How I've Adjusted My Morning Routine
Routines aren't inherently engrained in everyone. I get that; and honestly, for a very long time I never really had a set morning routine. Working from home for most of the week, my mornings were very sporadic and almost always ended with me still in my pajamas, sitting at my desk until lunchtime when I would realize...I should probably get dressed for the day now.
Although in theory I was getting my work done, I was feeling unproductive and unmotivated, stuck in this cycle that was draining my energy and causing underlying stress.
I started to read The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (not usually my genre of choice) and it became a catalyst in kicking me into gear. Here are the small adjustments I've made to my morning routine that have had an incredibly positive effect on my productivity:
01. Setting my alarm 10 minutes before I actually want to wake up
I'm a snoozer. It's just in my DNA. Rather than setting an unrealistic goal for myself of getting out of bed the second my alarm goes off, I started setting my alarm 10 minutes before I actually wanted to get up, so I could still have the satisfaction of pressing snooze and allowing my body some time to wake up.
02. No social media in bed
You know those people who religiously don't pick up their phone in bed? Yeah, not one of them. But, I've specifically stopped opening social media apps in the morning before getting out of bed, because I realized those were my biggest time-drain. Now, I give myself 5 or so minutes to browse emails and look at my calendar and leave it at that. Doing this helps me set realistic expectations of what I need to get done in the morning and feel more in control of my day. And you know what? IG doesn't need me at 7am, and I'm just fine without it.
03. Right out of PJ's and into workout clothes
As hard as it is in the moment to commit to morning workouts, I've found that they're just what work best for my schedule. Whereas I used to sit down at my computer right after I rolled out of bed, now I change right out of my pajamas and into my workout clothes. This helps me to stay more focused and on-task, ultimately helping to move along my morning.
04. Big glass of lemon water to start the day
Unless it's right in front of me, water intake gets put on the back-burner. I make it a point to fill up a big tumbler first thing in the morning right before I start my workout. I'm more conscious of drinking water throughout the day and mentally, just feel good that I'm taking care of myself and prioritizing my health!
05. 10-minute tidy
I've been doing 10-minute tidy's in the mornings on an off for a while, and when I stick to them I am so much less stressed. Things naturally pile up throughout the day and don't always get put away at night, and so I try to prioritize taking just 10 minutes to tidy up, put things away and make the bed. A clean, organized space is a total game-changer for me.
06. Daily to-do
Big believer in lists over here. Doing an AM brain dump of everything I have to get done for the day a) helps me actually remember what I have to do, and b) makes me feel that much more accomplished as I check items of my list.
I try to give myself about an hour and a half to two hours to work out, shower & get ready for the day. Prioritizing my morning has had such a positive effect on my productivity throughout the entire day, and has really helped to set a tone for consistent healthy habits, lower stress and clarity. If you're feeling like you're in a routine rut, this is your sign to switch it up!
