Improve Your Life Satisfaction With A Morning Routine

For many people, the success to a more productive, happier and satisfying life begins with a morning routine. A morning routine simply refers to a ritual you perform each day, where you set aside some time to focus on yourself before the day has begun. As a result, you’ll feel less stressed, more productive and develop a more positive mindset. All it takes is some basic preparation and commitment to reap the rewards. 

The Benefits Of A Morning Routine

Developing a morning routine can be extremely beneficial, not just in terms of helping to set you up for the day ahead, but also because it can help to improve your overall health and wellbeing. 

A morning routine provides you with some important time to engage in essential self-care. After all, in order to look after others, particularly if you are a parent or carer, you must first be healthy and looking after yourself. Setting aside just 10 to 20 minutes each morning enables you to focus on what the important tasks for the day and week ahead might be and to plan and prioritize accordingly.

“A regular morning routine will help you to develop a more positive mindset,” says Edith Hatch, a lifestyle writer at Academized. “It allows you to set the desired tone for the rest of the day and focuses your mind on the tasks ahead. As such, you will become less stressed and more productive during the day. Subsequently, you will be more likely to have more time at the end of the day to spend doing the things you enjoy.”

Prepare The Night Before 

Incidentally, a successful morning routine actually begins the night before and involves some simple, but well thought out preparation. By taking the time the night before to prepare, your morning routine will run much more smoothly, leading to a more positive and successful start to your day, mood and overall mindset.

Mornings tend to be characterized by rushing around as people get ready for the day ahead. You want to give yourself some extra time in the morning to be able to engage meaningfully in your morning routine. Therefore, although it may seem hard to begin with, aim to wake up about half an hour earlier than you would do normally. Set an alarm the night before and make sure that you get up when it rings. Above all, avoid pressing the snooze button.

Getting enough sleep is essential. If you get plenty of sleep, you will feel better and you will be better prepared to tackle the challenges of the day ahead. Regular, good quality sleep is also essential for helping to reduce stress, so it is good to get into the habit of going to bed each night at a regular time. Ideally, you want to aim to sleep about 8 hours each night. 

Keeping hydrated is also important for health and wellbeing. Place a glass of water beside your bed at night so that you can have a drink when you first wake up to help rehydrate your body. Also, ensure that you prepare your lunches and have your outfit laid out and ready the night before to ensure that your morning is as stress-free as possible.

Creating A Morning Routine

Having prepared the night before and rehydrated your body, you are then ready to start your morning routine. The key to a successful morning routine is ensuring that it is personalized and works for you.

1. Engage In Gratitude Practice

Take a few minutes to focus on the things which you are most looking forward to that day. Allow yourself to reflect positively on the things you have and what you have already accomplished, such as what the most successful or fulfilling part of the previous day was. It can also be useful to do this in the form of journaling. Writing down your thoughts and feelings allows you examine yourself more honestly and can be a therapeutic and calming activity.

2. Practice Mindfulness Or Meditation

Spend a few minutes engaging in some mindful practice. You may want to spend some time meditating, either alone or using an app to guide you. Alternatively, you can engage in positive visualization where you imagine yourself achieving your desired outcome. The more you practice, the easier it will become to develop a positive mindset and attitude.

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3. Exercise

Engaging in some gentle exercise can be a fantastic start to your day. You don’t need to spend a long time doing a high-intensity exercise regime. Instead, you could simply do some stretches, start doing some yoga or simply go for a walk. 

4. Read

Your brain is most active and alert during the morning, so it can be a useful time to engage in some reading. Spending 10 minutes reading around a topic that you find interesting or want to learn more about can be a calming way to help you focus and start the day as you mean to go on.

5. Make Time For Breakfast

Ensuring that you eat a healthy breakfast each day should be an important part of your morning routine. Make sure that you actually take some time to sit down and eat your breakfast. It will provide you with the energy you need for the day ahead, helping you to be more productive and alert as a result. 

Conclusion  

Engaging in a regular morning routine can seem daunting at first, especially if you also have other commitments or responsibilities that make it an unlikely possibility. However, by spending some time training yourself to learn new habits, you will find that your overall wellbeing and life satisfaction improves as a result. The key is to ensure that you find a routine that you find appealing and look forward to and which allows you to focus on yourself. Once begun, you will find that the initial hard work is well worth the benefits it provides.