4 Simple Tips to Start Your Morning Routine Right + 3 Bonus Tips
Starting your day right is so important. Your morning ritual should be a priority for you to refine until you find something that really works for you. Here are 4 simple tips to start your morning routine right to set you up for a great (not just “good”) day.
Good habits / effective rituals are really a big part of improving your life and maintaining it to a high standard.
Aside from breaking a bad habit or two, I have some pretty good ones which are simple but very effective. I notice the impact on my mind, mood and body if I don’t do these things.
1. Avoid checking anything but the time on the phone
I am so guilty of this lately. I am going to shift this behaviour immediately.
It’s amazing how common it is to check your phone as soon as you wake up. I’m in that category, and I think it’s natural to want to know the time at that point. Before smartphones, people would have some sort of timepiece near their bed.
Where it starts to go downhill, is checking other things on your phone. So one thing I’ve just realised is that I need to do better with my morning routine, as I spiral into staying on my phone in bed right after waking up for far too long.
2. Take 3 deep breaths
Choose any number of breaths that works for you. I usually count 3 to clear my head and stop myself from getting into the noise of the day.
3. Cleanse yourself
This is what seems obvious to me but maybe not for all: brushing my teeth then splashing my face with cold water is the bare minimum I’d do. It really helps to transition me from sleep mode to awake mode. A quick shower is even better, and a cold one (even for just 2 minutes in the end) is highly recommended (thanks Wimhof).
4. Drink water
There have been days where an hour or two goes by before I realise I haven’t had any water. I might’ve had orange juice or a coffee, but no water. My body feels like it’s shrivelling up inside. I’ve had dehydration pains before, they are like intensely bad stomaches. I’d get headaches.
Hydrate yourself regularly. It makes a world of difference.
If you have time, squeeze some fresh lemon into it to help kickstart the magic of cleansing your body.
Set habits versus flexible actions
These tips seem so simple, yet it took me months to get into the rhythm of it – and I’m still working on the phone thing. I’ve found myself feeling more centred, less stressed and happier after waking up.
These are my set steps in my morning ritual. Once I solidify these 4 steps, I’ll add more things to my morning routine which are more flexible and optional. Keeping yourself committed to a morning ritual of too many steps may overwhelm you. So just keep it simple.
Bonus: 3 more simple tips to start your morning routine right
Think about or write down things you appreciate.
There is a bigger thought piece here about gratitude versus appreciation.
I have studied from The Law of Attraction sources that where gratitude is being thankful for something that may not be a good thing and you’re trying to change your perspective, appreciation is more about enjoying something that feels good.
This one is something I’m still figuring out.
Go through your action plan for the day.
I have a simple to-do list on scrap paper with today’s date at the top. I keep the list short, only about 5-7 things at a time. When I’m done with 90% of the tasks, only then will I add a few more, but never having the list go over 7 or so items.
That satisfying feeling of writing a line through a task gives me enough motivation to get through the next one. Until I have a page of tasks with lines through it at the end of a few days, then I put it through my shredder. I let it all go and appreciate the work I’ve put in.
Stretch
Oh this is one I should be prioritising with all the sitting down/standing up at my desk I do. Simple stretches to get the blood flowing and loosening up muscles is another refreshing habit to start the day with.
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