I’m not a morning person, ie: a person who has the most energy in the early part of the day. By definition, I’m actually the opposite of a morning person. I’m a night owl through and through. I was always the last kid asleep at slumber parties, and I feel the most creative at night (although some nights I wish that wasn’t the case when I find myself wide awake at 3am, brain bouncing with ideas).
I don’t love mornings but I do however, love routines. I’ve finally managed to find a morning routine that helps me ease into the day without feeling groggy for several hours, which has been a game changer for my productivity and overall mood. Here are some practices that I’ve been trying, maybe you’ll find them helpful as well!
First and foremost, don’t get on your phone. Don’t even touch it because if you touch it, you’ll get sucked in and before you know it an entire hour will have passed. I made this switch on January 1st and it’s been amazing for my productivity. The few times that I’ve accidentally checked my email before I got out of bed, I noticed that it gave me a feeling of uneasiness first thing in the morning. No good.
Keep a nice pair of house shoes right by your bed. Especially when it’s cold outside, this is crucial in motivating myself to put feet to floor.
Similar to the house shoes, my robe hangs on the back of my door and it’s the first thing I put on on my way to the kitchen for coffee
On that note.. let’s talk coffee! I’m a big fan of a traditional coffee pot that lets you set the timer the night before so you can wake up to the smell of fresh brewed cup. Love that. But we just upgraded to a new espresso machine and it’s definitely a mood booster in the mornings for me. My go to for the first cup is usually a tall americano, then I come back in the afternoon for a 2:00 oat milk cortado. Heaven.
Set up a space where you can do yoga, or whatever form of exercise you’d like. I keep my yoga mat in my home studio so after my coffee is made I go in there, close the doors, and turn on my space heater (another must for the winter months). I spread out my mat and sit on the floor with my planner and sip my coffee while I reflect on my goals and to do list for the day. Having a space and a time where I can make this a part of my routine has been a huge for me. Before my new routine, I tried to do yoga every day but it was usually something that I would put off for later. “I’ll do it sometime after lunch.” Or “I’ll do it tonight”. Just very vague. Now, I know that I need to be out of bed and ready to start yoga by 9. With that routine in place I’ve been able to do yoga every single day for 55 days!
Meditate. Until very recently I didn’t think I could get into meditation. But I downloaded the Down Dog meditation app and have started doing it for 4 minutes at the end of yoga and it is wonderful. It’s super simple.. basically it guides you through some relaxing breaths, reads a quote to focus on, and helps you clear your mind for the day. Highly recommend!
After all of this is when I make another cup of coffee and sit down at my desk to finally check my email and look at my phone.
This schedule can totally be adjusted to fit your needs. All in all it’s only 30-45 minutes because some days I do yoga for 5 minutes while other days it might be 15 or 20. Be flexible within your schedule but know the rough time frame that works best for you and try to stick to it every day!
Try it out! Wake up 30 minutes earlier. Stay off your phone. Lay out your yoga mat the night before. I think it’ll boost your mood and start your day off in a more focused way.
