“Routines are an interactive process. You add and adopt it over time. I have been doing some version of this specific routine for nearly five years. It’s gotten me through three books in three years as well as dozens of projects for clients big and small.” Ryan Holiday
I believe having a daily routine is essential for happiness. But what is more important than that is having a morning routine. When the morning goes right, it gives the rest of your day momentum and energy. A morning routine sets the tone for the whole day, and if you do each day right, you will do life right.
Listed below, are 8 practices for a successful morning routine:
· To have a successful morning routine, make sure you plan your sleep schedule. Sticking with a regular schedule for going to bed and waking up is a key to establishing a morning routine. If you want to be more productive wake up early 🙂
· Before going to bed, decide on the most important tasks and goals for the next day. It is a great way to prepare your tomorrow mentally and to prioritize the time-consuming tasks firstly.
· Do at least one thing in the morning before checking your phone notifications and emails. It could be reading, journaling, stretching, having coffee…
· Make moving your body a priority. Exercise helps your brain come up with insights and have great health benefits. If you don’t have time to exercise, make sure to stretch for several minutes to ease into more activity
· Ask yourself what do I need to achieve today to feel productive and happy? Review your previous evening list and schedule each task accordingly. This will make you feel that you are totally in charge of your day.
· Choose an activity that is focused on self-development, activities like writing in your gratitude journal, reading, praying, drawing, coloring, breathing… anything pick one thing and incorporate in your life.
· Put aside some time to be quiet and in solitude, away from people and electronics. This will help you gather your thoughts and become more focused.
· Make sure to have breakfast, start with a big glass of water as it has tremendous benefits on your energy.
Try to create a daily routine that works for you regardless of the time you may want to allocate for it. Try to keep a certain routine even if you travel by building a routine that is as resilient as possible and as location independent as possible. Sometimes you may fail to follow your morning routine, do not let this influence the rest of your day, make sure you get back on track as soon as you can.
Knowing exactly how the first minutes of your day look like is powerful, as it help you feel in control and emotionally stronger, which in turn reduce anxiety and ensure you are more productive throughout the day.
Linda Chaccour
Founder Emerge Coaching
Life Strategist and Happiness Coach
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