A Simple 40 Minute Morning Routine that Can Change Your Life

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Does this sound like your morning routine? Hitting the snooze button as many times until the very last minute, trying to leave out the door five minutes later, balancing your coffee, putting on your shoes and checking work email? Sounds rough huh? Surprisingly, a lot of us do this on a daily basis. Feeling like the entire day we’re playing catch up and not truly being on top of our game or even being productive in the most efficient way.

With how busy our days can be, full of duties, commitments and responsibilities, we tend to feel we’re constantly strapped for time. Having an incredible morning routine can help us feel more productive, feel confident about achieving our goals and at the end of the day, allow some relaxation and more time for those who are important to us.

It may seem to be a challenge at the start, but having a morning routine will help significantly in feeling productive, allowing us to continue our other habits and routines for the rest of the day. (Check out my 10 Simple Habits You Can Form to see other examples). It’ll take some adjusting, but a good morning routine allows you enough time to actually enjoy—and benefit from—your other routines! Which means, starting new habits. And the new habit to start right off the bat, is getting a good nights rest at an earlier time, and waking up about an hour before you need to start getting ready. No hitting snooze. This will allow yourself to begin your day with confidence, peace, and a positive attitude.

Self Reflection 

Starting off with self reflection is a very peaceful way to awaken your mind and body while still in bed. Keep a journal on your night stand so it is readably available to grab to write down your dreams, your goals, how to keep a positive attitude for the day and finally your to-do list. Our minds are most clear first thing in the morning, so dumping everything onto paper is a great way to start your day.

There are some great journals on Amazon that I love that have easy prompts to answer or completely blank for writing whatever your heart desires. There is no guide or rules on exactly what you should write, we all self reflect in different ways, but prompts are a great way to start. Be sure to take about 10-15 minutes writing before you move on to your next routine.

Check out these journals from Amazon:

Practice Stillness

Along with setting our mind right with writing in our journals, it’s important to continue that focus by working on your stillness. And what I mean by that, is using techniques like deep breathing, meditation and/or prayer. This will allows us to reset and be fully present in the moment. There are many ways to meditate, but to include in your morning routine, after writing or even before, sit still on your bed, close your eyes, clear your mind and just breathe. Our mind is a powerful tool and is working at full capacity all day long. So giving it a rest at the beginning of the day can help you feel calm, relaxed, and in control. Feel free to meditate or just sit still as long as you need, but even a quick 10 minute routine can help in a big way.

Skincare Routine

Before the makeup and getting dressed for the day, a good routine to have for the morning, is your skincare routine. After waking up, your skin can be very dehydrated. Using a simple 3 step routine like cleanser, toner, and moisturizer is important to keep your skin glowing and in good condition. Adding in other products is also beneficial, but do your research and be careful of products that you can be allergic to. When done right an effective routine can help prevent acne, treat wrinkles, and help keep your skin looking its best. And girl, don’t forget that SPF!!!

Check out some of my favorite skincare products on Amazon:

Hydration 

I cannot stress this enough that hydration is probably the most important part of your routine. Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach, has multiple health benefits along with simply hydrating your body. Sleeping for 6-8 hrs at night is a long time to go without water, so doing so first thing will instantly jolt your body into cleanse mode. Along with hydration, it is great for flushing toxins, decreasing chances of headaches, speeding up your metabolism, increases energy, improves hair and skin, and helps strengthen your immunity.

It might be hard, but reaching for that coffee first thing should start to become 2nd to water. Take care of your body, and your body will take care of your mind.

Check out some of my favorite water bottles on Amazon:

Make Your Bed

It may be one of the more minor details of your morning routine, but you’ll be surprised how mentally it can benefit your day. Some people will say that making your bed is not a big deal, or that you’re going to mess it up again that night, or you just don’t have enough time, but simply, you do! You make time. Making your bed is the one of the first completed task of your day. It sets the tone for completing many other tasks as well. It may take about 2-5 minutes to do, but pulling up those sheets, straightening those pillows and looking back at your tidy room, gives you a sense of organization and accomplishment – which then can lower stress and improve your mood. C’mon, admit it, it just looks and feels so much better.

Move Your Body 

It is just as important to wake up your mind as it is to wake up your body. Moving your body in the morning produces a good blood flow, which awakens your muscles. Instead of laying in bed and scrolling through social media for 45 min., after your journal time, stillness practice, and that cup of water…stretch, wiggle those toes, do some yoga, OR if you’re ready…start a quick morning jog routine. This will help with boosting your energy, your metabolism and most importantly your mood. You don’t have to focus a lot of your morning time on moving your body but just like the other tasks, 5-10 minutes of movement is key for a more focused day! One step to keep your self accountable, is to set out your workout clothes the night before, and even pack your bag if you go to a gym.

Fuel Properly

Since we were kids, we were always told that to have a good day, start off with a good breakfast. Which in reality, it’s very true. Now I know some of us may have a different schedule with eating or how much time we have to prepare, but even just a quick protein shake, grabbing a banana or granola bar can really help fuel our body and be a powerful influence on your physical health, energy levels, and your mental attitude through the day. Not fueling your body with the proper nutrients, you most likely will feel your energy levels peak and then drastically fall. A healthy breakfast can help you feel regulated and alert.

OVERVIEW

Creating Your Routine

It is very important to start off creating your new morning routine by staying flexible. You don’t have to have the most perfect routine right away, as this is a process, but know that you can develop your routine as you create new habits. Even though it is key to stay flexible, it is also important to stay consistent. Practicing consistency will help make your new morning routine feel more natural over time. Before you know it, you’ll be going through the motions as if it was second nature.

As you feel and see the positive impact your morning routine has on your day, you will find it motivating to continue practicing that habit. It will feel less like something you “should” do and become something you look “forward” to doing. If you skip a day, jump right back to it the next. Again, this is not about performing perfectly but about you giving yourself the opportunity to live your best.

A few things to help with your routine is try to eliminate as much technology or distractions as much as possible, and plan the night before – anything from what you’re going to wear, to lunches for yourself or the kiddos, and your to-do list. This will allow you to have as much time as possible for YOU! Because this is why you’re doing it, right? This is all for YOU to help with controlling your day! Your morning self will thank you you later!

CONTINUE YOUR PRODUCTIVE DAY WITH THESE 3 EASY STEPS

Your morning routine should get you going for the day, but as you start to feel like you need some help just follow these 3 simple steps:

1. Prioritize tasks that will make the biggest impact: Checking off the largest thing on your to-do list will help the other smaller tasks feel like a breeze.
2. Drink plenty of water to stay alert: This will help combat feeling sluggish and dehydrated, which both bring down your energy levels.
3. Turn off notifications so you are not distracted: It’s crazy to think about how many times we pick up our phones each time we receive a notification. Turning them off will eliminate that habit of checking each and every time. When you need a break, its ok to check your phone, but you’ll feel way more productive without any distractions.

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