Let's be honest - many of us are busy, have a lot of responsibilities and obligations, and often feel strapped for time. However, having a great morning routine can make all the difference in being productive, achieving goals, feeling more organised, and doing all of this with confidence. Yes, with confidence. And if I can do it, you too can! I am a mom, wife, trying to inspire you, do all that, that I do, so what is your excuse? Let me hear it?
1. Why would you set up a morning routine?
It is well known that morning routines can be a deal breaker for people having great, productive days. And trust me, the development of a solid morning routine can be a dealbreaker in terms of productivity and success. Hear me? Although not all of us are in 'leadership' position at work, we are all designed to be leaders of our own lives. Right? This includes giving ourselves the best opportunity for feeling confident and be productive each day (of course we fail too, but that is just the part of our life - do not worry about that. Try hard every day, that counts too!).
So, to me, daily healthy habits can be an indicator of increased productivity and achievement. Although people around have varied ideas on the types of daily habits to include, most (that I know and follow) agree that how we begin our day has a tremendous impact on how the rest of the day seems to go. Yes? ;) Creating a morning routine is not focused on who can accomplish the most or check off more boxes than everyone else. Instead, it is about allowing yourself to begin your day with confidence, peace, and a positive attitude. And to me - mindset is everything - a positive mindset!! And starting the day this way can allow me to effectively complete tasks and to handle things that come my way without constantly feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Again, I am a mother, wife, have sh... loads of task myself, for the family and many people around, yet to me - I am a priority number one to myself!!! Always.
2. Take care of your physical and emotional connection
Feeling good, physically, can certainly influence how we feel emotionally. We usually do not walk around having the flu with a smile on our face or being overly optimistic (at least I do not!). Additionally, our emotional health can be impacted by how we feel we are managing our day. When we are constantly in a rush and trying to make the next appointment, always running behind, or feeling lost in a sea of tasks, we can easily become overwhelmed, stressed, sad, and frustrated. But let me tell you, over time, if this were a continual pattern, it makes sense that we could possibly begin to feel hopeless as if we'll never catch up! To me, a sense of peace and confidence in my day can help me maintain positive emotional health and help me to become much more resilient during times of stress. We all face stress, way much more than we can handle (I agree), but you have to learn how to overcome all that c...p!
3. Anyone said productivity?
The morning routine sure helps us set the tone for the day, better allowing us to control our schedules rather than our schedule controlling us. Do you agree? As we start each day fresh, we can better focus on what is in front of us, where to prioritize our time, and, ultimately, increase our productivity. That's how I do it. To me, productivity is not always about how much we are getting done but can also refer to the level of quality and intention we are giving to tasks. Finishing the day with 10 half-completed tasks feels a lot different than completing six tasks and feeling proud of the quality of your work. Right? Remember, when we are constantly reacting to additional tasks, stressors, or needs of others, we can find it very difficult to effectively prioritise and follow-through!
4. Boost your confidence
Being confident means more than simply saying, 'I like myself.' Authentic confidence is grown through experiences. 'Self efficacy' is a term that refers to our belief that we can achieve goals and complete tasks, it simply is a belief in our own abilities. Different from 'self esteem', which is an overview of our feelings of self worth, self efficacy is more influential in helping us build confidence and resilience. Beside walking through experiences in our day and actually observing ourselves completing tasks and feeling a sense of accomplishment helps to reinforce our sense of 'self efficacy'. Having a morning routine helps to set the stage for better prioritising, more effective time management, and greater productivity. All of this, in turn, is likely to have a positive impact on our 'self efficacy'.
5. Find inner peace
Stress can cause us a lot of trouble, emotionally, physically, in our careers and in our relationships. Not feeling as if we can accomplish tasks, or feeling as if we are always behind, causes great stress. Our 'self efficacy' feels low, we can begin to experience negative self talk and end up feeling distressed and overwhelmed. Oh yes (been there, done that). Again, to me, a solid, consistent morning routine can offer me a time to practice intentional mindfulness and/or prayer, leading to feelings of greater peace as I go through my day. Feeling productive in my day can lead to a more peaceful evening and, in turn, a better night's sleep (greater night time routine with the kids - Thank god for that!) and a refreshed morning the next day. Hear me? Feel me?
So how I do it?
I give myself a permission to have a 'me time'
I never hit a snooze button, in fact I never need it as my alarm clock is naturally set up in my head ;) A good morning routine allows me enough time to actually enjoy and benefit from my routine! Coffee first of course! This lasts approx 15-30 minutes (depending on how well the rest of the family behaves ;)). I usually wake up earlier so I can have that 'me time' preparing tea, coffee, clothes for the kids, food lunches, etc - whatever I feel like doing at that moment.
I always listen to myself and know what would be realistic for me to do and keep up with. I don't pay attention to what others are doing.
I move my body, yes, every day!
I allow myself the time away from the screen, so I can use those moments for standing up, stretching, do the daily home workout, yoga, etc. and I'm on that brief morning walk with our dog daily. Every day, no exceptions! To me, all of this is like breathing air. Come to me so naturally now (although it has been quite challenging when first started). And trust me when I say it, any body movement in the morning will be better than lying in bed scrolling through social media! With a physical exercise you will actively be waking up your muscles as well as your mind.
This, to me, is the best medicine ever!!! Exercise should be on your priority list. End!
I fuel my body and never skip breakfast
Since I was a kid, I've likely heard the message from my mom or grandma that a good day starts with a good breakfast. It is true that the way we fuel our body in the morning can have a powerful influence on our physical health, our energy levels, and our mental attitude through the day. If we feed ourselves food with little to no nutritional value, we don't feel our best, can find our energy levels peaking and crashing through the day, and feel unregulated. I am sure you know what I am talking about? :) To me, a healthy breakfast allows me to fuel my body properly and can lead to more consistent energy levels, as well as feeling more alert and focused. And that's something I need to get through each and every day!
I practise stilness and kindness
To me, as much as body movement is important (in the morning), so is practicing stillness.
And stillness can be key in helping me begin the day on the right foot :).
I (quite often) practise meditation and/or breathing, do stretching or pilates, and these are all great examples of what this might look like as part of your morning routine. Practicing stillness can help me feel more grounded, focused, and ready to effectively prioritise my daily tasks. And trust me, skipping this step could perhaps lead to feeling rushed and less effective in our day, which defeats the point of developing a good morning routine! Beside practicing stillness also allow me to reset and be fully present in the moment. Trust me, you aren't fully present when you are looking at emails, scrolling through Instagram, and multitasking, and this can cause increased stress and anxiety. Practicing stillness, or even doing meditation and breathing exercises (as mentioned above), help set the tone of the day to help you feel calm, relaxed, and in control.
I usually review my days
As you wrap up your morning routine, it can be helpful to then take an intentional quick look at your previous day and the days that follow. Reviewing your days with intent allow you to maintain control over your schedule rather than your schedule controlling you. Be honest with yourself as to the importance of certain tasks and remember that not everything can be a top priority. As much as it may feel that way emotionally, the reality is we can't function that way without getting overwhelmed. I suggest you focus on one thing at a time (to me it's all about the physical exercise) :). Be intentional in deciding where your energy and efforts need to go, complete that, and then move on to the next. Trying to juggle multiple tasks can lead to ineffective time management, low productivity, and burnout.
Now setup your daily routine, make it better and go along with the extension of your energy. I believe in you, you totally got this!
Until next time, S.
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