Morning Routine
In my last article, I briefly wrote how establishing routines/habits can be a powerful tool used by anyone to effectively change life in whatever way desired. Specifically, I covered how I design and execute my night routine to assist me in accomplishing goals and add convenience to my day.
In this article, I will discuss how I execute my morning routine and why it is designed the way it is currently. I wanted to write about my morning routine so I could give a full picture of my day. I also wanted to show that once your mornings/nights are figured out the rest of the day inevitably goes much smoother.
Similar to a night routine, the first thing that must be done when constructing a morning routine is deciding when it will start. This will require having an established night routine adhered to on a consistent basis. If you cant get an adequate amount of sleep each night for rest and recovery it’s pointless to expect you will be able to remain disciplined consistently enough for a morning routine.
Once you have selected an optimal time to begin your morning routine all you have to do now is get up. Easy right? No. This will probably be one of the hardest things you do all day. Im human like everybody else and some mornings I hit snooze, oversleep, or flat out don’t get up. It’s going to happen eventually to all of us. So, instead of dwelling on it and allowing one mistake to completely derail your future routine, chalk it up as a bump in the road and simply carry on as planned.
In contrast to my night routine, my morning routine is designed in a way to add stillness and reflection time to my day. I did this because, between all the daily responsibilities I have to juggle daily and overall lack of time in a day, I wanted to slow things down and be able to chill out. In doing so, my morning routine enables a slow and smooth transition from waking up to starting my day.
Once I wake up in the morning the first few things I will do consist of some personal hygiene tasks that help me wake up and get me ready for the day. These tasks include washing my face, brushing my teeth, and usually shaving my face. Self-hygiene is self-explanatory as to why you should do it but I put it in here because it’s actually alarming how many people don’t prioritize these kinds of things.
After I’ve completed my personal hygiene and got dressed I will usually drink some water to rehydrate myself. There is some valid research online that shows our bodies will become dehydrated over the course of the night. I make it a priority to get some water in me before anything else such as coffee, juice, tea, etc.
I’ll later go and sit at my desk and begin writing in my daily positivity journal. This is all done digitally on Microsoft excel. The journal is a basic spreadsheet formatted in a way that every day I can list things im looking forward to that day/grateful for and why. This gives me some of the personal reflection time I touched on earlier. Also, starting my day this way puts me in the right headspace while also clearing out the mental fog that so many of us live with all the time. If you want the design of the spreadsheet I can send you a copy, just email me kennedyeazy@gmail.com.
In an ideal world I would follow up my time journaling with some meditation but I no longer do anymore. Im too tired to meditate in the morning considering how early im getting up to start my routine. I’d rather just move onto the next task in the routine instead of falling asleep trying to meditate. This is where doing what makes the most sense for your own life and not blindly following others come into play.
Following my journaling time, I will spend about 20 to 25 minutes reading a book. I have a huge reading list that im trying to work through so each morning I have set aside some time to sit down and read. A lot of people use audiobooks but there is something to be said about holding a physical paper book in your hand that audiobooks can’t quite match. My reading will constantly vary, Ill usually read whatever im interested in at the time, or I’ll be invested in my newest book.
Reading is something that all of us can do far more often. One, it’s a calming and relaxing practice in a world constantly at a high intensity attempting to stimulate us 24/7. Second, there is always something new to learn. There are so many stories, theories, and ideas out there in books waiting to be read and discovered. I honestly get excited when I find a new book to add to my reading list.
Once I’ve completed my time reading, I will begin to stretch out and get some blood flowing in my body. Stretching, similar to my time journaling and reading, is a calming and relaxing practice. It helps me get ready for the day physically as well as mentally. I will focus on static stretches where I hold the positions for about 1min at a time. My entire time stretching can last about 10 to 15 minutes. While im stretching I can think of the day ahead and the things I need to do with a clear mind.
A small amount of time around 10 to 15 minutes can compound to a significant amount of time over the course of a week. If you simply took 10 minutes a day to stretch every week, it would equal a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes. That time spent thinking and reflecting is far more useful than you’d think. The average person probably never even thinks of setting some time aside to think about their life, day, or what they are doing. Thinking and reflection should be a consistent practice and it’s why I’ve incorporated it with my stretching.
The purpose of my morning routine is to add stillness and reflection time to my day. As I said in my previous article and lightly here everyone will have different routines. Remember when you begin constructing your routine to think of why you are doing it in the first place to help guide you. Ensure routine has flexibility and the ability to make changes as you go along. When you fuck up don’t dwell on it. Mistakes are part of the process, learn from them. All you need to do is simply make some decisions, design a plan, and then execute.
I hope you found this information valuable and are inspired to begin building your own personal morning routine, which is best suited for your life.
Thank you for reading.
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