Start Out on a Positive Note-A Magical Morning Routine

I wish I had discovered how important a strong morning routine was so much longer ago. My morning routine has completely changed my life and I’m not exaggerating when I say this. I never knew just how many amazing benefits there were just by following a routine everyday until I started one for myself. Since I’ve started I feel more awake earlier in the morning, more energized throughout the day and just overall happier.

I’ve been doing this routine pretty consistently for the last several years now. But it wasn’t always this way. Previously my mornings looked a little something like: Wake up at 7, get dressed, fix a cup of coffee and plop myself in front of the tv before drudgingly heading into work.

Although this is considered a routine, it certainly wasn’t doing me any favors. I wasn’t starting my day out in the best way possible. And I certainly wasn’t setting myself up for success. More often than not I would feel sluggish and irritable even though I was going to bed at a decent hour. And I constantly felt like I could use a nap. I started realizing there was a connection between how my day started out and how it would unfold.

I knew that in order to have the best day possible, I needed to start it out in the best possible way. That’s when I decided to give my morning routine a complete overhaul and I’ve never looked back.

Wake Up Earlier

I’ve always been a morning person. So waking up earlier didn’t intimate me as much as it might for others. But I will say it was still a bit of a struggle in the beginning. It took some time to adjust to waking up at 6am. But like with most things in life, I got use to it the more I did it and the time change started affecting me less and less.

Now, I can’t imagine sleeping in. The sound of it doesn’t even appeal to me anymore. And yes, this includes the weekends too! Staying consistent is key. You want to get your body on this new schedule and stick with it every day. Don’t constantly change your wake-up time just because it’s your day off. To feel your best you’ll need to keep up with your routine every single day.

If you’re not exactly excited about the idea of waking up earlier just take baby steps. Maybe you set your alarm to go off 30 minutes earlier. Or maybe it’s just 10 or 15 minutes earlier. Start slow and ease your way into it. Anyone can become a morning person. With a little time, consistency and the right morning routine, it will become second nature.

Hydration

Once I’m out of bed I always grab a glass of water. We get pretty dehydrated while we sleep so it’s important to begin rehydrating first thing in the morning. I always try to drink 2-3 glasses of water as soon as I get out of bed. This helps me wake up faster and feel so much more refreshed. Feel free to add some lemon to your water to help spice things up and flush out toxins.

Get Moving

I love getting my workout in first thing in the morning. Honestly I look forward to it everyday. There’s also so many benefits that come along with it! For starters you will instantly feel more awake. Heck yes to that! Not only that, but you will feel less tired for a longer period of time and have more energy throughout the day. Goodbye midday slumps!

Moving your body first thing in the morning will also help increase your metabolism and if that wasn’t enough, it’s also a great way to release stress and tension.

Meditation

I know that meditation can be a little intimidating at first. It was for me too. When I first started I thought right away that this just wasn’t for me. But I kept reading about all the incredible benefits like reducing stress, improving your attention span and improving focus.

You can ready more about the benefits of meditation here.

So I decided to keep trying. It’s crazy, but the more I kept doing it the longer I wanted to go for. I enjoyed the peacefulness of clearing my head and just sitting quietly for a few minutes. Nothing to do and no where I need to be. Just focusing on the breath, each inhale and exhale.

Just 5 minutes a day is all you need to get started. From there you can work your way up to 15, 20 minutes, or longer!

Guided meditations are also a great way to start out. Listening to the teacher’s voice as they guide you along can help you get out of your head a bit and help you focus. I also love the soft, relaxing music in the background. Check out Boho Beautiful’s Youtube channel for a ton of free guided meditations. This one here is one of my favorites!

Whether you decide to practice on your own or with a guide just remember it’s called a meditation practice for a reason. Overtime you will get more comfortable with it and it will get easier.

Journaling

Journaling is another habit I have started incorporating into my daily morning routine. Don’t feel like you need to write a novel every morning (unless you want to!). You can start by just writing 3-5 things you’re grateful for and go from there. Or use journal prompts to help inspire you.

I also use journaling as a way to help me realign with my goals and intentions every day. Setting goals are great, but they aren’t something you can set and forget. You need to keep them top of mind each day to remind yourself what you are working towards, and journaling is a great way to do just that.

No matter what you decide to write about just be creative and don’t worry if you aren’t the best writer. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Remember no one else is going to read it. So just start putting pen to paper and see what comes out.

I hope you guys enjoyed a peak into my daily morning routine. And I hope it helps inspire you to create your own. Remember that the mornings are more often than not the time in our day where we have the most control, before work and other life obligations have time to interfere. Give yourself the space and love you deserve.

Sending positive vibes your way.