Starting your day strategically helps you make healthy decisions before night falls. Energy and self-control deplete as the days go on because of the many activities. Hence it is very important that we indulge in routines that will set the tone of our day on a productive and energetic note.
I personally have seen massive changes in my life since I started to implement certain productive morning routine and I will be sharing all of that with you today.
A productive morning routine is what you need to approach the day with more focus and foresight. Your mornings are very important hence the things you do to jumpstart your day will greatly influence the outcome of your day.
Here are some ideas for a productive morning routine you can easily adopt and implement;
1. Open The Curtains And Welcome The Day With Positivity
Most people prefer to sleep with little or no light and that means drawing your curtains to block every ounce of sunlight. Immediately you wake up, try to open your curtains, and let in some sunlight.
Sunlight, especially the morning sunlight has enormous benefits on the brain and the body. Sit by your bed and enjoy the morning light coming through your window.
Don’t allow room for negative or depressing thoughts. Sometimes, you wake up gloomy without a valid explanation. When it gets like that, after opening your curtains, smile genuinely at the sunlight and speak positive words to yourself.
Don’t let any negativity settle in your mind and ruin your day. Welcome the day with positive thoughts, positive words, and a positive mindset. An effective way to start the day with positivity is to have a heart of gratitude. Gratitude can positively influence your day and help you move through the world with love and kindness towards others.
2. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a type of mediation where you base your focus solely on what you are feeling at that particular moment without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, soothing words, or music to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
One great way to start your productive morning routine is to take a few quiet moments to channel your positive energy for the day through mindful and positive thoughts.
High achievers always say that they meditate every morning. It is important that you make practicing mindfulness as a major part of your productive morning routine. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, take deep breaths, and focus your mind on your breath alone. When your mind wanders, be calm and bring back your awareness to your breath.
This helps soothe the brain and the body. We are our own worst critics, however; it is best to remain calm with yourself and don’t stop trying even if your mind keeps wandering while you are trying to be mindful. You can practice deep breathing exercises.
It helps in strengthening the connection between your body and mind and keeps the brain more relaxed. Mindfulness keeps you aware of what is happening inside you and around you. It helps you detox and get more focused and productive during the day. Studies have shown that regular meditation may lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, and help relieve stress and fatigue.
3. Fuel Your Body And Mind
When you wake up, you have not had anything to eat overnight, your body needs some fuel to rev up your metabolism and give you sufficient energy to start your day. It is important that you eat a balanced breakfast.
A healthy and balanced breakfast boosts energy, concentration, and memory, allowing you to work harder and be more productive.
You do not have to wait until you feel hungry before you have breakfast. It is advisable to eat within two to three hours of waking up or before 9 am at least.
Eating a healthy and balanced breakfast is an essential part of a productive morning routine. To make it easier, you can plan your desired breakfast a night before. Also, to fuel your body, it is important that you drink a lot of water. Your body continues working even while you are asleep and metabolic activities continue at a slower rate.
All these functions require enough water just as your vehicle requires enough fuel to keep it running. When you wake up in the morning, your body has depleted its fuel supply and needs to recharge.
By rehydrating yourself first thing in the morning, your body is able to replenish all of the water that your cells and organs needed during your sleep. It is not enough that you fuel your body alone.
Your mind also needs to be refreshed so you approach the day more relaxed and focused. Meditation and mindful thoughts are a way of fueling the mind.
Yoga is another helpful way of fueling the mind. Read a book. Get spiritual if you are. Focus on positive thoughts and gratitude. Listen to informative and inspiring podcasts.
4. Eat The Frog
” If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”- Mark Twain.
Your “frog” is your most important task. Don’t push such tasks or procrastinate them until later. Do them right away. Completing your most difficult or uncomfortable task not only moves it out of your way, but it gives you great energy because you get that great sense and feeling of accomplishment.
That big and ugly task that you actually need to do but don’t want to must be done in the morning so you don’t leave them as victims to procrastination. If you a passive procrastinator who gets anxious and cannot concentrate because you are constantly thinking that you are running out of time, it is best that you adopt the technique of eating the frog.
Eating the frog might not always be pleasant because of course, it is a frog. But it is best you get that task done as soon as possible which in this case, is during your morning routine. Don’t procrastinate. Just get on with your biggest frog and eat it as soon as possible.
5. Outline Your Goals
To have a more productive day you must outline your goals during your morning routine. Your daily goals should be in line with your long-term goals. To be more practical about outlining your goals during your morning routine, here are steps you can follow;
- Decide exactly what you want to achieve. Be sure it aligns with your desired end.
- Write them down. Unwritten goals lead to vagueness.
- Set deadlines alongside the goals. It creates a sense of urgency in you.
- Make a written list of everything you must to do achieve that goal.
- Organize that written list of how you hope to achieve your goal into a plan. Organize them by priorities and sequence.
For example, when I wanted to study for an important exam and I resolved to spend at least six hours in the library each day, I had decided exactly what I wanted. I wrote it down and created stipulated times to cover a particular topic which created a sense of urgency.
My written list of how I hoped to achieve my goal consisted of how I needed to cut down my time on social media and how I needed to be up early and complete my other tasks for the day so I’m able to spend six hours studying in the library.
To satisfy your curiosity, I passed the exams excellently and it made me happy that I achieved my goal. And I outlined this goal daily in my morning routine. Your brain is more relaxed in refreshed in the morning because you are just starting your day.
There is no better time to outline your goal than during your productive morning routine because it increases your daily productivity and gives you foresight into your day. If you are in search of a good planner or resources that’ll enable you effectively outline your goals, focus on what is truly important, set your tasks and prioritise properly you can get the Goal Chaser Planner
We have carefully created the Goal Chaser Planner to help our readers in their journey of aiming high, setting goals that will positively impact their lives, take charge of their personal growth and have an effective life plan. Goals are a necessary tools of life planning and with the right tools, management and system you will be able to seamlessly achieve those goals.
6. Take Charge Of The Day
An important key to taking charge of your day during your productive morning routine is staying off any form of technology. Phones, laptops, televisions, and radio. When you wake up and immediately get to checking your mail, you have let external factors control your day and that might control how your day goes.
Do not let yourself get carried away by getting lost on YouTube or Instagram, or watching a show on television. You might just click on an Instagram notification and you find yourself having spent three hours and having nothing to show for it.
Take the necessary steps to stay off your gadgets for at least the first hour of your waking up. That way, you are able to go through your morning routine without any distractions or external control that might even ruin your day.
I once got on Twitter almost immediately I woke up and I saw the news that put me in a gloomy and irritable mood for the rest of the day. If I had waited to go through my usual morning routine of mindful meditation, practicing gratitude, and journaling, I would have been in a more relaxed position to receive and digest that news.
Having a productive morning routine is a way of taking charge of your day. When you wake up, do some stretches, open your curtains, and let the sunlight refresh your body and mind, and speak affirmative and positive words to yourself. Remember the things and situations you are grateful for and take some time to dwell on them. Practice deep breathing exercises and mindfulness.
Visualize exactly how you want your day to be and to end. Remind yourself to stay in charge of your emotions and I assure you, your day is already taken charge of. Like me, you may have read various articles on ideas for a simple morning routine and you want to start one but you find yourself procrastinating and never starting one.
Here are some practical ways to begin a productive morning routine.
1. Get Up Early
To start your morning routine it is advisable to be up as early as you can possibly depending on your activities and schedule so you are able to take your time doing each of the recommended steps. It’s okay if you are not a morning person. It’s never too late to start cultivating a habit.
Set An Alarm and resist every temptation to snooze it. If you are using an alarm clock or a phone, keep it far away from your bed so you are forced to get up to put the alarm off.
2. Get Up Immediately
By now, you should know how dangerous procrastination can be. For a long time, I continued the routine of waking up by 5 am to turn off my alarm, closing my eyes to pray, and waking up from my “prayer” two hours later. I was very disappointed in myself because I wanted to start my morning routine but I kept sleeping and getting up late.
The idea is to get up immediately. When you hear the alarm, stand up from your bed, do some stretches, and go get a glass of water to drink. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t wait to pray on your bed. Please for starters, do not attempt to do any mindful meditation on your bed.
3. Start Anyway
You are not going to immediately get accustomed to getting up earlier than the usual to begin your morning routine. There are days you’ll snooze your alarm and get up late. This does not mean you throw in the towel. You must keep trying. And whatever time you wake up, start your morning routine anyway.
4. Be Accountable
It takes a lot of discipline to get up early for a morning routine especially if you are not a morning person. You must be accountable to yourself. Don’t allow room for excuses or laziness.
Having a successful and continuous morning routine is beginning your journey to a more successful and productive life. Also, you can be accountable to trusted friends, family members, or your spouse. Let them know you are trying to start a morning routine so they can help you with whatever they can.
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