7 habits you can add to your morning routine for a more productive day
The way you start your morning often dictates how the rest of your day will go. Stumble out of bed after snoozing for the millionth time, reach for your phone in the dark to hop on your first call of the day, and jump right to your inbox the second you get up and you’ll be setting yourself up for a long, stressful day.
An abrupt break in your sleep, like say, snoozing one too many times and running out to work (even if it’s on your dining table) doesn’t give you much room to fully wake up and take on the day with energy and the right headspace.
Instead, if you give yourself room to ease into your day, you’re allowing your mind and body to transition into the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Think about it. Do you cannonball into the pool as soon as you can see it or do you sit on the edge and dip your toes for a little bit before stepping in?
The best morning routine is the one that adapts to your life
Plenty of authors have written about the “perfect” wake-up time, the exact formula to optimize your morning, and the best morning routines to have ever existed.
Here’s why I don’t believe in those: Successful habits need to be sustainable to you in order to stick.
There’s no cookie-cutter “best morning routine” for every successful entrepreneur. But you can take bits and pieces and build your own by trying new things and tweaking as you go. This way, you can find the elements that matter to you and make time for them as you see fit.
Some ideas worth exploring: How Does Your Morning Routine Compare to Business Leaders Like Tim Ferriss, Martha Stewart, and More?
Try these 7 habits and feel calm and motivated all day
There’s no hard and fast rule on how you should do your morning. Feel free to adapt any (or all) of these habits to your preference and try them out for a month to see how you feel.
Wake up before you absolutely have to
When you wake up at the last possible minute, you’re probably going to have to run around to get everything ready on time for work or your plans for the day. Plenty of people advocate for waking up at 5 am — and earlier. The horror! — to be more productive and organized and have more time for yourself. While you don’t have to wake up before dawn, there’s something to be said about waking up with enough time to have a cup of coffee or tea, not having to hurry through your skincare routine or breakfast, and starting the day with a sense of ease vs. scrambling to get out the door ASAP.
Drink or eat something (and sit down to enjoy it)
Many people can’t even think of eating breakfast as soon as they get up. Others practice intermittent fasting or other lifestyles incompatible with this tip. Fair enough. But not eating or drinking anything at all, in most cases, isn’t an intentional act. Instead, it tends to be a consequence of having to rush out the door or hop in a call as soon as you’re done snoozing. I’ll just answer this email and go get breakfast. But before you know it, three hours passed by and you’re starving. Been there? Me too.When you include breakfast (or even a cup of tea or juice) in your morning routine, not only are you taking back control over those precious minutes in the morning: You’re also giving your body much needed fuel to tackle your day feeling strong and energized. Another benefit of waking up a bit earlier? You give your body time to adapt and get hungry before you sit down to work.
Give yourself a minute to be before you jump into work
I get it: I’ve also woken up with an idea I needed to write down right now or a message that was just too urgent. It’s easy to get caught up in this constant sense of urgency and try to tackle all the things as soon as they enter your mind. And yes, you may risk forgetting that perfect email you came up with overnight, so, by all means, make a voice note or a sticky note to remember.But guess what? Chances are you can ease into your day and work will still be waiting for you in half an hour.Especially now that many of us are working from home, it’s easy to jump out of bed and straight to your desk to get things done. But most people can benefit from a “commute” between bed and work.Giving yourself this time to simply be and breathe before you tackle your overflowing inbox, and maybe even meditating or exercising before work, will help you remain calm and confident throughout the day and beyond.
Do 3 things that make you feel grounded and comfortable
Change and uncertainty are stressful. Decision fatigue is real. And you’ve probably struggled with it, even if you didn’t notice.Impromptu meetings, last-minute meal changes, and other unexpected shifts in your routine are bound to throw you off more than you may realize.Sticking to three or four staples in your morning routine is soothing and can help you stay grounded and focused on the bigger decisions you need to make. Whether you like stretching, journaling, dry brushing, doing your makeup, or any other habits in your morning, make it a point to stick to these every day and you will find comfort in their repetition day in and day out. These activities will signal to your brain that your day is starting, you’ll feel more awake, and won’t have to start your day wondering What’s next?
Talk to your loved ones, your pets, or yourself for a few minutes
With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to live with your family (or roomies!) and go days without actually acknowledging each other. If you all have similar morning schedules, try to talk to your family for a few minutes, maybe even share that cup of joe! This is a great opportunity to catch up on life, a quick daily update, make plans for dinner, or share anything exciting for the day ahead. This short time is key to remind you that there’s more to life than work. And to separate your life from your responsibilities with coworkers and friends.Looking to work on your communication? Check this resource: Communicate Better In Seconds
Walk around your home and take the time to organize your space and mind
Lots of people tend to think that creatives and entrepreneurs are naturally messy. That there’s always a need for chaos all around, papers overflowing on desks, clutter everywhere, in order to be a real genius. Oprah doesn’t have time to clean up her living room, right? A messy living or working space is a distraction waiting to happen. Even if you can’t see it. Or maybe you have noticed it. You’ve probably found yourself stopping a task midway because the sink is full, I might as well get to it! or maybe we’re out of milk. I’ll just get up for a second to buy a carton. I do it too! And I call it productive procrastination: It’s when you’re avoiding a task you don’t want to do and you find another task to justify not getting work done. Hey, it’s better than mindlessly scrolling social media! But it’s still preventing you from accomplishing what you’ve set out to do.Start your day with an organized space and a clear path forward and you’ll be saving yourself headaches, avoid decision fatigue, and work uninterrupted for longer stretches of time without neglecting anything else. You don’t need a full decluttering day either. You’d be surprised by what you can achieve in just 5-10 minutes every day.
Set an intention, clarify your tasks, and define a priority for the day ahead
Unsure of what you need to get done during the day? You’ll probably spend hours scrambling around jumping from one thing to the other without a clear direction.If your to-do list is miles long, you run the risk of decision paralysis: You have too many things on your plate and get overwhelmed, so you don’t do anything at all.When you take some time to set a clear action plan and prioritize what needs to get done, you know what you’re working on when, and you can make progress without feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.
Bonus - Eat the frog! Have you ever said you’d go to the gym after work and spent all day dreading it? If so, I’d love to invite you to eat the frog!
Allow me to explain: Mark Twain said, “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.”While I’d definitely be the first one to skip eating a frog, there’s something to be said about knocking your most dreaded task first thing in the morning.The weight will be lifted off your shoulders, you’ll start your day feeling accomplished, and everything else will feel like a breeze.You can even see it as a reward: after doing the boring stuff, you get to do the stuff you love!
Make space for your own growth and well being.
Stop peeling yourself out of bed and having your laptop be the first glow your face gets every morning.
With an intentional, nurturing morning routine, you’re filling your cup before giving in to the demands of daily life.
How are you setting yourself up for success? I’d love to hear what tips and tricks have worked for you!