5 BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING A GREAT MORNING ROUTINE

The way your morning begins can set a pace and rhythm for your entire day—drastically affecting how you lead yourself and those around you.

There will be days when you simply can’t follow your morning routine because life gets in the way. And that’s okay.

The goal is never perfection—but to become the healthiest version of yourself so you can give your best to your family, friends, teammates and community. A healthy morning routine can help you consistently be more productive, focused and fulfilled.

Here are a few best practices for you to improve the way you show up both at work and at home.

Start The Night Before

Be intentional with how you end your day. Avoid high-stress inputs like news, social media, and TV or at least choose a form of media that makes you feel better, not worse. And prioritize sleep. The amount of sleep needed is different for everyone, but most people need at least seven hours. How much sleep you get will impact you the next day. Before you end your day, review your schedule for the next morning. Identify your top three priorities along with the three people you need to connect with. This will allow you to hit the ground running the next morning.

Skip The Phone In The Morning

A study reports that 63% of people check their phone first thing in the morning. Even if you use your phone as an alarm clock, try and fight the urge to have it be the first thing you interact with. As soon as you check email, social media or the news, you are giving control of your day over to someone or something else. Don’t take that lightly or give that power away too easily.

Monitor Your Inputs

“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.”

— Jim Rohn | Entreprenuer

Simply blocking out the negative isn’t enough. You need to be intentional with what you consume first thing in the morning. Try to find things to positively fuel your thoughts, mood, and soul. This could be scripture, meditation, inspirational reading or a podcast. Research indicates that positive emotions are displayed more by people who meditate daily than those who don’t. There is no one size fits all solution but find something that builds you up rather than breaks you down.

Hydrate

Your body weight is between 50% - 70% water. Without water consumption, your body experiences dehydration which impacts its functions and affects your energy levels. So before reaching for coffee or tea, consider starting your day off with a big glass of water. It sounds simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s not effective. If the human body is a machine, then water is the oil that keeps it functioning properly. Set yourself up for success by drinking at least 12 ounces of water in the morning before you grab your coffee or tea.

Get Moving

Incorporate some type of physical activity into your morning routine and rhythm. Get your body moving and your heart pumping early in the day. Exercise releases endorphins, also known as nature’s mood elevator, which has been shown to improve memory. Push aside feelings of tiredness or apathy and help yourself feel as good as you can. Get outside. If you work at home, it’s especially easy to wake up and head to your home office without seeing the daylight. So, take a quick walk, run, or jog—or eat breakfast on your patio. Breathing in the fresh air can have a huge impact on your mood, energy, and outlook.

Remember, It Starts With Self-Leadership

Self-leadership precedes team leadership. This means that before you can lead others well you must take care of yourself. Each of us has a morning routine, but only a few of us are intentional with how we design ours and live it out each day. You will get out of your morning routine what you put into it - so make it count!