To start the day off on the right foot and set yourself up for success, you need to be deliberate about your morning routine. Here are some easy things to do that will leave you feeling energized and refreshed for the day ahead.
- Sleep: Sleep is not overrated — every legitimate study out there confirms that we all need a good night of sleep. You should try for 7–8 hours a night.
- Put away your phone: You don’t need your phone for the alarm clock — there are plenty of other options. When you have your phone next to your bed, it’s too easy to check it before bed — and a quick 5 minutes turns into 45. When you fall asleep next to your phone, you instinctively reach for it first thing in the morning to check your email, text messages, the news, or social media. Start putting your phone in airplane mode and facedown before bed and put it in a place far away from where you fall asleep (on top of your dresser is a good option). This way, you’ll be less tempted to check it first thing in the morning when you wake up.
- Move your body: Whatever your thing is, find a way to move your body in the morning — running, biking, or heading to the gym. Another great way to do this is with yoga. If you can find an early morning class, great! If not, there are a ton of 15–30 minute routines you can find on YouTube that you can do in your bedroom or living room.
- Meditate: It only takes 10-minutes. Two great apps to try are Headspace and Calm.
- Prioritize: Write down the two big things you want to accomplish for the day. There are so many other things that pop up throughout the day to distract us. It’s important to write down the most important things to get done, and then make sure you do those.
- Walk or bike to work: This one may not work for everyone, but if you live in a bike friendly city, consider walking or biking to work instead of driving, taking the bus, or using a ride share. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and allows you to gather your thoughts for the day.
If it sounds overwhelming, pick 2–3 of the things above and slowly add them to your morning routine. Try it out for a couple of weeks and see how you feel!
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A version of this post was previously published on Medium and is republished here with permission from the author.
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