Creating A Morning Routine Will Improve Your Mood
Make It Work For You.
For some of us getting up in the morning is the hardest part of the day and have come to dread the alarm going off every morning. For others the morning is refreshing and they are able to begin their day with a smile on their face. If you’re in the first category, like me, then it is a struggle to get up and get going.
I’ve found that having a routine in the morning can go a long way in setting the tone of how the rest of the day goes. In talking with friends, family, and coworkers most of us do have some sort of routine that we go through every morning. I believe that having a good routine can affect our morning mood and consequently our mood for the rest of the day.
The following are some ideas for coming up with a routine that works best for you. They key is to personalize it for you, tweaking it along the way if needed, as adopting someone else’s routine isn’t likely going to be a solution for you.
Wake up at a reasonable time.
Waking up at a reasonable time that gives you enough time for your morning routine is key. Since this is your routine based on your life and your work or school schedule, you’ll need to be the one that determines when that time of day is. Also, looking ahead at the following tips and how much time you will need for them will determine what time you’ll need to wake up. If you’re a person that needs to set an alarm to wake up, don’t hit snooze when it goes off. How much rest will you really get in the next 9 mins anyways?
Once the alarm goes off, get out of bed and move to the next step of your routine. With the rise of smart phones and social media, I know a lot of people default to checking Facebook, Instagram, emails, etc. while laying in bed. These are a time killer for your routine and should be put on the back burner for now, you can check those things later once you’re awake and moving.
Get Moving!
Whether you exercise in the morning or not, it’s a good idea to do something physical in the morning. It could be getting up and going to the gym or going for a walk around the neighborhood or simply stretching your muscles when you get up out of bed. One thing to remember is that our bodies are pretty amazing and while our brain may sometimes talk us out of exercising in the morning, just know that our bodies can handle it and actually crave the activity. Getting those endorphins flowing first thing in the morning can have a huge impact on our mood and outlook for the day.
Meditation/Prayer
Spending a few minutes in meditation or prayer goes a long way for our peace of mind. Prayer or meditation is a good way to decrease anxiety and will help us focus on how we are feeling. Prayer or meditation is often an overlooked way to help us to be more in control of our thoughts and feelings. This practice of mindfulness is a great way to start the day and to get us in the right mindset for what needs to be done each day. Just as exercise energizes our bodies, prayer or meditation can energize our souls which in turn increases our happiness.
Eat Properly
We’ve been told this all of our lives, that eating a well balanced meal in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Preparing a meal every morning isn’t easy to do but the cost benefit analysis is huge. If you feel your nutrition is out of whack , or your consumption of unhealthy foods is out of control, or you just don’t know where to start, I recommend contacting a nutritionist and getting ideas from someone who specializes in eating healthy.
Eating the wrong types of food can bog us down and clog our energy and our brain power. Eating a healthy breakfast gives us the fuel we need to perform at our best. Food provides nutrition not only for our body to work throughout the day, but our brain as well. Having appropriate nutrition every day creates a reliable way for our bodies to function and provides stability.
Plan your day out
Sitting down and planning the rest of your day out can go a long way to alleviate stress and increase productivity. Just being aware of what you will be doing that day when you leave your home is a positive thing that can help your productivity at work or school increase.
Whether you use a smartphone with an app designed for planning or you write down a checklist on post-it notes, the key is to find something that works for you and is productive. This last task on your morning routine is the springboard for the rest of your day and will help with feeling confident moving forward.
Go Forth and Conquer!
Putting all of these things together is no easy task, and it may take a few days or weeks to find a routine that works for you. The important thing is to find one that will pay off in the end. One thing to remember is that whether you have a plan, or a routine, or nothing in place, the constant is that you will wake up every morning and will need to face the day. So making it a good experience will help ease stress and anxiety, help improve productivity, and increase your day to day happiness.
