Creating a positive morning routine can help us lay the foundation for a more productive and joyful day. An intentional wake-up routine can help us establish a positive frame of mind to kick-start our day, which can ultimately allow us to meet the day ahead of us with more satisfaction. Using the tips below, we can design ourselves a positive morning routine. By following this routine every day, with time, these tasks are likely to become habits.
10 Tips For Designing A Positive Wake-Up Routine
For many, we experience a cycle of chaos when we wake up, which is particularly true for those of us with children. This chaos typically results from feeling like we are constantly trying to catch up. However, we can free ourselves from this cycle by creating an effective wake-up routine.
We can start creating a positive wake-up routine by choosing several of these tasks to incorporate into our daily lives. As we become accustomed to these tasks, they become habits. And once habituated, we can begin to add in more.
Prep Before You Go To Sleep
Setting out the clothes we plan to wear, prepping meals, and making sure that our work materials are in order before we go to sleep reduces the number of tasks we have to perform in the morning.
2. Create A Daily Plan
A well-thought-out daily plan helps us prioritize our tasks and stay organized. Taking a few minutes to create our plan for the day can ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
3. Get Up Earlier
Waking up about an hour earlier than usual can give us time to do things we want to do for ourselves (e.g., exercising). This extra time is particularly helpful for those of us who have children. To ensure you get an adequate amount of sleep, heading to bed a bit sooner the day before might be something worth exploring.
4. Before Getting Out Of Bed, Stretch From Head To Toe
A full-body stretch improves blood circulation and helps energize our bodies. It also smooths out any kinks that arise due to unusual sleeping positions. In addition, stretching helps relieve the tension that remains from the previous day.
5. Rehydrate Within 30 Minutes Of Waking
Staying hydrated is always important for our brains. However, according to a Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism study, drinking 500 ml of water upon waking can increase our body’s metabolic rate by 30%. Furthermore, rehydrating in the morning is crucial because it helps our body flush out toxins and aids in digestion.
6. Meditate
While all types of meditation provide benefits, Transcendental Meditation (TM) is an easy technique to learn because it is essentially effortless. Transcendental Meditation can improve our health. It can also help us manage our stress and anxiety levels. Furthermore, meditation can elevate dopamine levels, which increases our feelings of joy and happiness.
7. Express Gratitude
With all the hustle and bustle in our world, getting caught up in a desire for more can overshadow what we already have. We should pause for a minute and express gratitude for even the simplest things: the air you get to breathe, a warm, sunny day, a bird chirping in a nearby tree, or a friendly smile from our neighbor. Remember to acknowledge the big things as well: good health, a place to live, and great family and friends. By recognizing and appreciating what we already have, we may find that our hearts fill with joy, which can positively affect our entire day.
8. Exercise
Our wake-up exercise routine is not necessarily a full-body workout. Even just a brisk morning walk helps get the body moving and improves our overall health.
9. Eat A Healthy Breakfast
Our metabolism provides the energy we need to tackle the day. Since breakfast, like hydration, also helps kick-start our metabolism, skipping this meal can negatively affect our health and well-being. Sometimes, we can prepare our breakfast before we go to sleep the day before (e.g., oatmeal or honey granola made in a slow cooker). There are numerous quick and easy healthy breakfast options.
10. Take A Shower
Warm showers are rejuvenating. We can make them a great start to our day by using our favorite scented soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. By providing ourselves with these personal preferences, we can turn our everyday shower into a luxurious experience.
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Optimizing Productivity And Energy Levels Throughout The Day
While starting the day on a positive note is beneficial, optimizing our energy throughout the day is also key. Taking short breaks throughout the day can help us do that. Ideally, we should take a few-minute break every 90-120 minutes. This time frame is recommended because of the body’s natural ultradian rhythms.
Ultradian rhythms is a term that refers to the cycles during which the body slowly moves from high-energy states into physiological troughs. As each high-energy cycle comes to an end, our body gives us clear signs we need a break. These signs include difficulty concentrating, yawning, a rumbling stomach, and reduced productivity. However, we can quickly increase our energy levels by disengaging from work for a few minutes and performing a simple activity (e.g., taking a short walk or chatting with a colleague). If we ignore these signs and keep working, our energy level continues to fall, negatively affecting productivity.
To learn more about ways to reduce stress and improve productivity, contact
, Andrew O’Brien, MBA, NBC-HWC, BCC, SHRM-SCP, today. During your free stress relief strategy call, Coach O’Brien will discuss how he can support you in creating your personalized self-care plan. Coach Andrew O’Brien’s goal is to help you transcend your burnout so that you can live with inspired meaning and purpose, and ultimately live by your true North Star.