If you’re like most people, you wake up and instinctively reach for your smartphone first thing in the morning. Before you’re even conscious, you’re being flooded with notifications, emails, news, tweets, etc. It’s hard to say how exactly this affects people, but its not hard to argue that it may be a problem.
Starting the day with a jolt of social media and immediately having your attention going in a million different directions is likely to increase anxiety at a minimum, and could also contribute to numerous other negative outcomes as well. Maybe you’re not as smartphone-addicted as some people, but odds are you could still improve your morning routine.
After all, morning routines matter. If you consider the compounding effect of years upon years of doing the same routine every day, you might want to stop and consider yours.
On a recent episode of the Get Invested podcast, I chatted with serial entrepreneur and property expert Nicky Roche about morning routines and how important they are to leading a successful and happy life. Personally, I have a specific routine that gets me ready for each and every day. It consists of starting with gratitude, meditation then the gym, a leisurely breakfast and an inspiring podcast – and, if possible, a bit of playtime with the dogs or playing the piano. Once the big rocks are in, it’s time to get stuck into the day.
Of course, that routine’s not for everyone, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. It’s important that you find the routine that best suits you. This is usually a case of trial and error, and listening to your body and silencing the mind, but if you’re looking for some inspiration to get started, try a few of the suggestions below.
- Maintain a journal and use it as practice for being self-reflective and to monitor your goals.
- Prime yourself with a motivational video or series of quotes. YouTube has tons of this type of content if you don’t know where to start.
- Use the coach.me app – it’s great for sticking to new habits and following through on your goals.
- Expose yourself to some natural light and get some fresh air. This could be as simple as a five-minute walk.
- Take a few extra minutes to prepare some healthy food to start the day – be it a smoothie or taking your vitamins, these extra efforts can be priceless.
- Make your bed. In life, sometimes the smallest of actions can have a powerful impact on your daily success.
- If sitting meditation isn’t for you, give Tai Chi or yoga a crack – a great way to service your body and calm your mind.
- Drink a pot of green tea. When it comes to your health, drinking tea (specifically green tea) has many detoxifying effects on the body.
- Make sure you get enough sleep and don’t force yourself into a lot of decision-making tasks right when you wake up.
- Create a vision statement and recite it every day. The magnetising and guiding impression that this can leave will be more profound than you think.
We all KnowHow important it is to get off to a good start. So, don’t let your morning routine be your downfall. Why not try some of the suggestions listed above? Make a note of how you feel after, keep at it and who knows what improvements you’ll start to see, in both the short and long-term.
Check out this episode and others like it here!
