Do you have a morning routine?
Originally posted 28 February 2023 on The Stouffville Review
Do you have a morning routine? Creating a morning routine is as much about setting goals and checking boxes off your list as it is about allowing yourself to begin your day with confidence, peace, and a positive attitude.
Peace
Our emotional health can be impacted by how we feel we are managing our day. When we are rushing and juggling priorities, dealing with delays and challenges, our balanced emotional state can be compromised. By creating a consistent morning routine, we can establish a sense of peace and initiate a productive, manageable path for our day that can help support good emotional health and give us shelter from anxiety and urgency.
Confidence
Being confident is more than positive affirmations, it means believing in ourselves and knowing that we are capable of completing daily tasks, and that we have the ability to succeed. True confidence is grown through experiences, through living, making mistakes and learning from them.
Productivity
The morning routine helps us set the tone for the day, allowing us to better focus on what is in front of us, where to prioritize our time, and, ultimately, increase our productivity. It’s essential to consider the level of quality and intention we are giving to tasks-completing less tasks more effectively is more rewarding than trying to accomplish an overwhelming number of jobs that never get finished.
How to Set YOUR Perfect Morning Routine?
Give Yourself Time
How much time will you need to do your routine? Set aside a dedicated amount of time, and remove distractions like news, social media and technology to help you use that time in a more focused, productive way. Experiment and decide what works best for you.
Move Your Body
Stretch, do yoga, go for a walk, or do a workout if that feels like the right thing for your body and energizes your system. This way you are actively waking up your muscles as well as your mind.
Practice Stillness
As much as body movement is beneficial in the morning, so is practicing stillness. Activities like meditation, breathing, mantras and prayer are all great examples of what stillness might look like as part of your morning routine. Practicing stillness can help you feel grounded, focused, and ready to effectively prioritize tasks.
Have a Proper Breakfast
The way we fuel our body in the morning can have a powerful influence on our physical health, our energy levels, and our mental attitude throughout the day. Remember to have a balanced breakfast to help you meet your goals.
Review Your Day
As you finish your morning routine, look ahead to your day, be intentional in deciding where your energy and efforts need to go, feel confident in your abilities to succeed, and know that you can accomplish the tasks ahead.
Be Consistent
Starting anything new can sometimes feel overwhelming, but if you stay consistent, your morning routine will become more natural. Once you experience the positive impact an intentional morning routine has on each day, you will find it motivating to continue!