I’m a morning person. I love getting up early and starting my day with a routine that helps me be productive and achieve my goals. If you’re looking for ways to start your day productively, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, I will share with you the morning routine that has worked best for me.
Of course, that’s not to say that my routine is the best for everyone! But I hope it will give you some ideas of how you could structure your own morning routine. Feel free to pick and choose the parts that work for you.
Wake up early
Of course, if you want a productive morning you have to wake up early. Many highly successful people are known to wake up early and of course, I aim to follow in their footsteps!
What time you wake up will depend on what time you have to leave to work but I recommend allowing yourself at least an hour to work on your own projects (fitness, meditation, personal projects) in addition to showering and all the usual morning essentials! This means you are really putting yourself first and taking time to invest in yourself, which is essential if you want to grow in your career and as a person.
To make sure I don’t waste precious morning minutes, I have trained myself to hop out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off (no snooze button!). I have a motivational tune as my alarm and I also set a motivational message so that’s the first thing I see in the morning.
Yoga
After I wake up and get out of bed, I do a few stretches. Stretching feels amazing after lying in bed for hours and it’s a great way to start your morning. Then, I do some yoga. I find that doing yoga in the morning helps me to centre myself and prepare for the day ahead. It is not my major workout (I usually jog after work) but it does get the blood moving and the energy flowing.
I like to do it first thing in the morning so I have an empty stomach and it really does feel great if you wake up stiff. I usually spend 10-20 minutes on yoga and I often pick a routine by Yoga With Adriene on YouTube.
Journal
The next step in my morning routine is journaling. I take a few minutes to write down my thoughts and reflect on the day ahead. This helps me to get all of my thoughts out of my head so that I can start the day with a clear mind. It also allows me to process any emotions I may be feeling so that I can start the day with a positive attitude.
Work on my side business
Once I’ve finished my yoga routine, I immediately sit down at my desk and work for an hour on my online business. Yes, before breakfast or even coffee! (I have an energy boost from my yoga). I like to do this first thing because then I won’t get distracted and also I find my mind is really clear at this time.
I still have a full time office job while I work on my side business but it’s really important to me to make time for this. I often have to work late and my mind will be too frazzled after a day in the office. So first thing in the morning it is!
Dress myself
To save stress in the mornings, I always lay out my outfits the night before. My makeup routine for the office is very minimal and I use the same products each day, so that doesn’t take long. And of course I always finish with a spritz of my favourite perfume, which makes me feel instantly put together and gives me that extra boost of confidence!
Healthy breakfast
A good breakfast is essential because it will help to improve your concentration and productivity levels. I usually just have some fruits and yoghurt. I need to eat something in the morning but I don’t like to feel bloated. Breakfast is the last step before I head out the door because I also take the chance to check my emails and social media, and if I did it earlier I might get distracted and run out of time for the rest of my routine.
After that, it’s out the door and off to work!
How about you? What is your morning routine and how do you feel productive?