I'm a huge advocate for having a solid morning routine before you start your day. I will never be the girl that rolls out of bed at 8:55 am and starts working at 9:00 am - I wouldn't be functional!
Over the years, I've tested out a few key practices in the morning that have helped me be better focused, more productive, and more energized.
The key to building a healthy and efficient morning routine is consistency. They say it takes 21 days to build a habit, so try to incorporate one new activity into your routine for 3 weeks and see whether it will work for you!
You might be asking yourself, "why should I even bother with a morning routine?" Besides being more productive and energized during the day, there are quite a few benefits of establishing a routine:
Improves your mental & physical health by reducing stress
Gives you a sense of control in your life
Helps you achieve small accomplishments throughout the day that will build confidence
Forces a moment of self-care into your busy day
Allows you to maximize your time
Speaking of maximizing your time, here are some fundamental activities you should incorporate into your morning routine.
Wake Up Earlier
I can hear everyone's groans while I write this, but it must be done! How do you expect to set the right intentions for your day if you only wake up 20 minutes before you need to leave?
On average, I usually wake up 2 hours before I need to leave the house to start my work day. Now, I'm not saying you need to wake up as early as me, but I would recommend at least an hour to let your body and mind wake up to have the most efficient day.
When we wake up too close to the time we need to leave, most of us start to rush and become too frantic, which will negatively impact our productivity for the day. In fact, it's actually been proven that if you're panicked due to feeling rushed, your body starts to overproduce cortisol which makes you more tired, crave junk food, and less focused.
Do Your Skincare Right When You Wake Up
I especially push myself to do this whenever I have to work at the office. I pull myself out of bed, without looking at my phone first, and head straight to the bathroom to start my skincare routine. Obviously, the water that I'm splashing on my face with my cleanser is a tried and true way to wake me up - even if it's 6:00 AM! I feel so refreshed and already charged with more energy, so I can continue to complete the rest of my routine.
Drink Water > Coffee First
Your body naturally dehydrates itself while you sleep, so drinking a full glass of water right at the start of your day will give you the perfect boost and it helps kickstart your metabolism for the day!
You can also add in some fruits and vegetables to get in even more nutrients. Either cut up some fresh lemon, or you can add pieces of fruit and freeze them into ice cubes (has anyone else been binging those videos of ice restocking?!)
Practice Gratitude & Set Intentions
I've tried journaling in the past and while I did enjoy it, I knew that it wasn't something that I could keep up. So instead, I like to start my days listening to positive podcasts while I do my makeup - either directly related to meditation and gratitude or that just focuses on personal development.
I will say, this is one habit that is still a work in progress because sometimes I would much rather just have a YouTube video playing in the background. However, what's important is that you're consuming content that will have a positive effect so that you can start your day feeling great!
Do Something You Enjoy
I love to incorporate reading into my routine while I drink coffee and enjoy my well-balanced breakfast. It helps calm me down and ground me before I feel the rush of the work day ahead.
If you're not into reading, working out is a great alternative - you can either do some cardio, a yoga routine, or just practice some stretching to get your body loosened up. You can also watch a show or YouTube video, but again, make sure it's focused on the positivity!
What activities do you do in your daily, morning routine? Share it in the comments down below!
Thanks for reading,
Kat ♡
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