Do These 3 Things In The Morning Before Doing Anything Else
No matter how much you prep the night before, you can still set your day up for failure by how you wake up.
It matters just as much.
Are you hitting snooze multiple times or running full speed at the sound of your alarm? If so, I’m almost certain your mornings feel stressful. Mine used to!
There needs to be an order to how you start your day. Not just the dressing & eating parts but the mindset & grounding aspects. An off-balance, chaotic morning can cause you to “eff up” your whole day.
I’m sharing what I do in case you’re in the market for something different. If you’re tired of feeling like you’ve been in a fight every morning, read on.
Realize & Decide
(#1) Give yourself time to realize you exist and that you’re still on Earth. Stop jumping up frantically. Set your alarm early enough to lie still, fully open your eyes, & express gratitude for seeing another day. 10 minutes is probably all you need.
Then, decide how you want to feel the rest of the day. Making the decision early is the key. Even when I wake up grumpy, I know I don’t want to feel that way. I want to feel happy. Therefore, my decisions going forward have to be made in the direction that leads me to my desired outcome.
Let’s use exercising for instance...
No matter how bad my mood is, I always feel better after working out. It’s just a fact for me. When I wake up grumpy, I’m not thrilled about working out. However, because it gets me closer to happy, I do it despite not wanting to.
I’m making a decision that gets me closer to how I want to feel.
Make sense?
Replenish Thyself
(#2) In other words… hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Our bodies go hours without water while we sleep. And if you sweat during the night, that’s more water loss. I make sure to have a bottle or cup of water on my nightstand nightly. Putting it there makes drinking it easier. It’s one of the first things I see in the morning & therefore an instant reminder.
Make things convenient folks!
If you’re really ambitious, set a goal to finish your bottle or cup in its entirety before having anything else. This will give you a jump start on your water consumption for the day.
After silencing my alarm & taking a few minutes to gather myself, I sit up & drink. I’m always thirsty when I wake up so this isn’t something I struggle with. Drinking water first thing also helps to clean out toxins & boost energy. We can all use that!
Get Grounded
(#3) It’s time to get on your feet… but not hurriedly. I want you to stand up & in place. Feel the floor beneath your feet. Get your balance. This is how you ground yourself & intentionally stand firm.
I also take a few deep breaths & have a good stretch towards the ceiling. Try it & see how it makes you feel.
As soon as my feet hit the floor, I once rushed to do all the things. Not anymore. My stepmom (who is a Reiki master) turned me on to this practice & it has redirected my mornings entirely.
I no longer feel like I’m at the mercy of the morning. I’m more in control of my energy & focus.
Easy Peasy
Does this seem like a lot? If so, I assure you it isn’t. The entire process only takes 10-15 minutes, give or take. The time really just depends on you & your needs.
I enjoy inspirational morning reads so I (try to) get up 30+ minutes earlier than I need to. Having time to fully awaken is important for my daily sanity & productivity.
Of course, have grace & patience with yourself. Life happens & things won’t always go as planned. On those days, just do your best & then try again the next day. Don’t overthink any of this or make it harder than it is. I don’t win at this everyday but I do my best.
Routines
Morning routines are seemingly very important nowadays. I’m sure they always have been but because today’s world is much more fast paced, using less brain power is vital to sustain us. The last thing we need or want to do is make a lot of decisions early in the morning. Most people don’t realize how quickly it drains energy.
That’s why routines are so beneficial. You don’t have to think too much!
Already have a morning routine in place? Cool but try adding the ones in this post for a boost or change of pace. If you don’t have a morning routine at all, you should definitely create one & use the tips in this post as a starting point.
Remember, the more organized & convenient things are for you, the easier it is to be productive & avoid bad moods. Simplify people. Simplify. The more we practice it, the better we all get.
If you try these steps, let me know how they work for you.