Sep14The Right Morning Habits to Kick-start Your Day
What do your morning normally look like?
Do they involve hitting snooze on the alarm 3 different times, waking up at the last minute, and rushing to work on an empty stomach?
While there may be some slight differences, this is pretty normal for many people. And while it may seem “normal”, it’s anything but; it leads to more stress, and doesn’t allow you to perform at your best. There are, however, simple hacks that you can use that can help you shake off bad habits and adopt new ones.
Seize The Day
Whatever mindset you adopt as soon as you wake up, you tend to carry with you throughout the rest of your day. Most people might look like this first thing in the morning:
- You hit snooze a few times. You end up waking up late.
- You check your phone right away, wasting 5 minutes on social media. Maybe you see something that ticks you off.
- Now that you’re running late, you’re rushing on getting ready.
- Making breakfast is a no-go, so it looks like that vending machine at work is going to be your friend.
Does that sound familiar? If reading that sounded stressful, it’s probably because it is. And when you start the day stressed, it puts you into a negative mindset; this mindset has the chance to carry with you into your workday, which already has loads of stress, so you get even more stressed. Then you come home stressed, relax for a bit, go to bed and do it all over again the next day.
Now, imagine for a moment what would happen if you made just a few small changes to your morning habits.
- Instead of hitting snooze a few times, you wake up the moment your alarm goes off. Not hitting snooze those couple of times gives you an extra 10-15 minutes.
- Instead of checking your phone right away, you opt to get straight to getting ready for the day. This also saves an extra 5 minutes.
- Now with an extra 15-20 minutes, you don’t have to rush getting ready, and maybe you make a slightly healthier breakfast in the morning, even if it’s just some boiled eggs or some oatmeal.
- You aren’t stressed going into work, you’re on time, and you have a more positive mindset.
Do you see what an extra 15-20 minutes can do? You’re in a better state to attack the day, and to face problems that arise. It’s just like if you were competing in an athletic event or other big competition, or even a survival situation. You have to keep your cool and be in a positive mindset; if not, you’re more prone to messing up, and making errors.
It all starts with what we first decide to put into our minds in the morning. Will you snooze that alarm and sleep in? Or engage the day? Sleeping in does feel good, no doubt about it. But you might feel even better if you start your day off the right way, with your mind in a good place to attack your tasks.
Small, Easy Things You Can Do to Have a Awesome Start to Your Morning
There are some obvious, and maybe less obvious, ways to have an awesome morning that leaves you in a great place to attack the day. Some things you can do are:
Wake up early.
Even waking up 10 minutes early can have a big impact. Even if it doesn’t give time for much else, at least it gives you 10 more minutes to get ready in the morning. If you find yourself rushing in the morning, this is a simple one for you. Even if you’re tired, put that alarm on for 10 minutes early. And although sleep is super important, losing 10 minutes is minuscule. Instead, try going to bed earlier if you really need those extra z’s. Also, hitting snooze doesn’t give you extra time to sleep; you’re just constantly waking yourself up every time you hit that button. One and done!
If you wake up even earlier, you give yourself more time to get a quick walk in, workout, or some other type of meditative activity to get your mind right.
Don’t check your phone.
Phones have practically become part of our biology at this point, and many people check their phones as soon as they wake. While it may not be so bad if you’re just replying to a text or a missed call, think about this: your mind is a blank slate first thing in the morning. There are no outside stressors or stimuli. Going on social media and seeing things that are designed to get a reaction out of you or evoke emotion is not good. Instead, try doing the things listed below:
- write down your tasks and goals for the day.
- practice gratitude by writing down a few things that you’re grateful for that day.
- practice some positive “self-talk” by writing down or saying a personal positive mantra.
Eat right to feel right.
Eating no-so-good stuff can leave you feeling not at your best. Conversely, eating the right stuff can put you in a better state, physically and mentally. Instead of rushing and getting that bagel or sausage breakfast sandwich, use the extra time to whip up an easy egg and veggie wrap, or cook a quick bowl of homemade oatmeal with fresh fruits, nuts, and yogurt. Eating these higher quality meals will give you the right fuel to engage the day.
Have things ready the night before.
Want to save even more time? Make your breakfast or lunch the night before. Get your gym bag ready. Have your work clothes all hanging in the same spot. Much of this one is common sense, but it’s often overlooked as “small stuff”. Don’t forget the small stuff!
Know your game plan.
Like it was said above, write down your tasks and goals for the day. This is a big one! Our days often get hectic and busy, and while you can’t plan for everything, having a list that is visible and written has more of a mental impact than one that is all in your head. Write down your most important tasks that you want to get done during the course of the day. While everyone is different, start with an easy number, like 3. If you get those 3 tasks done today, you were successful. What you’ll notice is, anything else that doesn’t fit inside that number probably isn’t as important as you think.
Again, everyone is different, so you might want to write down 4, 5, or even more things that you need to do that day to feel accomplished, but the key is to do the most important stuff while trying to keep your number of things to do down.
In the morning, you start as a blank sheet of paper. What you choose to write on the paper is up to you. Use these tips to start your mornings the right way, and engage the day while performing at your best!