Is your morning routine serving you? Maybe it’s time to ‘break up’ with your morning routine and do this instead.
On an ideal day, I’d wake up in time to get a workout in, including the time to stretch, and still have an hour to read, journal, and pray. Oh, and did I mention, have time to get ready for the day, start a load of laundry and brew a hot cup of tea before I wake up my kids.
If I add all of that up, I’m looking at a solid 2.5 hours to accomplish my ideal morning routine. Which makes this entirely impractical based on my actual life. Yet, I still feel the pressure that I need to get it all done—the pressure to have the ‘perfect’ morning routine.
Because somewhere, I’ve believed that accomplishing the routine will magically allow my life to fall in place. To achieve all of the things I’ve set out to accomplish.
But what happens when that routine or the stress of the routine is more damaging than it is filling?
Like anything, it comes back to the purpose in which you complete it. If it’s another thing you feel an obligation to or something you believe is necessary for helping you arrive, you’ve missed the point.
‘Break up’ with your morning routine.
The purpose of a morning routine is to fill yourself. If it does anything less, it’s doing more harm than good and a sign that it’s time to ‘break up’ with your morning routine. The one you spend more time worrying about accomplishing than reaping the benefits of waking up and doing it.
Don’t blame yourself. Most morning routines are impractical at best.
The best news is, it doesn’t have to take hours to fill yourself. You can establish a morning routine in little time but with big shifts. Building a healthy morning routine is less about what you choose to do and more about the act of taking action towards healthy positivity.
Doing more of what fills you up.
What you really want from your morning routine is that healthy energy and positivity.
Think about thoughts and actions that fill you rather than activities that take your time.
Funny, when you take away the pressure of perfection, you find the space to live.
The key to building a routine that lasts, outside of breaking up with your morning routine, is establishing rhythms that can be accomplished no matter how much time you have.
A morning routine is meant to fill you no matter what life hands you. So let go of the ‘perfect’ morning and make a choice to fill yourself regardless of what life brings.
Here are a few things to make a morning routine that works for you!
1. Ditch the alarm on your phone.
The harsh ringing and bright lights are enough to wake anyone up on the wrong side of the bed. Instead, opt for a soft alarm clock that helps you rouse more naturally. Another perk, it prevents you from picking up your phone first thing in the morning.
2. Keep your phone on airplane mode.
Sleeping with your phone on airplane mode limits EMF exposure, but it prolongs the start of “stress” in your day, the better chance you have to switch your mind to positivity. Keep your phone on airplane mode until you head out the door in the morning or you start your workday at home.
3. Drink a glass of water before you do anything else.
Fill up a glass of lukewarm water and commit to sipping it down before you fill your mug of coffee or tea. A good dose of hydration to your body when it’s in one of its most dehydrated natural states is incredibly energizing. It can help you get into a healthy flow.
4. Complete one little task.
Maybe you start a load of laundry, pay a few bills, go through the mail and recycle any unnecessary papers. Pick one small task to accomplish each morning, getting you started on the productivity chain. One accomplishment creates more energy, creating momentum that will drive the rest of your day. Productivity is still one of the best ways to create energy.
5. Read or write something.
Your body loves to work, and your mind is no different. A bored mind often leads to a worrying mind because worry creates work. Instead of giving your mind the option to fixate on the bad, keep it working in a positive direction by forcing it into action. A positive way to do this is through reading or journaling. Try reading one bible verse first thing in the morning or start a gratitude list.
Take Action
Simple little, everyday things you can accomplish no matter how much or little time you have. Tasks that are not dictated by life but amplify it. That is what will transform your morning routine and morph it into what it was designed to be.
A place to get filled.
Keep it flexible, be willing to switch things up, and who knows, maybe this perspective switch will free up space and energy to get your move on first thing in the morning.
Now make your list – what are a few filling tasks you can add to your morning that don’t take any time? Actions that can happen regardless of what life hands you.
Great article