Morning habits to prepare for a day of success

Your early morning hours are sacred and should be spent doing things for yourself. So many of us wake up in the morning, hit the snooze button, and when we do wake up, we reach for our phones and scroll through our social media feeds and emails before rolling out of bed to get ready for work. However, right now, some of us might have other pressing commitments such as taking care of dependents whilst also trying to juggle working from home so it can be difficult to find time for ourselves. With this in mind, it’s important to remember we are all on a different journey and whilst in an ideal situation, we should prioritise ourselves, this cannot always happen. Below are some steps to take when you are ready and able to commit to an optimum morning routine when the dust settles.

Wake up early
Time is precious and whilst we might not naturally be a morning person, we can become one. Successful people wake up early, ready to attack the day. More time to prepare for the day means less stress and more focus. Treat this time as the moments you can be silent with yourself and allow your brain to relax before tackling the day ahead.

In order to be an early riser, it helps to make your bedroom a waking environment. Make sure sunlight can come through in the morning so you can wake up gradually and naturally. If you’re using an alarm to wake up, start by waking up 15 minutes earlier than you normally would do and then gradually taking that time back until you’ve reached your optimum wake up time.

Practice gratitude, mindfulness and set simple affirmations
When you first wake up, take a few moments to think of three things you are grateful for today and repeat these to yourself silently, making sure to say thank you. If you prefer to write things down, take a few minutes to journal your thoughts and get whatever is on your mind off your chest.

Think of some positive statements you can use to shape the day to come and write these down. They are a great way to visualise the good things you will accomplish and negate any negative self-talk. Feeding your mind and soul and reflecting on where you are and where you want to go will keep you focused on your bigger goals.

So many of us have busy minds that are difficult to turn off and it can really affect our anxiety levels. Take the time to get in tune with your mind and body by focusing on mindfulness. This will help to improve your attention span, regulate your thoughts and make smarter decisions. If you’ve never practiced meditation before, guided meditations are a great place to start.

Make your bed
It might seem trivial but if you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day which then sets a positive tone for how the rest of your day will go. This sense of pride might encourage you to complete further tasks throughout the day and in turn give you a much fuller sense of achievement. Completing such a small task will reinforce the fact that the little things matter too. You shouldn’t run before you can walk, so start with something small to enable you to achieve something big.

Get moving
Morning exercise has been proven to increase blood flow, release endorphins and reduce stress. Not only does it benefit your health, but it prepares you for the day and increases your overall energy levels. You don’t need to do a high-intensity workout either – going for a brisk walk in your neighbourhood or doing a 20-minute yoga video is enough to get you going. Just make sure you stay hydrated with water to maintain your energy all day long. Making time in the morning means you don’t have to worry about squeezing it in later in the day when you may be too busy and it’s a great way to jump-start your day.

Eat breakfast and then eat the frog
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so don’t skip it and don’t rush it. Eating breakfast will enable you to perform better and heighten focus.

Once you’re ready to take on the work ahead of you, tackle the toughest or most important job first – the frog - when your physical and mental energy is at its peak. Once completed, it’s no longer looming over you and you can continue your day with the satisfaction of knowing that your day can only get better from here.

You no longer need to dread mornings. Each day you wake up is a new opportunity to grow and focus on your goals. By developing a strong and healthy routine when you wake up, you set yourself up for a positive and successful day. Most importantly find a routine that works for you and once you’ve found it, make sure you stick to it to reap the benefits.