How A Morning Routine Can Help With Productivity + Happiness
Perhaps you’ve heard all this hub-bub about starting a morning routine for productivity and happiness. Why you need to have one, how to create one, and by the way here’s how you do a million things in the morning before 7 AM.
But, let’s be honest, mornings can be a beast to have to deal with.
I can admit that once upon a time staying in the cozy blankets, cuddled up with the pups was how I spent most mornings.
Until, I started my morning routine and became so much more productive and happy!
You see, having a proper morning routine really can increase both your productivity and happiness.
That’s right, your happiness!
Science has proven our minds work well off routines. And a morning routine we can accomplish before most people even start their day… whew… that can set us up ahead of the game.
It may take a little time to get in your new groove, but you’re sure to create a morning routine and increase your productivity and happiness!
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01| Choose a time to wake up
To form a habit, we have to have consistency, right?
Let’s apply that same logic to the time we choose to wake up. If we are in the habit of listening to our “internal alarm,” give that trusty alarm clock another go.
When we have consistency, it’ll be easier to get out of bed the first time the alarm goes off. Leaving that snooze button alone. Our bodies and brains will become trained on getting up early and getting started with our day.
Pro Tip: If you still struggle waking up and getting your butt out of those covers, try setting the alarm 5 minutes earlier each day until you’re able to wake up at your goal time. Find even more tips in this article on how to create new habits and stick to them!
02| Get up within 5 seconds
This tip blew my mind when I first read about it. Mel Robbins has a wonderful book about reaching goals and creating habits. She explains that we literally have 5 seconds to physically make a move on our decision to do something.
If we wait too long (aka 6 seconds), we have consciously made the decision NOT to do that same thing! And our brains kills the idea.
Yup, you’re goal of getting up early isn’t going to happen.
So once that alarm goes off, sit up, put your feet on the floor, and hoist yourself up within 5 seconds.
You’ll be amazed at how adding this practice into all the tasks in your morning routine will make for a crazy productive morning!
03| Make your bed
Likely, making your bed was a chore you had when you were little. Unfortunately, some of us fall out of this good habit in our teen years once our parents stop nagging us.
Little did we know that when “make the bed” appeared on the summer chore list, our parents were setting us up for one productive day!
Oddly enough, science has proven that people who make their bed first thing in the morning reap a whole bunch of benefits over the non-makers. Some benefits of making your bed include:
- Enjoying your job
- Workout regularly
- Get more sleep
- Get better sleep
- Sticking to a budget
You can see how doing this 2-minute task can set your day up for positivity and happiness.
04| Drink water first thing
I think this may have been the hardest one for me to do, honestly.
Let’s face it… I love my coffee first thing in the morning.
But starting off my day with a glass of water has had wonderful benefits, such as it setting me up for a healthy breakfast. Sometimes with my coffee, I might not eat until lunchtime. But, by starting my day with a glass of water (followed up by my cup of joe) I find my mood improved, grogginess wiped away, and a much easier time keeping it going throughout the day.
Pro Tip: If you’re looking to kick the caffeine all together, give a cup of hot lemon water a try! Or look for your favorite caffeine-free herbal teas to avoid the afternoon slump.
05| Eat a healthy breakfast
Speaking of eating breakfast, step one is: make sure to do so.
Over my years as a nutritional coach, I’m surprised how many people skip on this meal completely. Often the reasoning is “I’m just not hungry when I wake up.” If this is you, check and see how late into the night you’re eating (or snacking) and try to move it up earlier. Once you do a quick reset, you’ll find your mealtimes start to balance out a little better.
And once that happens…
Make sure to eat a healthy breakfast.
No… sweetrolls with some fruit doesn’t count as wholesome. Try for 6 oz of protein, 1 cup of veggies, and 1/2 cup of fruit or oatmeal. You’ll be surprised with the energy boost your mornings will have, and how you can use this morning routine for productivity!
06| Stretch + Exercise
Looking for even more energy in your morning routine?
Get that blood flowing and muscles active with a good stretch. Stretching in the morning gets more oxygen to your brain, so you can be a powerhouse of productivity!
While you’re at it, see if your morning routine can incorporate a quick yoga or exercise routine.
If it seems like your brain and motivation has stopped, it’s time to get moving. This can be the best way to increase productivity, work through a creative block, or get yourself out of a funk!
Pro Tip: You don’t have to get a membership at a fancy gym, there are several apps that let you workout in your living room! If you’re even more of a DIY-er, make your own mini-home gym with these great products and a free video like this yoga video or this HIIT workout.
07| Dress for the day
How are you expecting yourself to have a productive day when you’re lounging around in your sleepwear all morning?
Dress for success is a popular saying for a reason. When we feel good with how we look, we’re happier and more productive. In other words, we are manifesting our own mindset just by putting on actual clothes in the morning.
I’m not saying you need to wear a blazer and slacks each day (leggings are my own go-to).
The point is to get out of the “comfys” that will only encourage you to lounge on the couch or crawl back into bed.
Pro Tip: Do you always struggle with what to wear? It’s so much easier to find an outfit when you’re not sorting through packed clothes. Adopt a minimalist wardrobe to make finding or planning your day attire super simple. You’ll get more time back and finding an outfit will no longer be a daily chore. Download these declutter checklists below to get started with your simplified life right away!
FREE STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO DECLUTTERING FOR A HAPPIER, LESS STRESSED LIFE
08| Review the plan for the day
What’s a great way to set up the day for success?
Have a solid plan.
I love love LOVE planning. Each morning I get out my trusty planner and get to work designing what my day will look like. Personally, I like to schedule the main blocks of tasks on Monday mornings, and each day fill in my main blocks of time with smaller, more-detailed tasks.
By planning my time this way, I’m able to be more intentional with every moment of the day.
No slacking and easy adjusting.
Plus, with a uber productive day, I’m happier with what I’ve accomplished. This makes it way easier to leave work at work and enjoy time at home to the fullest. No more “I can’t turn my brain off” syndrome.
Pro Tip: I can’t recommend my favorite planner more! Check out just how awesome this planner’s daily page is for productivity. Also, take a look at this post for amazing tips on how I manage my time to get everything done!
09| Ignore social media + emails
This is the only item on the do NOT do list as part of your morning routine for productivity.
Don’t check Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, or email first thing in the morning. Or you’re going to go down the rabbit hole of mindless scrolling for hours. Trust me. Even if you have the best intentions or set a timer.
Poof! There goes your productive start to the day.
On occasion we opt for answer emails as a simple way to ease into the day. Instead of trying to ease into the day, why not use all that productive energy you’ve created with your killer morning routine and bust out some of the more difficult tasks?
You’ll still have plenty of time to respond to emails afterwards and already be limiting the amount of time for mindless scrolling!
Pro Tip: When checking social media (whether for work or chill time), try setting a timer. We can easily throw hours away checking what others have posted instead of being an active participant in our own lives.
Pro Tip: For more great tips on how to be more productive at work to better enjoy your time away, check out these additional time management tips!
Make your own morning routine for productivity + happiness
There you have the top tips on creating a successful morning routine for productivity and happiness all day long.
Try one or all (for the overachievers) of these ideas over the next few mornings. Be sure to check in with your mood and body. Make adjustments to get to bed earlier if you need to.
You’re wild if you expect a perfect morning routine each morning, going with the flow will help keep stress down. But, as long as you’re trying to do something each morning, you’re working towards a more productive and happier life!
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