Morning Habits That Will Change Your Life

After years of dreading the sound of my alarm, I decided to make some changes to my morning habits. Although I do still find it difficult to climb out of my warm cosy bed, I’m slowly becoming a morning person. Your morning habits set you up for the entire day and if you start your morning in a rush then you will have a difficult time redeeming your day. It’s important to have a mindful routine in place in order to have a happy mind and body from the beginning of your day.

Avoid the snooze button

When you’ve chosen a time to wake up try to stick to it. You’ve set that time for a reason and hopefully, that reason is to have a relaxing yet productive morning. By hitting that snooze button and going back to sleep your brain starts its sleep cycle all over again. Meaning, when your alarm goes off again, you will be in a deeper sleep than before! Leaving you feeling much more tired than the first time your alarm sounded.

Tip* Download the app called ‘Alarmy’. I love it and kind of hate it at the same time, why? Because you will not be able to go back to sleep with this alarm. There are a few different ways you can turn your alarm off, all of which involve you being wide awake. I’ve opted for answering difficult maths questions and the alarm WILL NOT turn off until you’ve answered all the questions correctly. Another option is to take a picture of a particular image in your house, your best chance with this option is to choose an image in another room, such as your fridge.

Re-hydrate

Did you know that about 60% of your body is made of water and after a good night’s sleep of about 7-8 hours the first thing your body needs is water? I put a fresh bottle of water by my bedside every evening before I go to sleep, which I then have waiting for me as soon as I wake up.

Healthy breakfast

Now I’ll be honest with you here, I don’t always have breakfast at home during the weekdays. Sometimes I have breakfast when I arrive at work. Mainly because (1) I have the luxury of being allowed breakfast at work (2) I like to exercise on my lunch and having breakfast later helps my energy levels.  Now, with that being said, I do believe that it’s healthier and more relaxing to have your breakfast at home and my second excuse about exercising is complete rubbish because I could easily snack on a banana an hour before I hit the gym! I hear that the secret behind having time for a healthy and yummy breakfast at home (without rushing out the door with a piece of toast) is meal-prepping! Cooking a week’s worth of breakfasts in the evening to save you time in the morning.

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Set goals and review them

When you take a couple minutes out of your morning to set daily goals for yourself, not only are you setting yourself up for a productive day but can you imagine how much you would be able to accomplish in the next year. To take this a step further, take 5 minutes every morning to review your long-term goals, doing so will keep you focused on creating the results you want.

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Read something positive/inspiring

Every morning fill your brain with positive thoughts and ideas to improve yourself. Read something which inspires you and which will enhance an area of your life, and learn the knowledge of people who have accomplished what you want to do. If you struggle to find time in the morning to read then you can try listening to audiobooks or podcasts while you do another activity, like exercising, cooking breakfast, getting ready or travelling to work. I like to read on the train, especially as I don’t get a very good signal on my phone!

Do something for yourself!

Have you set yourself a goal which you’re struggling to find time for? Do have a dream which requires a lot of time and hard work? Whether that be building your own business, training for a half marathon (yes I’m using my own examples) or maybe just wanting some time for YOU. Such as having a relaxing bath and doing whatever makes you happy and which you struggle to find time for during the day. If you set your alarm before the rest of the house wakes up and before you need to start your day, you can set time aside to do what you love. Even if that means catching up on your favourite TV shows.

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The night before:

A bedtime routine works perfectly with a morning routine. By having a routine before bed you will set yourself up for a productive and relaxing morning. My bedtime routine goes something like this:

My bedtime routine:

• Switch off all electronics by 9 PM
• Pamper
• Prepare my bag and clothes for work the next day
• Read in bed before falling fast asleep

Set a bedtime

Our bodies have a natural rhythm and when we don’t give ourselves enough sleep or when our bedtime is erratic our rhythm is messed up. Our bodies function better when they’re on a regular routine and the more regular sleep that you get the more balanced you’re going to feel. Having a bedtime will also set up a better routine for your day.

Plan your morning the night before

Planning your morning the night before can help you get out of bed and into your routine, without any time wasted snoozing. By planning your routine for the next day or week, you can simply get up and go rather than wasting any time figuring out what to have for breakfast or what to do with your morning before you need to head to work.

Creating morning habits takes commitment so don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re struggling. You will need to train your mind and body to make these changes, but with consistency, your new habits will soon become second nature.

What are some of your morning habits which make your day run smoothly?