thing in the morning.
Sounds a bit overzealous, right?
I thought so too, but I actually did it!
I got to the gym by 5:15 am and arrived home at 6:30 am, feeling super proud of my accomplishment.
It felt so good to get my workout done bright and early, that I decided to make this gym session part of my new routine.
This new habit was the beginning of a physical, mental, and spiritual transformation I never expected.
My early morning workouts led to a series of other habits that I always wanted to do but never made time for in the past.
Waking up early gave me a new lease on life.
All I can say is the benefits of a solid morning routine are endless.
Many will agree it boosts happiness, reduces stress, alleviates anxiety, and makes you much more productive throughout the day.
Creating a system of habits that gets you started on the right foot every morning will have profound effects on your life and productivity.
Let’s take a look at my life-changing morning routine.
EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM
First things first, you have to decide that you will wake up earlier than usual.
I prefer to wake up at 5 AM to leave enough time to get through all of my morning rituals.
You can determine the best time for you, but it’s essential that you carve out enough time while everyone is still asleep to perform your new habits.
In the beginning, I suggest waking up 30 minutes earlier and choosing one or two things from this list to do in those 30 minutes.
Once a habit is established as part of your routine, you can gradually wake up earlier and begin adding more to your list of morning rituals.
ditch the SNOOZE BUTTON
Ending my love affair with the snooze button was a difficult one for me initially.
Now, I leave my phone on the other side of the room and get straight out of bed when I hear the alarm.
Studies show that hitting the snooze is a terrible way to begin the day.
Dozing off to sleep for five or ten minutes during the snooze period will leave you feeling groggy and disoriented when you finally force yourself to get out of bed.
It's much more effective to wake up immediately when your alarm goes off.
DO NOT CHECK YOUR PHONE
One of the worst ways to start off your day is to flood your brain with information from the outside world.
Spend a minimum of one hour, avoiding your email and social media feeds.
You want to use this precious time wisely, by going inward as much as possible without distractions.
HYDRATE
Our bodies are dehydrated after sleeping for seven to eight hours, so hydrate by drinking an eight-ounce glass of water within the first ten minutes after you wake up.
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon to aid in digestion, promote weight loss and increase your Vitamin C intake.
PHYSICAL MOVEMENT
Typically I would go to the gym first thing in the morning, but with gyms still closed, I’ve adjusted by going on early morning walks.
Any movement is better than none, so whether it is yoga, stretching, cardio, or lifting weights, moving your body is very important.
Strive for a minimum of fifteen minutes of physical activity.
MEDITATION
Immediately after my walk, I begin my meditation.
Lately, I have been following a free guided meditation from YouTube.
I also spend a few moments at the end of my meditation visualizing my ideal life.
Use this time to imagine how your dream life would look and feel.
RELATED: TIPS FOR THE PERFECT NIGHTTIME ROUTINE
STREAM-OF-CONSCIOUSNESS WRITING
After meditating for fifteen to twenty minutes, I get a nice cup of coffee, sit in my favorite chair, and begin my stream-of-consciousness writing.
This takes me approximately fifteen minutes. Some people might refer to this as journaling.
I write three pages of whatever comes to mind.
In a fabulous book called The Artist's Way, the author recommends the morning pages as a way to ignite your creativity and release feelings of stress and anxiety.
This has become a very calming and therapeutic practice for me and I encourage you to give it a try.
GRATITUDE
After journaling, spend a few minutes in gratitude, writing a minimum of ten things you are grateful for.
I have yet to hear a personal development guru that doesn't reiterate the benefits expressing gratitude daily will have on your life.
AFFIRMATIONS
I finish off my morning rituals with a variety of positive affirmations. Some I have created and others I’ve gotten from books.
A great tip I learned from motivational speaker, John Assaraf is to record yourself reading the affirmation in the voice memos app in your phone.
Make a habit of reading and listening to the statements daily and this will prime your subconscious mind for success.
For a list of some amazing affirmations CLICK HERE.
Also, check out this article by Grace: 15 Products For A Successful Morning Routine
If there is one thing highly productive people have in common, it's a systematic morning routine comprised of daily habits and rituals.
I have read many books on the benefits of establishing a solid morning routine, and I believe it is the one thing that can make or break your happiness and success.
Below are some great books that explain the benefits of establishing a morning routine.
Has this given you some ideas for your own morning routine? Share in the comments below.
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