WIN THE MORNING WIN THE DAY

We’ve heard this before and I will stand by it 100%. Having a good morning routine whatever that might consist of can help you have a more productive day and why wouldn’t you want that?

Everybody is different of course and that’s why I’m not going to tell you to get up at 5 am and go through 20 steps that take 2 hours for you to win your day. Let’s be real that’s not realistic for the majority of us, we’re busy.

Here’s the thing, I feel like people talk about morning routines so much and make it into a whole event, which is great but it made me feel like if I didn’t have two hours to dedicate to all my to-dos that I failed my morning. By default then I felt like the rest of my day just couldn’t be as productive.

You have to take a look at your life and see what time you have and what things are essential for you to be the best you. For some people that might mean a really long routine and several steps but for others, they need something shorter and that is totally okay.

Just like success winning the morning is relative. What works for Joe Shmoe down the street won’t necessarily work for you. You need to find what helps and works best for you, not someone else.

Experiment

Treat this like an experiment. You need to test different things and find what works best to feel your best. For me, this is actually fun but I’m weird and thrive off change, keeps me on my toes and I don’t get bored…

Now you have to do your due diligence and try experimenting over a week or so so you can actually see if it works well for you. For example, you might actually be someone who does great waking up at 5 am but you need more than one night for your body to get used to that.

Define Your Timeframe

Like I was saying we don’t all have the same amount of time in the morning and that’s okay. I do think you should try and get up 30 min earlier and go to bed 30 min earlier to avoid jumping out of bed and rushing to the grind right away if you can.

Remember you need to make yourself a priority so if that means 30min less of tv consider it an investment in yourself.

Also, note that life is constantly changing and giving us different things to deal with. Today you might have all the time in the world to have a spa-like morning routine and tomorrow you might have a huge work project that takes up all of your existence and that’s okay. Go with the flow you can change and adapt.

Just because you normally have a two-hour morning routine doesn’t mean it’s bad to cut that down to 30 minutes because life is a bit crazier. But if you do have to cut down, make note of the essential things you need to do in the morning so you know what not to compromise.

Building Your Routine

So, here’s the fun part. Here is a list of a ton of things I thought of that you can test and try to see if they work well for your routine. Mix and match, experiment, see what works well for you and sets you up for a successful day.

1. Sunlight – open those blinds
2. Tranquil Music
3. Lemon Water or Plain Water
4. ACV Shot
5. Coffee – take it a step further go on and get that frother out and that coconut whipped cream and make your DIY drink part of your routine
6. Tea
7. Matcha
8. Walk your dogs… or yourself
9. Exercise
10. Yoga
11. Stretch
12. Dry Brush
13. Shower
14. Wash Your Face
15. Brush Your Teeth
16. Tongue Scrape
17. Meditate
18. Read
19. Listen to a Podcast
20. Listen to an Audio Book
21. Do Your Makeup
22. Get Dressed – I know for some this is a given but working from home I’m SO much more productive when I act like I have somewhere to go and actually put on an outfit that’s, not leggings and a sweatshirt.
23. Morning Pages
24. Brain Dump
25. Bullet Journal
26. Plan Your Day
27. Light a Candle
28. Sit Outside/ Get Fresh Air
29. Practice Gratitude
30. Eat Breakfast
31. Or don’t and Intermittent Fast Instead
32. Take Your Vitamins/Supplements
33. Go for a Jog
34. Revisit/Read Your Goals
35. Avoid Your Phone/Technology
36. Make Your Bed
37. Skincare
38. Apply SPF
39. Facial Massage
40. Tidy for 10 min
41. Affirmations
42. Splash Your Face with Water
43. Cold to Hot Transitions
44. Face Mask
45. Eye Paches or Cold Spoons for Puffy Eyes
46. Diffuse Essential Oils
47. Oil Massage
48. Practice Being Still
49. Accountability Check-in
50. Prep/Organize Your Meals for the Day