Good Morning Routine

How you begin the day often influences how the rest of it unfolds. This means if you wake up in a bad mood, you’re more than likely to stay in a bad mood all day long. However, creating a good morning routine can vastly improve your outlook.

I know I feel much better overall and am more productive on days that I stick to my morning regimen. Some of it is such a habit now that it throws me off if I miss a day.

Getting into a good groove is part of what drives me in 2020, my Year of Effort.

Let’s take a look at how your day can improve by what you do first thing in the morning.

How a Good Morning Routine Helps

You’ve probably heard people say how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Perhaps someone told you that, “someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

The world is rife with sayings like these, and for good reason. How you start the day can influence every decision you make for the next 16 hours.

Now, I’m not saying that if you don’t wake up in a good mood that you’ll be a step away from throwing your monitor out your window. But, having a positive morning routine can easily change how your brain processes information, overall mood, and how you interact with others.

Sets the Tone for the Day

Your mindset in the morning can stick with you for the long haul. It has a funny way of keeping you in a positive or negative rut regardless of what happens.

This is one of the reasons why many therapists and other mental experts suggest giving yourself a pep talk first thing in the morning. And yes, there are times when I look in the morning first thing and smile while saying, “You got this.”

I know that if I wake up grumpy and don’t change my mood as soon as I can, I get lethargic and stuck in the “I don’t care” mentality. That’s no good for trying to be productive.

It Can Energize You

Over the years, I found that I am far more energized with the right morning routine. I handle the workload better, think clearer, and am less likely to stress out.

In reality, it’s one of the big reasons why so many people go for a morning jog. It’s all about getting endorphins going, which is the body’s natural pain killer and mood enhancer. The harder you work, the more these are released.

You’ve probably heard the term, “runner’s high.” This happens when so many hormones are released that a person literally feels intoxicated.

A Good Morning Routine Can Increase Focus

Like I said a moment ago, getting into a good groove helps you stay productive and focused. For example, the Internet is full of studies showing how exercise improves brainpower.

So, including a good workout in the morning will affect your ability to think and reason. And this is important regardless of what you do for a living.

The brain is one of the most important aspects of your body. Nearly everything else can be replaced. Taking care of it should be on the top of everyone’s list. Unfortunately, and ironically, many people forget that part.

Contributes to Staying Motivated

I suppose motivation and focus can go together. It’s hard to have one without the other. However, I find myself far more motivated to push through the day when I stick to my morning routine.

Unfortunately, motivation is a constant struggle for me for a myriad of reasons and excuses. But, I know I am far better at my job on days I eat better and exercise first thing.

I may be a slacker when it comes to my personal projects, but I put in maximum effort when it comes to my clients.

Probably because they pay the bills. Money is a powerful motivator.

What’s My Morning Routine?

So, what does my morning routine look like? Actually, I’ve been asked that a few times (mostly from freelance writers). And it’s really nothing spectacular.

The most important thing is to find a regimen that works for you. What I do in the morning might not work as well for you. That’s because everyone is unique. Sure, we all share similar physiology, but that’s where it stops.

My motivator is completely different from your own. Well, for many of you, anyway.

But to get an idea of how I keep myself going, I:

  • Wake up and bring in the day with a cup of coffee.
  • About 30 minutes later, I drink a bottle of Emerge from Max Muscle. This is a mood enhancer, fat metabolizer, energy drink. After all, I’m still trying to lose the last bit of weight.
  • While I drink the Emerge, I start my “Motivation” playlist on the computer. I have quite the collection of songs that get me in the mood to do great things. Essentially, it’s a lot of fast-paced songs that keep my energy levels up.
  • Around 15 minutes after drinking Emerge, I get in front of the Xbox Kinect. I strap on two-pound weights to each wrist and play between 20 and 30 minutes.
  • After my exercise, I have breakfast. At the moment, this consists of a protein shake and fig bars. Sometimes, it’s a banana, peaches and a V8. Some days, it’s Cream of Wheat. But it’s never over 400 calories.
  • Shortly after I eat, I take a shower and get dressed. This is because I feel far more professional if I at least dress business-casual. Even if no one sees me at all that day, I put on some clothes.
  • Once I’m dressed, I get on and write one blog post for myself. Then, I start working on client work until it’s done.

One day, I’m sure I’ll do a video on my morning routine for WriterSanctuary.com. It’s nothing grandiose, but it works exceptionally well for me.

The Take Away from My Morning Routine

Aside from what I actually do, there are some key elements you should consider.

First of all, I try to get the heart elevated shortly after getting up. And this probably makes the biggest impact on my day overall. Everything else, I can set aside. But if I don’t exercise, my day just seems off.

Secondly, I rarely have loads of sugar in the morning. Mostly, I focus on protein. In fact, there is scientific information out there that demonstrates how some people’s moods are improved with protein first thing in the morning.

Besides, the amount of energy you get from protein lasts far longer than sugar without the crash.

Thirdly, I keep a professional mindset. It’s very rare that I work in my pajamas, which is usually on days that I am overloaded with work and don’t have time to dress. This is to remind myself that I am a professional at my job.

Don’t get me wrong, many successful people work in their pajamas, and that’s OK. However, I just feel more focused on my job and an expert in my field if I look and dress the part.

What’s Your Morning Routine?

Getting into a good groove for yourself lays the groundwork for success in just about anything. Finding a good morning routine for yourself may just give you that edge you need to face the day.

It might take a bit of time, but it’s worth the effort if you can find that perfect flow to keep yourself going.

What kinds of things do you like to do in the morning, let me know in the comments!

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