It’s well-known having a morning routine sets you up for a productive day. For example, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, wakes up at 3:45 am to start on emails then go to the gym. Trust us, we know it’s not the easiest to wake up earlier than you already to do an entire routine before work. But a good, stress-free morning routine sets the tone for your day.
You don’t have to wake up incredibly early for your morning routine. You just need to find what works for you, and it will definitely take some trial and error before you find what works best. Here are some tips to create a stress-free morning routine.
Set out everything you need the night before.
Set out your clothes, and pack your gym bag or work bag the night before. It helps save time in the morning and takes out a decision-making element in the morning, so you can focus your energy on something else.
Don’t check your phone when you wake up.
We’re guilty of this. It’s hard not to wake up and immediately check your phone for text messages and emails then scrolling through Instagram or Facebook. But how many times have you decided to just scroll through Instagram/Facebook for a “couple minutes” then spent 20-30 minutes doing just that?
Tip: Set your phone on Do Not Disturb, so you don’t have messages coming in. You can even set it past the default setting of 7 am on iPhones.
Make your bed.
Yes, you should make your bed everyday. Not only does your room look nicer and cleaner, but it also sets the tone for the day since you’ve accomplished the first task of the day.
Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Seal William H. McCraven said, “It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.”
Hydrate.
You haven’t had water in the 6-8 hours you’ve been sleeping. So it’s important to hydrate before having your morning coffee.
One great way to hydrate is to have some lemon water, which helps with digestion, improves skin quality, and is a good source of Vitamin C.
Try a coffee maker with a timer.
It’s amazing to wake up to a fresh pot of coffee. Set the timer the night before, or set it to automatically turn on daily. Not only do you save time in making coffee, but the smell of coffee also helps us get out of bed.
But some people prefer the ritual of making your coffee or matcha in the morning. We like to make our coffee in the morning with our Nespresso. It’s a happy medium since it’s fast!
Get in some movement.
There are a lot of benefits to getting your workout done in the morning like less distractions, more energy, and better focus.
But if you prefer do your workout later in the day or don’t have time to get in a full workout, getting in any movement is helpful. Go for a walk or do some yoga or stretches.
Meditate.
Meditating has a lot of benefits like reducing stress and anxiety. But it can be daunting. How do you start? How long do you have to do it for? Do you have time for it in the morning?
It doesn’t have to be complicated! Even meditating for a couple of minutes is better than none. Try using an app like Headspace, and find a couple minutes like while waiting for your coffee to brew. Joanna likes to do a short, beginner meditation as soon as she wakes up while still in bed.
The trick is to find ways to sneak in your meditation in your routine and day and not be overwhelmed and feel like you have to set aside a lot of time for it.
Schedule your day and plan.
Taking the time to set up your day and make a to-do list makes your day less stressful. You can see and go over what needs to be done that day rather than just starting and feeling rushed.
Grace: I set up my day by starting off with my to-do list. I only separate it into 2 lists: work and personal. I try to only write down 3-4 tasks each. Then I schedule every single thing into my day, including meals and downtime, and time blocking. Time blocking divides your day into blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to a specific task or group of tasks. So, it allows me to focus on the task at hand, and I don’t have to wonder what needs to get done next.
Do what works for you. Even if we make our to-do list or schedule the night before, we still like to review it in the morning to make sure we know what our day looks like.
Be flexible.
This is the most important part. Be flexible with your routine. Maybe you didn’t have time for the 5-mile run in the morning, so do 10 push-ups and 10 squats instead. Maybe you didn’t sleep well the night before, so you slept in an extra 30 minutes. Skip the workout and do a couple stretches while brushing your teeth.
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It takes a lot of trial and error and time to create a stress-free morning routine that works for you. We still haven’t perfected our morning routines. But on the days we’re able to do it, we are way more productive and feel better all day.
What do you do in your morning routine?
– Jo & Grace
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